The “gaze” is a term that describes how viewers engage with the media. For a long time, the male gaze was dominant because the majority of the media we consumed was made by men and for men, and also because the female gaze did not even exist. Now, we are finally moving away from the male gaze and entering an era of the female gaze.

What is the male gaze?

The male gaze describes a way of portraying women as objects of male desire that exist only in terms of what they represent to a man rather than actual human beings with their own dreams, desires and agency. The male gaze can be seen through how the camera frames a woman so that the audience focuses on her body rather than what she is actually saying.

The problem with the male gaze

Even though the male gaze describes how women are portrayed in the media it has a huge impact on real life. Because viewers are only given one single narrative of women, they might subconsciously believe that that’s how women should be treated off-screen as well.  It also contributes to the patriarchal idea that no matter how talented a woman may be, the first thing we think of is how attractive she is, and that’s usually in terms of a heterosexual male standard.

The female gaze

The female gaze is very new to the media, but it’s not like the male gaze at all. It’s emotional, intimate and does not look at men like objects like the male gaze looks at women. It’s less about a power imbalance but more about seeing men and women as equal. This may be shown by male leads being more in tune with their emotions, and female leads focusing more on their careers and less on men. This is exactly what we need not just for women but for society as a whole.

Words by Fran Rattle
Photography: Pexels