Has the Male Gaze developed over the years?
The male gaze is often interpreted in relation to how women are portrayed in media as an object to be looked at and belong to men.
Petterson M and Elliot R argue that “lifestyle magazine advertising has caused men to gaze upon images of their own bodies”
This has become more common through magazines and then social media for both men and women, however most media is still through the male gaze.
Male Gaze in Adverts
Van Heusen released an ad with a woman serving a man breakfast, with the caption “show her it’s a man’s world” This advert, has many clear messages of the male gaze, such as the woman serving him and the caption. The woman is also below him, reflecting his importance in the world.
The Giorgio Armani perfume cologne advert shows a man on the beach without a shirt, this reflects Petterson M and Elliot R’s theory that men now “gaze upon their own bodies.” This differs from older cologne ads, which previously had men with a woman as an accessory in the advert, often with her head resting on his stomach.
Female Gaze in adverts
The Rosie the Riveter advert could be considered one of the first female gaze adverts, with the intention being to promote to women to take over for men during the war. In this advertisement she is flexing her right arm, reflecting women’s strength.
Female gaze adverts often portray either a more realistic depiction of women for them to relate to, or an aspirational depiction, for example, women being able to achieve what they set their mind to or “We Can Do It!” this is evident in the This Girl can campaign, showcasing women being able to do a wide variety of sports, including football, cycling, diving, running, with the tagline “This Girl Can”.
Overalll, we need to challenge the normalisation of the male gaze in media. The more we accept and allow this to be the only perspective we grow up seeing, the more it will happen as it remains the ‘norm’ and seeing media through a female gaze remainsunusual.
Most films are centred around a male lead, which causes women to watch and relate to those films, however the same can’t be said for female leads. Meaning most mainstream films seen by both genders is told from a man’s perspective.
We are creatures of habit, so changing the way our media is presented to us is a big challenge, however its crucial for men and women to be equal. Not only is it important for women to be able to see themselves in media, but it is also important for men to consume female gaze media in order to feel empathy and gain an understanding of the different experience’s women face.
References:
Patterson, M., & Elliott, R. (2002). Negotiating Masculinities: Advertising and the Inversion of the Male Gaze. Consumption Markets & Culture, 5(3), 231–249. https://doi.org/10.1080/10253860290031631
Hi! your blog post was very engaging and enjoyable to read- it was well structured ad used a lot of examples that are relevant to today. I liked how you opened your post by explaining what the male gaze was – and you used Petterson and Elliot’s argument from men. I really loved the modern examples used to highlight the male gaze in the media. Using the ‘This Girl Can’ campaign was great as it highlights the female gaze in both a new and old context. Finally i liked the feature image you used because it really draws attention to the title of the blog and shows how you have really focused on the male gaze throughout history.
Hi! Your article was extremely interesting and really helped me engage with the topic. Your article suggests that there’s an importance in looking into the past and reflecting on that to create a different future. As you stated, humans are creatures of habit, meaning the actual changing of the content is going to be difficult but articles like yours that point out the continuing issues challenges the content society is seeing. I also think it’s really important to point out that adverst are not portreying a realistic society.
Your blog post offers an insightful look at the evolution of the male gaze in media, especially with strong examples like the Van Heusen and Giorgio Armani ads. You effectively show how men have increasingly become subjects of objectification, which aligns well with Petterson and Elliot’s theory. The contrast with the female gaze, particularly through campaigns like Rosie the Riveter and This Girl Can, adds depth and highlights how media is beginning to reflect more diverse perspectives. This connection between theory and real-world examples makes your argument engaging and accessible. While you mention the need to challenge the normalization of the male gaze, exploring potential solutions or ways to shift the media narrative would make the argument more compelling. With a few tweaks for clarity and depth, this blog could become an even stronger analysis of gendered media representations. Overall, the post is great and full of insight, but refining some areas could help it feel more polished and impactful.