To understand how modern films, TV shows and social media shape our ideas about gender, it is important to look at the concept of the male gaze. This term, was coined by the film theorist Laura Mulvey in the 1970s. The theory reflects the idea of how women are presented in the media and how they are frequently objectified. Even though this theory is slightly out of date, it remains relevant in today’s society and plays a critical role in shaping gender roles today.
As stated before, the theory was coined by Laura Mulvey, who was a highly influential feminist film theorist in the 70s- mainly because of her ‘Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema’ essay which introduced the well-know theory we know today. According to Mulvey, the term is used to describe the way women are often portrayed in films, television, advertisements and even social media from a heterosexual point of view. The theory studies how women are viewed as objects and how their roles within the home are shaped. Whilst the theory is negative, it helps us as a society to understand how to become more aware of how the media shapes gender, beauty and power.
The most famous example of the male gaze would be modern film and television. It has been highly noted that in specific film genres like film noir, action and adventure, they highly sexualise their female characters by dressing them up in tight and/or skimpy clothes and revealing body parts that don’t necessarily need to be seen .e.g. overexaggerating on cleavage & ‘stereotypical’ female actions. On the other hand, men in film appear to be in more particle clothing . Additionally in film, camera angles play a vast role in contributing to the idea of the male gaze. An example of this would be a shot that slowly pans a woman’s leg or lingers on her chest. By doing this, a male perspective is created which not only affects how characters are seen, but how women in the real world should feel or act.
On social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, the male gaze is created by promoting a certain beauty standard which revolves around poses, filters and body types. An example of this would be the ‘Instagram Baddie’ aesthetic which includes full glam make-up, arched back poses and specific camera angles to help portray your visual identity in a certain way- by doing this, the male gaze is reinforced and becomes the standard of society.
However, since the rise of more female directors, the male gaze has become more challenged and the stereotypical appearance of the female character is evolving. An example of this is how Margot Robbie is presented in suicide squad (male gaze) compared to Birds of prey (female gaze). In today’s society, the male gaze is slightly declining whilst the female gaze evolves. Instead of focusing on sexualising women’s experiences and objectifying them, a new approach of own agency, emotion and interiority has been taken, which reduces the objectification view and focuses on a powerful yet vulnerable experiences women face.
References:
Mulvey, L. (1975) ‘Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema’.
Tipple, R. (2025) ‘The Rise of the ‘Female Gaze’ in Cinema, and Why it Matters’, The Oxford Blue, 4 March. Available at: https://theoxfordblue.co.uk/the-female-gaze/ (Accessed: 30 November 2025).
I really appreciate the work done on this. Your explanation provides strong, concrete examples of how the male gaze operates in both traditional media and on social platforms, and you clearly demonstrate how visual techniques shape expectations of femininity. Your point about social media is critical because it shows how the gaze becomes internalised. The “Instagram Baddie” aesthetic doesn’t simply reflect what men want to see; it teaches users, especially young women, to monitor and shape their bodies for a hypothetical male spectator.
Hi, it was very encouraging to read your blog post about the female and male gaze. It is exciting to see how pop culture shapes our perception of men and women by using specific angles and clothing. If we go in depth and analyse the woman’s role and presence in the film, we can also see that the behaviour of the women characters also reflects the male gaze and patriarchy. Women in the films produced by men are usually portrayed through stereotypes; they are silly, weak, and useless without men. And unfortunately, such representation of stereotypes further reinforces people’s perception of woman and their behaviour, creating a vicious circle where stereotypes give rise to stereotypes. As a woman, I’m really happy that nowadays society has become diverse and creates opportunities for women to produce films and represent women as they really are, and not reinforce the male gaze.
Hey！This blog is particularly solid and easy to understand! It not only clearly explains the theoretical framework of the “male gaze”, but also uses specific examples from films, TV shows and social media to bring abstract concepts to life. Even the rise and value of the “female gaze” are described in a very touching way: from objectification to focusing on women’s emotions and subjectivity, the significance of this transformation is particularly warm and touching. Whether you are a reader interested in theory or someone who wants to understand the gender perspective in the media, you can gain a very intuitive understanding from reading it. It is a good piece of content that is both professional and resonant!
Hi! You’ve used excellent examples and comparisons to illustrate the differences between the male and female gaze. The contrast between Margot Robbie’s portrayals in “Suicide Squad” and “Birds of Prey” really highlights these differences. I also agree that the way women are depicted in films and TV shows reflects a deeper reality—they feel pressured to conform to these portrayals in real life. The standards for women are significantly higher than for men. There has definitely been a shift in how women are represented in films, with the male gaze becoming less centred; however, I think it will always be an ongoing battle.
Hi! This blog was very interesting and helpful in getting a full idea of the male gaze versus the female gaze. I really liked the examples you used and the way you explained them. It’s really important to address the way the male gaze dominates cinema. The female gaze will never replace the male gaze, but you pointed out many ways such as appearance of characters, that is are trying to work against the male gaze