“The Male Gaze” is a concept proposed by film scholar Laura Mulvey. The theory suggests that in a narrative system dominated by men, women are often placed in the position of “the object to be looked at” and their bodies and behaviors are presented through the male perspective. In film and television works, “The Male Gaze” is a common phenomenon.
Gentlemen of East 8th is a urban emotional drama that tries to explore life, ideals and love from the perspective of four middle-aged men. However, the work has been widely criticized for its “Mary Sue plot from a male perspective”. Each female character seems to have become a mere accessory to the male characters. The male leads in the drama correspond to suspended plot settings – from Silicon Valley elites to college teachers and online bloggers – almost every storyline revolves around satisfying the growth and desires of male characters through the sacrifices of female characters. This narrative style highlights the core problem of “male gaze”: women are no longer independent individuals with flesh and blood, but are reduced to tools and symbols.
What’s even more uncomfortable is that in this drama, the interactions between the male and female protagonists are not only filled with sexual innuendos but also mingled with the humiliation and stigmatization of women’s normal physiological processes, reinforcing unequal gender concepts. In the drama, women not only lack independent narrative rights but are also given stereotypes like “the most terrifying animals after being hurt,” placing them in a completely subordinate position of being scrutinized and ridiculed.
This type of drama that highlights male dominance at the expense of women’s independence not only falls behind the times, but also exposes the creators’ indifference towards gender issues. In the current film and television environment, audiences’ expectations for gender equality and female agency have already risen, and works like Gentlemen of East 8th stand out as particularly jarring. A truly outstanding work should not treat either gender as a consumption object, but should tell the story in a respectful manner. Only in this way can we create film and television works that are in line with the spirit of the times and truly touch people’s hearts.
References:
Mulvey, L. (1975) ‘Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema’.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRBClVey5BqyqHSkBPh9hS5y0Yuw4sQkb&si=EAMWsu8GHC6CGbmD
