Media Studies (2021). The male gaze concept was first presented in the 1975 work “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” by British feminist Laura Mulvey. It highlights how women are frequently portrayed in the media as objects of male desire, with an emphasis on their passivity and beauty, particularly in Hollywood films. Men are shown as aggressive and powerful, while women are portrayed as subservient. Mulvey contends that doing so perpetuates gender inequity and objectifies women. Her research has sparked significant conversations about gender roles and is currently commonly utilised to evaluate how gender is portrayed in art and media.
Gallagher, J., 1996. The male gaze was reflected in propaganda during World Wars I and II, which objectified women to appeal to men and maintain gender norms. Women were positioned as symbols of beauty, purity, or nationalism to persuade men to enlist or carry out battle. Although ladies performed more active roles during World War I, they were shown as weak or patriotic people who needed to be protected during World War II. Santana, M.C., 2016. However, propaganda emphasised their femininity during that conflict with figures like “Rosie the Riveter” or pin-up images. Women’s independence was minimised in these depictions and reduced to symbols of masculine drive and desire.
Dargis, Manohla, 2011. The sexualised portrayal of female characters, particularly Gisele Yashar (Gal Gadot), whose body is emphasised by camera angles that focus on her beauty rather than her actions or plot contributions, serves as an example of the male gaze hypothesis in Fast Five (2011). This makes her a desirable object in the eyes of male observers. The film is an excellent illustration of how women are often portrayed as objects of male satisfaction, which stifles their autonomy and upholds traditional gender stereotypes.
The male gaze theory and algorithmic biases are linked because they both encourage the ongoing existence of social and gender inequality. The male gaze in the media portrays women as objects of desire for men, and algorithmic biases frequently reflect and maintain gender stereotypes. Similar to how women are frequently objectified in male-oriented films, biassed data may be used by facial recognition software or employment algorithms to disadvantage women or minorities. Both restrict fair treatment and enhance biases, which help to sustain power disparities.
Globally, the male gaze theory is influenced by the media’s frequent shift from women to objects of male desire. This limits women’s responsibilities in society and feeds biases and gender inequality. Often, their looks are used to emphasise their agency rather than their skills or independence. However, movements like #MaleGaze and new media like Bridgerton tackle these representations to empower women and give voice to their opinions.
For me as a woman in her 20s, the male gaze theory speaks to me because women’s sexuality and looks are often focused on the media rather than their abilities or personal preferences. This affects how I see myself because society expects women to be beautiful. Films, ads, and social media portrayals of women, which are typically created with men in mind, influence how I view myself and how I approach relationships, career goals, and personal aspirations. However, with younger generations challenging such representations on platforms like TikTok and shows like Bridgerton, women now have more space to reclaim their independence and reject objectification.
Bibliography:
Abid Ali Awan (2023). What is Algorithmic Bias? [online] Datacamp.com. Available at: https://www.datacamp.com/blog/what-is-algorithmic-bias.
Dargis, Manohla. “‘Fast Five’ Review: The Street Racing Franchise Grows Up.” The New York Times, April 28, 2011.
Gallagher, J., 1996. The great war and the female gaze: Edith Wharton and the iconography of war propaganda. Lit: Literature Interpretation Theory, 7(1), pp.27-49.
Kavvada, E. (2022). How Bridgerton Celebrates the Female Gaze. [online] Keke Magazine. Available at: https://www.kekemagazine.com/how-bridgerton-celebrates-the-female-gaze/.
Media Studies (2021). Laura Mulvey’s ‘Male Gaze’ Theory | Definition and Examples. [online] Media Studies. Available at: https://media-studies.com/male-gaze/.
Santana, M.C., 2016. From empowerment to domesticity: The case of Rosie the Riveter and the WWII campaign. Frontiers in Sociology, 1, p.16.
TikTok. (2024). The Male Gaze | TikTok. [online] Available at: https://www.tiktok.com/channel/the-male-gaze?lang=en
I really like how you’ve given plenty of examples on the male gaze, and specified how, often, women are objectified and sexualised for the pleasure of the male gaze.
You speak often about “biases” and you list Bridgerton as an example of one that empowers women – how do they empower women? I’ve watched the show myself and am an avid fan of it, you definitely could’ve gone into more detail about the societal normalities back then and how they portray an idealistic society, not a realistic one of that era. As well as this, you listed Fast Five as an example of how Gal Gadot was an image of desire, yet the image you provided doesn’t match that entirely – there’s a scene where she gets out a bikini down the beach to use her body to get what she wants. This definitely would’ve been a better example of the male gaze!
Lastly, I really do recommend you set a featured image, it entices readers in! Otherwise, fabulous job.