The male gaze is a term created by British feminist film theorist and filmmaker, Laura Mulvey. She states that women are often portrayed as objects because of the lack of diversity in directors. Since male directors and producers dominate the film industry, the audience is most likely going to experience the film from a straight man’s point of view. Although the film industry is evolving regarding representation, the male gaze still has a lot of influence in modern film.
Modern Movies and TV shows often use the male gaze by focusing on women’s bodies rather than their actions or motivations. However, they can also use this concept to their advantage, to challenge the idea of the male gaze with how a character carries themselves. A clear example of this is Maddy Perez from the show Euphoria. While her thoughts and opinions are sometimes seen through the female gaze, she is often dressed in overly sexualised outfits and frequently shown in full-body shots. Her character is also a cheerleader and is portrayed dancing provocatively several times throughout the series.
The show dedicates episodes to different characters, including one focused on her boyfriend, Nate Jacobs. This episode, seen through Nate’s perspective, perfectly demonstrates the male gaze.
He views Maddy as an object—something he can control and is his property. In the show, Rue (Zendaya) narrates, explaining all the things he physically likes about Maddy, one being how he could protect her as she was smaller than him. But, it doesn’t narrate anything about her as a person, again, showing the audience that Maddy is just an object to him, not an actual person.
On the other hand, her character also challenges the idea of the male gaze. The show incorporates her perspective, complicating the idea that she exists solely for the male gaze. Maddy is an extremely confident character. Her control over her appearance can be seen as taking back her image, showing she uses traditional ideas of beauty to her advantage.
Maddy’s character balances between the male gaze and feminist critique. While her appearance fits traditional beauty standards, her depth and independence challenge the idea that she’s only there to be looked at. Euphoria uses characters like Maddy to explore and challenge the male gaze, making her both a result of it and a critique of it.
Euphoria uses Maddy Perez’s character as a powerful example of how the male gaze works in modern media. While the show often presents her through a male perspective, it also challenges this by giving Maddy control over her image and showing her depth as a person. Euphoria both critiques and plays with the idea of the male gaze, encouraging viewers to think about how women are portrayed and how they can take control of their own stories.
I love this show! Very interesting that you personified the ‘male gaze’ lens via Nate Jacobs character (as he lists all the things that he likes about women and none of them were to do with her personality). Maddie definitely uses her looks and power over mne to her advantage, but as you mention her character is expanded beyond that in Euphoria – she takes on an active role in her story and isn’t as an accessory to Nate’s character arc, in fact, we can argue that we can see quite the opposite happen, he is fixated on her and that’s why he went on to have a relationship with Cassie when she began to dress more like Maddie (more like the what would be expected from the ‘Male Gaze’) It would be interesting if you provided examples of how you think Maddie is an active character in her story, and perhaps (because you mentioned above that the Male Gaze can appear in media due to lack of female involvement in the writing and production) if you explored the gender divide in Euphoria’s production team – was there female directors working on the show? Or was the show filmed this way due to changing societal standards?