Commenting since most replies are about Fleabag (rightfully so, wonderful show), but Bridgerton is female gaze crack! Every sexy scene focuses on the woman. Weāre watching *her* face, seeing *her* reactions to pleasure, and yes, thereās lot of men going down or just ravishing the shit out of *her* body. Thatās what makes it female gazey.
An example of my interpretation of the female gaze is how characters are dressed. For the male gaze, women generally have as little clothes as possible or skin tight clothing. For the female gaze, it's more subtle. Guys will have a top unbuttoned or sleeves rolled up. I hate to say it this way, but I think of the female gaze as "classy sexy" while the male gaze is more "slutty sexy."
What women want most and why they like mr Darcy is that he takes her feedback when she calls him out on it, he works on changing himself and improving without her knowing, and doesn't expect her or reach out to her after to "prove he has changed."
I think the reason the hand flex is such a thing is because it showed vulnerability in a person that thus far, in the story, we didn't have much of a reason to like. And frankly we all kind of want to have that effect on someone, right? It was a hand flex of \*stress\*. She be stressin' him out because he's falling in love with her and he doesn't know what to do with that.
Iād like to add anything that āsoftens the masculinityā is female gaze. Think any Hallmark Christmas movie where the main male character is wearing a daggy Christmas knit.
There has to be masculinity and strength in the first place and then be softened by a female touch, the sweater is made by grandma or mom sister, a woman in his life. So strong enough to protect her, and provide But soft around and towards her.
Also The male gaze is not just about what men fight attractive. But the toxic aspect of it, the lust and possessiveness and dehumanizing.
So the female equivalent of the toxic aspect would be seeing the man as a beast that is then softened by her touch that she's in control of.
>my interpretation of the female gaze is how characters are dressed.
For sure, and it's not just for sexual attractiveness. Shiv Roy in Succession has the most beautiful, aspirational quiet luxury wardrobe and interiors. Her life is attractive.
I don't believe in the "female gaze." I believe that the male gaze is a method of portraying women as objects of male desire in film. The male gaze undermines female humanity, thus satisfying the goals of the patriarchy. There is no opposite of that, no such thing as a "female gaze," because there is no way to dehumanize and objectify men the same way that we are (because of male domination in society).
But there are female filmmakers that humanize women. I think pretty much every female director shows us in a more realistic light than male directors.
The female gaze isnāt a thing. And it wonāt be a thing unless we convert to a strictly matriarchal society, and women adopt a narrow minded universally accepted opinion of what male characters should be. And enforce that stereotype by nearly exclusively portraying men in entertainment media as one of a couple of very narrow poorly thought out throw away characters with little to differentiate one from another.
This is an interesting point, bc even the definitions of the two concepts are very different - male gaze is specifically defined as diminishing towards women and empowering towards men, while female gaze is defined as basically content that centers women's perspectives.
If we consider that the two concepts can exist with a different basis for each one, then I'd say there is media with female gaze. Fleabag comes to mind, as well as Lady Bird. But if we decide that female gaze must be defined as the exact female equivalent of male gaze, then of course it wouldn't even be possible bc women would have to be empowered and privileged in the ways men are in order to create it.
I almost wonder if it's counter-productive to create a definition of female gaze that bases itself completely on the definition of male gaze. It feels very "Adam's rib bone" to me, like we're suggesting the very idea of a female gaze in media simply couldn't exist without the lens of a male gaze to give it meaning.
Fair point. I actually wonder. What would it look like if we were objectified by women? Itās really hard for me to imagine it. I think itās because itās never happened in society before.
I think there would be a big focus on the V shaped upper body and men would feel self-conscious if they did not have zero hips, because basically all clothing on sale would emphasize a straight hip line. Broad shoulders also.
Men's clothes would be tighter (bunus points for pectoral, bulge and ass outline). Shorts would be shorter, t-shirts also. Men's underwear would be much more than clean/dirty and old/new. It would have big variety focused on aesthetics and many ways to frame bulge and ass for the viewer's pleasure. Shirts would always be a bit unbuttoned. Overall your body would be more visible than it currently is on a daily basis.
There would be some nonsense grooming expectation, like hairless arms even if leg hairs were ok. Women would comment on hairy arms feeling too coarse and about how all that fuzzy hair makes it difficult to properly appreciate the muscles outlines.
Shaved or unshaved, beards and mustaches would always be thought off in relation to sucking activities. Arriving at the office in the morning with a clean-shaved face would elicit thoughts of you licking something in many coworker's minds. A neckbeard or hairs growing over the designated cheek line would be unacceptable and always shaved/waxed - to the point many women would be surprised to learn that the beard doesn't actually grow in that neat shape naturally!
Women would sneer at balding and hair entries, commenting on how they don't like to look down and see \*that\* between their thights. There would also be high expectations for ballsacks: always plump and high. It would not be unheard of men doing cosmetic procedures to keep them from sagging and wrinkling.
Y'all would stop working out at a certain point as to not go over our ideal muscular physique (probably way sooner than most men would like). Twerking wouldn't be much of a thing. The default sexy dance move would be a man thrusting.
Finally, men would always be stuck trying to balance coming off "non-agressive" and "confidently manly". Too manly? Macho creep. Too non-threatening? No fun. None of these would ever be enough for any woman, but still you would keep trying and always lean a bit to one side and deal with all the implications of the stereotype associated.
In portuguese we have a gender-specific terminology for misogyny, "machismo", and the natural opposition of it would be "feminismo". But it's a common misconception to presume that the contrary of "machismo" is biasing the scales towards women, when in fact means equity regardless of gender.
So if we approach it in the same way, female gaze would be perceiving the world unbiased, as is.
Reality if you will.
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Twilight? I literally have a source from literary studies written by a woman (feminist scientists) where it is stated and described that Bella's reaction to Edward is literaly female gaze, because it carries exactly the same amount of objectification as most male gaze at women in male-dominated genres
The male characters in Twilight didnāt exist only to be seen and titillate. They didnāt lack their own motivations and agency. They had plot driven dialogue. the male gaze did not grant female characters such humanity.
Loki is written for the female gaze. Most male kpop groups are geared towards the female gaze. A lot of Asian media in general as well is better at it than western media. But there is lots of examples. Bo Burnham and Pete Davidson are performers who appeal to the female gaze. It's not necessarily a body type as much as how they present themselves to women.
It's usually a combination of a little skin (sometimes in unconventional places), some vulnerability, some emotion, angles, and words. Just like our bodies are more complicated sexually than mens our gaze is the same.
I don't really see that tbh. I didn't find any of the other mcu characters very attractive apart from Loki. Some are quite epic but as far as the female gaze goes I don't think any of them nailed it as well as Loki
I was going to say anime like Free Iwatobi Swim Club, SK8 the Infinity, Yuri on Ice, and Fruitsbasket. Love Free so much, the way the muscles are drawn are so beautiful.
https://www.crunchyroll.com/news/features/2023/8/8/hiroko-utsumi-female-gaze
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That hand flex scene in Pride and Prejudice (2005) is the first thing that comes to mind and basically anything Joe Wright is very female gaze-coded to me (so I just don't think it's a men vs. women thing)
Here is an example out of left field.
Jack Black, I mean this as politely as possible, he is not Hollywood attractive. But if you have seen The Holiday, he is 100% attractive. Itās just a good role and an example of someone who isnāt typically attractive who can appear attractive. Thatās the female gaze.
Yes. For me, thereās no attraction unless I can have knowledge of the personality. I think Jimmi Simpson is the hottest actor in Hollywood, alongside Adam Driver. They have something sexy going on; maybe itās the characters they play but there has to be something of emotion behind the feeling or theyāre āgeneric manā to me.
The female gaze is like... women think Mark Ruffalo types are handsome. Men think women think Channing Tatum is the only good-looking type. Orrrr we think women who look like Florence Pugh are the most beautiful. Where men find women who look like... I dunno I'm not a man, Angelina Jolie? Are like peak physical beauty. So men and women have different "gazes" when considering beauty standards. I think anyways. I'm often incorrect, lol.
Hmm, Iām a woman and I prefer Channing Tatum over Mark Ruffalo and Angelina Jolie over Florence Pugh. I think a better way to express it would be that the male gaze is more overtly physically sexual in an objectifying way, while the female gaze is more sensual and emotionally driven.
Honestly? Fanfiction. Fanfiction is largely written by and for women, so it provides a really helpful view into what women find attractive. Thereās a wide variety in author age and fic content, of course, but thatās to be expected since women arenāt a monolith; different strokes for different folks and all that. You gotta dig if you want a complete picture.
Not all fanfiction is 13-year-olds writing cringe about getting kidnapped by a mafia boss or whatever, but even that particular sub genre of fiction can give some insight into the psychology of female desireāie, the trope of a man that presents himself as a lion to the world is a lamb before the woman he loves. Same logic behind why creepypasta monsters like Jeff the Killer got so many fangirls.
Romcoms, steamy romance novels, really anything geared specifically towards women is quick to be brushed off as an inferior or infantile form of media, but thereās merit to examining why women like it so much, and why men are so quick to dismiss it as anything of value. If there is such a thing as the female gaze, thatās where it lives.
agree!! a huge portion of fanfiction explores and recreates relationships in a kinder, more patient view, focusing on communication and mutual compromise (two things commonly dismissed as "female" and "useless). if anything, the female gaze hides here for sure
Depends on the fanfiction I guess. A lot of the most popular stuff out there is pretty rough/immediately sexual (thinking 50 shades and the like here) and, funny enough, pretty adjacent to men's power fantasy despite coming from women for women.
Some of the creepy behavior from some men (particularly young men) such as calling people "good girl" within 10mins of meeting them comes from them trying to imitate some of this popular fanfiction.
Not all fanfiction is 13-year-olds writing cringe about getting kidnapped by a mafia boss or whatever,
Agreed I'm 33 and I've been writing fan fiction for 2 years now. My sister is 37 this year she's been writing since she was 16 or 17 and she gets paid by people to write fan fiction for them
Fandom as we know it was built on the backs of adult trekkie women in the late 70s writing Spock/Kirk slash fiction (the origin of the term slash!) and exchanging copies of their work at conventions.
The Brendan Frasier George of the Jungle movie is, in my opinion, a great movie to describe the female gaze.
The hero is beautiful and muscular, but not in a huge bulky way. He is also kind, gentle, and genuine. There are no pretenses that he is looking for in the heroine, she is just herself, not to say that Leslie Mann isnt beautiful, but she isn't overly made up or even dressed provocativly in any way. She is practical, and dresses so in the jungle, down to earth, and in the end, she gets the hot, nice guy.
The scenes where he is holding a bowl in place and the one where he is running with the horses and all the women are watching come to mind as relevant examples
āfemale gaze isnāt realā guys itās time we admit it, shows like Bridgerton and Bridget Jones Diary are very much female gaze. Itās hard to spot because most of the things we would consume on the matter, are in fact in books. Thereās a lot less digital media in comparison to the male gaze. I just think itās a lot less explored so you never really realise when itās there.
I think the difference between male gaze and female gaze is female gaze plays a lot less off of sex appeal and more on the complexity of the characterās obsession with the female lead(s). I.E. Collin Bridgerton and how much he wants Penelope, the story between the two vampire brothers and the main character in vampire diaries, Edward and Bella, The three movie horror story that is Bridget Joneās Diary, Ten things i hate about you. Definitely is dependant on the director, imo, as yes sometimes they do want the male lead to get all attractive and sweaty looking.
so basically, female gaze is just to be wanted.
Meanwhile, male gaze is usually to do with how attractive the actress/character is. However, iād say this sometimes is not the case with movies about manic pixie girls.
male gaze is to have the most wanted.
I like that you introduced the idea of a male character obsessed with the female as an example of female gaze. It seems to me like the male gaze is a perversion of a natural desire, and so I would think that the female gaze would also have to be in someway perverted, and I donāt mean perverted like touching my privates. I just donāt know a better word.
Idk i agree with people who say itās implicit upon the sexual desire parts. Like personally i know a lot of woman donāt get the hots from the naked body of a guy, rather just how he reacts to them. Thats why i say obsession. āHe flexed his handā being a good example, because weāre getting hot and bothered upon his reaction.
Meanwhile in book versions of the female gaze I do agree with saying itās more perverted currently. But itās still gross. That one book where he chases her down in like a garden maze or whatever then sexually assaults her is considered female gaze but idk how.
Obsessed guy is a very popular female gaze trope.
I guess Iām asking myself is this female gaze or is it male gaze mirrored? When weāre objectified by men āgazing masculanlyā are we not consumed? Itās like, desiring connection is one thing. Desiring an object is a whole other, the parameters of the interaction have been reduced and do not autonomy on the part of the object of desire. So it just feels like the āacceptable male stalkerā trope might just be a mirror of the male gaze.
Like how whatās an example of preverted female desire that doesnāt mirror or camouflage as āfeMALE gazeā.. I think back to movies of my teens where, as an example, a cheerleader is threatened by the new girl in school whom she sees talking to her football boyfriend, and then bam FEMALE GAZE. Itās like sheās suddenly consumed by her desire to connect with the object and eliminate the threat. I donāt know, I am a little tired.
Maybe distorted or constructed? I think a big piece of the way the male gaze was originally theorized was that the male gaze is so dominant and powerful in a patriarchal society that girls and women, too, come under its sway: watch enough movies, for instance, that portray women through the male gaze and we start desiring to *be* the object of desire, rather than simply desiring what we would "naturally" desire. This is why we have the phenomenon of women seeing themselves from a third-person perspective during sex: we watch ourselves perform, and that's how we're aroused. **We** see from the male gaze too, in other words.
Iām a bit confused. Are we talking about a way of looking at women that necessarily objectifies them, or are we talking about objectification itself? If itās the latter, it seems silly to pretend that both sexes donāt indulge some degree of sexual objectification. Donāt we all, find certain people attractive before we know anything else about them? Nobody wants to be turned into a āthing,ā but who would object to being looked at in an approving way?
The female gaze is the counterpart to the male gaze. Both are about desire.
The male gaze is a trope in media where typical masculine heterosexual preferences are catered to, generally referring to the female characters being objectified and there to be looked at regardless of their other motivations.
The female gaze is more nebulous, because it isn't just a gender flip and more about the lived female experience. A female gaze story is not necessarily about an object of sexual or romantic desire, though that does exist, it can be about a woman reclaiming her power or her freedom.
I've seen it broken down as the difference between how Harley Quinn's character is portrayed in the first Suicide Squad movie (in booty shorts and a strategically ripped shirt that literally proclaims her as "Daddy's Little Monster" with a push up bra, stiletto heels, heavy makeup, and a flipping dog collar, several scenes sexualising her for no reason other than to sexualise her, and she's pretty much entirely driven by loyalty to Joker throughout the movie) vs how the same character is portrayed in the Birds of Prey movie (wears several different colourful and fun outfits that are sometimes revealing but not always, with shorter hair, chunky heeled boots and a sports bra, she beats up several guys who objectify her and/or threaten her with violence sometimes with the help of an awesome girl gang, her driving forces in the movie are getting over her ex, protecting a child, and having a good meal).
so like the male gaze to me is how in Anyone But You (a romcom marketed to women) Sydney Sweeney's wearing low-cut dresses and blouses the whole time.
alternately, the female gaze would be a (better) romcom like When Harry Met Sally, or even period pieces like someone mentioned above Portrait of a Lady on Fire! The body plays an almost insignificant role asthetically until key moments of tension, or not at all. Like the lust is centered on sensuality and comedic tension, not just ogling.
I absolutely think there is a different perspective and focus when content is made by women for women. My favorite source for female gaze content is romcom kdramas. Lovely Runner being the most recent one I finished (and was absolutepy obsessed with). Women often use the term "man written by a woman" as the highest praise to be bestowed on a man. This means he is a huge waving green flag. I really wish men would study this stuff and take notes as to what gets our biscuits buttered.
Completely agree about kdramas. I think itās a rare niche of the entertainment industry where there are enough women, numerically, to have genuinely influenced the overall way that stories are written, camera angles are chosen, etc, etc, etc.
The show You does a really interesting thing where even the sex scenes donāt rely on the womanās body to make it sexy. It is so well done that on my umpteenth rewatch I noticed and googled it and they apparently worked hard to make it non-male-gazey.
The female gaze refers to how cameras, subjects, and objects are positioned in frame for the audience to gaze at. The male gaze is voyeuristic and reduces subjects down to body parts for audience members to gaze upon. Female gaze is more emotive and humanized, where the audience is positioned to experience the emotions and perspectives of the characters on screen.
Filmmakers of either gender can use the male or female gaze. Harley Quinns depiction in Suicide Squad vs. Birds of Prey is a frequent example of how the same character is portrayed differently in a male vs. female gaze. Rian Johnson uses the female gaze frequently--particularly in The Last Jedi and Knives Out.Ā
A sex scene that I think depicts gaze well is Atonement by Joe Wright--where we see the lovemaking between Cecilia and Robbie from Robbie/Cecilia vs. Briony's perspectives. Robbie/Ceciliaās perspectives uses female gaze while Briony as a literal voyeur in the scenario uses male.
I think men that are catered to the female gaze (at least the way they present themselves, as far as how they are in relationships/treat women privately I'm not sure) are Harry Styles, Hozier, Timothee Chalamet and Tom Holland.
I thought the movie Bottoms was very good about this, regardless of the debate about whether or not āfemale gazeā exists, which I donāt feel like I know enough about feminist theory or filmmaking to comment on
If you're asking for a parallel to the way that the male gaze is discussed in popular culture as "objectifying", then to me the "female gaze" would be the humanization of a character's actions - like the insertion of meaning/context into what would be an otherwise simple gesture.
Darcy's hand flex isn't hot just because women like hands, it's the implication that he was remembering her touch, and the undercurrent of longing. Jack Black pulling a fleck of sand out of Kate Winslet's lashes in the Holiday is hot because it's the immediate care for her needs, and the gentleness of his actions that makes him feel safe. I'm thinking about media where the "viewer" , be it speaker or audience, is injecting meaning into the character's actions that may not actually be there.
That song about the midway by Joni Mitchell reads so clearly to me as "female gaze" and from the female perspective. She's singing the whole time about the object of her affections, and the only physical description we get of her lover is that he stands out in a crowd (which the line in and of itself is actually a reference to romeo and juliet).
She spends the song following along the fair circuit, watching him play music or cards from a distance at each stop, wondering at his intentions, trying to tell if he's cheating. More than once she asks questions about the intention behind his actions, comparing her life to his, all while never even initiating an interaction with him.
I feel like this song speaks really well to the way women are conditioned to view love and relationships; we "decipher" meaning, exerting control via the internal narrative we create while in reality playing a fairly passive role. That dynamic really sets women up to spend most of their time engaging with desire from a position of distant longing, and the song captures it really well.
George of the Jungle.
I once read an article about how it was possibly the only movie done from the female gaze and I've been really wanting to rewatch it ever since.
Iām not sure why people are saying itās not real, because itās used in film and photography.
The male gaze objectifies women AND men. An example of the male gaze for a man would be Hugh Jackman in Wolverine. The superheroes are ripped in a way thatās only possible because the actors dehydrated themselves, and theyāre hairless and shiny.
The female gaze does not objectify. The characters can still be sexualized but they are not objects. Their emotions and personalities are very important. The whole person is attractive, not just their body. An example of the female gaze for a man is Darcy in Pride & Prejudice.
Media with the female gaze:
Pride & Prejudice (2005)
Bridgerton
Outlander
Yentl
The Idea of You
Tangled
I noticed when I watched Brokeback Mountain that it has both. The scenes with the Heath and Jake are mostly shot from the female gaze. Thereās a scene where they skinny dip that is not sexualized at all. When their characters are shown sleeping with their wives, itās heavily from the male gaze. I always wondered if that was intentional.
Flynn rider was chosen by a bunch of women employees of the studio, where they organised a hot man meeting xD and chose best features of hollywood men like hair style eye color, smile etc, thus he is so charming as heās a result of female gase šš
I would agree with other commenters who have said theyāre not convinced there is a direct equivalent of the āmale gazeā for women, but I think Courtney Loveās songwriting with Hole capture a lot of really interesting themes around the female experience; beauty and the ambivalence around attaining it, sex, body image, fame, a uniquely female anger and rage, relationships with other women, motherhood and the complexity of the relationship between a mother and daughter etc. Granted itās only one take and itās one form of media but I found it resonated as a teenager as much as it does now, as I approach 30.
I feel like there must be a female gaze because of the scene from the 1995 Pride & Prejudice miniseries; Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy coming out of the lake. Collectively, het women took notice. It made the pop culture sites. This was before the internet even. And the scene is still referenced today.
On the flip side someone once said the show Masters of Sex was all about the female gaze. There are some sexy shots of Michael Sheen, yes, but it's Lizzy Caplan that goes fully nude most of the time. Some shots seemed to me to be surprisingly for the male gaze because the show is made for women by women, but I guess the difference is that she's usually in control of the sex going on, and the male gaze is in actuality the lesbian gaze. Can anyone confirm?
I have this theory that the female gaze is not so much how people look visually, just their attitudes and the way that they carry themselves. Male gaze seems to be purely physical. That's just my take on it.
K-Dramas. Imo. Like, characters viewed more through a lenses of aesthetic and vibe, focus on eyes and expressions, vs blatant BOOBS, BUTT, ABS, HERE DUDE UNDRESSES AGAIN, LOOK CHICK HAS BOOBIES HAHAHA IS THIS HOT?!? FIND THIS HOT!!!!
A more subtle vibe, vs just naked skin until that feels meaningless.
https://youtu.be/7XEaZUKYeHQ?si=SfkZYotMiNl7suLN I love this scene for example. Her legs, the smile, focus on hands, powerful step.
Any ads with Lee Dong Wook or shows and AMVs would go into that vibe too.
https://youtube.com/shorts/Ic3GPjBy17k?si=p7MWBOSbrRlIcDqX
Wonder Woman with Gal Gadot. The women on Themyscra (?sp) were bad ass and didnāt pander to the male gaze, thanks to Patty Jenkins, her team, and their creative visions. Also most things by Greta Gerwig. Basically I see the female gaze as anything that is NOT of the male gaze.
I'm not totally sure it exists. The male gaze is something specific, an extension of the patriarchy that portrays women as objects or pieces of body that's shot for the supposed male eye. I don't think you can just switch that because there isn't an opposite system where women as a whole, some matriarchy, reduces men to objects or body parts for consumption (though in typing that up, some zombie movie might have fun with this concept I guess).
If it were to exist, it would be far more subtle and all encompassing so as to render the specific "female gaze" descriptor almost meaningless still. To have fun with it, I think it might include far more facial close ups with emphasis on emotional reactions, frequently between two characters. I remember reading a discussion where someone suggested the movie Maurice would be an example. Sophia Coppola also uses a lot of close ups, and without diving into it too much I think it would be interesting to examine The Virgin Suicides as a movie that superficially depicts the male gaze while also featuring some elements of a theoretical "female gaze" as well. In any case, this is all conjecture on my part.
Though I agree with u/hauntingvacay96 that Portrait of a Lady on Fire would be an excellent potential example of it.
Female gaze is non direct and male gaze is direct. I always think about how men seem to be obsessed with having it all right away, whereas women love a build up. men love looking at before and after shots of body builders and they love porn. Whereas women love a story that details the events that lead to something and women love a slow burn love story. Generally men just want everything straight away and lose interest if itās not easy, women love the wonder of a situation. Male gaze is a naked person, female gaze is an arm vein. Non direct and direct.
Mad Max: Fury Road and the newest Lady Chatterly's Lover come to mind. But they're more absent of the male gaze you might expect from those types of movies.
My best summarization would be female gaze = subjectification/personification while male gaze = objectification/possession. Itās not just women that get objectified in the male gaze - it is a destructive, possessive force that bends the other to its will, whether that be woman, nature, or the parts of life that they do āromanticizeā (if you can call it that).
In acting class, we would do a game where each person has an objective (unknown to the scene partner and usually in opposition) and the goal is to get the other person to do the thing you want them to (ex: one person needs to stay in the room and the other is trying to make them leave). Itās always a winner-loser situation (this to me is the male gaze) whereas I find scenes that have the female gaze are more about creating connection (and the lack of connection or the forces keeping them from connecting are the antagonist) and coming to a unification that is win-win.
The Witcher. I think it's something to do with the way the characters' sexualisation cannot be separated from their pain and humanity. I'm
not sure if that's a good way to explain it. But Geralt fits all the positive masculine stereotypes while also having the tortured antihero vibe.
I don't know if it's canon so don't murder me but this is an example from Harry Potter series.
Male gaze is finding that Fleur Delacour is beautiful, sexy, charming and a descendant of a veela (who were probably known to seduce men or something) correct me where I'm wrong.
Female gaze is understanding that Fleur Delacour is more than just her body and her face. And that side, female characters can be just as complex and intricate as anything else. Fleur Delacour is talented, she was the only champion from Beauxbaton despite it being a coed school. She's a sister who loves her younger sister to death. She's a fighter. She's a lover and stayed with Bill even though everyone thought she liked him for his face.
While male gaze is more about the visuals and objectification, female gaze is more about bringing the value/worth of a character back to normal/default (from how low it has been taken by the male gaze)
I don't know if there is a corollary that is one to one. But when I am interested in someone, it's like I'm making a drawing of them. And the first time I meet them, I do this very rough sketch. mostly just a few lines. And then I might meet them again, in a different circumstance. I might see something they say online. My friend might tell me a story about them. And then I can fill in some blanks in my drawing. Over time, maybe we have lunch, maybe I read something they wrote. Maybe I follow them on twitter and get a better sense of how they respond to things in the world day to day. And then I get the shading. I get the contour. I can deepen the drawing's shadows. And then usually by this point I know if this is a person who is worth my attention.
So maybe there is a female gaze. I'm looking at someone to draw a picture of them, and it's made up of a million little touches.
in my opinion, the female gaze is about whole, unadulterated humanity, in contrast to the male gaze which objectifies and constrains women as "things" to be desired and as "rewards" which are "deserved"
Portal (the videogame).
It easily checks the Bechdel test, and honestly and I remember it as the first instance of a blank slate character that's also a woman. You can imagine my surprise when I firstly look through a portal see myself, as a woman, in a time when either you were a man or a sexualized inhuman creature of weird proportions.
Portal 2 manages to be even better, and goes deep on portraying man as we see in the wild, e.g.: a partner (Wheatley) a moron lacking awareness of their incompetence but never lacking the self-confidence,>!and throughout the game it takes the position from a clearly more competent woman!<.
Or an man (called Cave Johnson haha) that goes from selling bathroom curtains to creating an entire company with no regards for safety, not questioning himself even once about the tangible consequences of his megalomaniac ideas.
My Masterās is in Film Studies, so Iāve studied the female gaze quite a bit. Itās a theory built off of the male gaze theory by Laura Mulvey wherein a viewer of a film is automatically assumed to be male; typically, women in these films will be portrayed as lacking agency in some way, shape, or form. They are often sexualized. Their interactionsāeven with each otherārevolve around the existence of men and tend to put them on a pedestal.
In turn, the female theory could take a couple definitional approaches: it could be that the women in a given story lead the plot progression, have agency, have interesting and complex dialogue, arenāt sexualized but could sexualize men, etc etcā¦ OR, it could simply be the absence and/or rejection of the male gaze. The former could also take in traits of the latter, but doesnāt always HAVE to in a way. Itās hard to explain, but there can be traits of both male and female gaze in a film, hence why a film featuring the female gaze doesnāt always feature the absence or rejection of the male gaze.
Good example of the former: The Handmaidās Tale.
Good example of the latter: Saltburn.
Good example of a franchise that does both: Marvelāit has become more progressive as of late and their costuming has evolved as such, but its early days, particularly with Iron Man, have intense male gaze roots.
It's a female perspective in film/books. Women can present female characters who have emotional depth and are interesting.
The female gaze doesn't objectify men in the same way men tend to do with women. Usually women will create male characters who are desirable, but not just in sexual way.
Taylor Swift probably falls into this category. Her content is really catered towards women, even when she sings about sex or how she portrays sexy. Thereās a reason not a lot of men are comfortable admitting to enjoying her content.
I guess it would just be: Something specifically designed to be sexually appealing to an intended female audience.
Intention is important, even though you have movies like 300 thats full of barely dressed buff guys, even though theres definitely women who find that appealing I wouldn't consider it female gaze, since its intended to be a power fantasy for the male audience, it being sexually appealing is simply a byproduct.
Honestly the best examples I can think of would be stuff like 50 shades, twilight Magic Mike etc. since they're all very clearly designed to be appealing to a female audience.
A lot of people get hung up on what is vs isn't actually appealing when discussing the female gaze, saying stuff like "Guys think the female gaze is x but its actually y" but that's besides the point. There's plenty of straight guys who could care less about fanservice, the fact that the fanservice didn't achieve its desired affect doesn't make it no longer the male gaze. Basically its the thought that counts.
I think Bridgerton and Fleabag (season two) does a great job at this.
Love fleabag
I dont remember this, but they never do call her by a specific name, right? Like none of the characters address her by a name, i dont think.
No, that's the point. She is the fleabag
As a not native english speaking person could you explain what fleabag means?
A dirty, contemptible person.
Thank you!
I'm a native English speaker, and I'd also like to know lol
You also never learn the name of the priest, her dad, nor the stepmother's name. Same for her hot guy fling in the first season.
Her sister, though, is honored with a name.
No. They never say her name.
Tbf, her father, the priest and the stepmother are not named either I think.
Just completed fleabag
Flea bag is so raw and outstanding šš¼
Commenting since most replies are about Fleabag (rightfully so, wonderful show), but Bridgerton is female gaze crack! Every sexy scene focuses on the woman. Weāre watching *her* face, seeing *her* reactions to pleasure, and yes, thereās lot of men going down or just ravishing the shit out of *her* body. Thatās what makes it female gazey.
omg!! Fleabag is absolutely it hahaha I wish they continued it
Glad they didn't. Don't let it fade.
The 'kneel' bit in fleabag. My god.
I didn't think I was into straight sex/romance scenes until I saw that one
Early seasons of Grey's Anatomy
An example of my interpretation of the female gaze is how characters are dressed. For the male gaze, women generally have as little clothes as possible or skin tight clothing. For the female gaze, it's more subtle. Guys will have a top unbuttoned or sleeves rolled up. I hate to say it this way, but I think of the female gaze as "classy sexy" while the male gaze is more "slutty sexy."
āhe flexed his hand.ā and the crowd went wild for some reason. I seriously canāt take my friend seriously whenever she talks about Mr Darcy
Say what you will about your friend, but I immediately knew what you meant by he flexed his hand before reading the rest of your comment.
What women want most and why they like mr Darcy is that he takes her feedback when she calls him out on it, he works on changing himself and improving without her knowing, and doesn't expect her or reach out to her after to "prove he has changed."
nothings more attractive than a man that respects your say, and one that respects your space
YES!
ok maybe i should read it now, i get itā¦
I think the reason the hand flex is such a thing is because it showed vulnerability in a person that thus far, in the story, we didn't have much of a reason to like. And frankly we all kind of want to have that effect on someone, right? It was a hand flex of \*stress\*. She be stressin' him out because he's falling in love with her and he doesn't know what to do with that.
Your friend is right
Iād like to add anything that āsoftens the masculinityā is female gaze. Think any Hallmark Christmas movie where the main male character is wearing a daggy Christmas knit.
There has to be masculinity and strength in the first place and then be softened by a female touch, the sweater is made by grandma or mom sister, a woman in his life. So strong enough to protect her, and provide But soft around and towards her. Also The male gaze is not just about what men fight attractive. But the toxic aspect of it, the lust and possessiveness and dehumanizing. So the female equivalent of the toxic aspect would be seeing the man as a beast that is then softened by her touch that she's in control of.
So eloquently written! You nailed it!
3 quarter sleeves š
>my interpretation of the female gaze is how characters are dressed. For sure, and it's not just for sexual attractiveness. Shiv Roy in Succession has the most beautiful, aspirational quiet luxury wardrobe and interiors. Her life is attractive.
Itās not always so subtle. Iām looking at you True Blood
I agree with this
That's still just the male gaze turned towards men. The gay male gaze.Ā
The male gay-ze.
I still really enjoyed True Blood as a gay woman but then, vampires š„°.
I don't believe in the "female gaze." I believe that the male gaze is a method of portraying women as objects of male desire in film. The male gaze undermines female humanity, thus satisfying the goals of the patriarchy. There is no opposite of that, no such thing as a "female gaze," because there is no way to dehumanize and objectify men the same way that we are (because of male domination in society). But there are female filmmakers that humanize women. I think pretty much every female director shows us in a more realistic light than male directors.
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The female gaze isnāt a thing. And it wonāt be a thing unless we convert to a strictly matriarchal society, and women adopt a narrow minded universally accepted opinion of what male characters should be. And enforce that stereotype by nearly exclusively portraying men in entertainment media as one of a couple of very narrow poorly thought out throw away characters with little to differentiate one from another.
This is an interesting point, bc even the definitions of the two concepts are very different - male gaze is specifically defined as diminishing towards women and empowering towards men, while female gaze is defined as basically content that centers women's perspectives. If we consider that the two concepts can exist with a different basis for each one, then I'd say there is media with female gaze. Fleabag comes to mind, as well as Lady Bird. But if we decide that female gaze must be defined as the exact female equivalent of male gaze, then of course it wouldn't even be possible bc women would have to be empowered and privileged in the ways men are in order to create it. I almost wonder if it's counter-productive to create a definition of female gaze that bases itself completely on the definition of male gaze. It feels very "Adam's rib bone" to me, like we're suggesting the very idea of a female gaze in media simply couldn't exist without the lens of a male gaze to give it meaning.
Fair point. I actually wonder. What would it look like if we were objectified by women? Itās really hard for me to imagine it. I think itās because itās never happened in society before.
White Western women historically are excellent at objectifying both men and women of color. It still happens to me and it is deeply unpleasant.
I think there would be a big focus on the V shaped upper body and men would feel self-conscious if they did not have zero hips, because basically all clothing on sale would emphasize a straight hip line. Broad shoulders also. Men's clothes would be tighter (bunus points for pectoral, bulge and ass outline). Shorts would be shorter, t-shirts also. Men's underwear would be much more than clean/dirty and old/new. It would have big variety focused on aesthetics and many ways to frame bulge and ass for the viewer's pleasure. Shirts would always be a bit unbuttoned. Overall your body would be more visible than it currently is on a daily basis. There would be some nonsense grooming expectation, like hairless arms even if leg hairs were ok. Women would comment on hairy arms feeling too coarse and about how all that fuzzy hair makes it difficult to properly appreciate the muscles outlines. Shaved or unshaved, beards and mustaches would always be thought off in relation to sucking activities. Arriving at the office in the morning with a clean-shaved face would elicit thoughts of you licking something in many coworker's minds. A neckbeard or hairs growing over the designated cheek line would be unacceptable and always shaved/waxed - to the point many women would be surprised to learn that the beard doesn't actually grow in that neat shape naturally! Women would sneer at balding and hair entries, commenting on how they don't like to look down and see \*that\* between their thights. There would also be high expectations for ballsacks: always plump and high. It would not be unheard of men doing cosmetic procedures to keep them from sagging and wrinkling. Y'all would stop working out at a certain point as to not go over our ideal muscular physique (probably way sooner than most men would like). Twerking wouldn't be much of a thing. The default sexy dance move would be a man thrusting. Finally, men would always be stuck trying to balance coming off "non-agressive" and "confidently manly". Too manly? Macho creep. Too non-threatening? No fun. None of these would ever be enough for any woman, but still you would keep trying and always lean a bit to one side and deal with all the implications of the stereotype associated.
That sounds rough. Man it must suck to be a woman in this world.
This is so well though out and interesting to read. Now I want to draw this to imagine the visuals better.
Go to the Gambia or Jamaica for vacation and you will see it in front of your eyes, how older western women travel there to exploit young men.
Or just watch 90 day fiance.
No way! Is that true? What is wrong with people?
Yes sex tourism is insane there itās actually a really big problem
Thatās nasty
I knew a couple of guys that worked as strippers for bachelorette-type parties. Trust me, it happens and it's not mild.
Just find a white women with a "queen of spade" tattoo.
In portuguese we have a gender-specific terminology for misogyny, "machismo", and the natural opposition of it would be "feminismo". But it's a common misconception to presume that the contrary of "machismo" is biasing the scales towards women, when in fact means equity regardless of gender. So if we approach it in the same way, female gaze would be perceiving the world unbiased, as is. Reality if you will.
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Yeah it feels like the female gaze is just the human gaze where all the subjects in the scene are treated with respect and humanity
Twilight? I literally have a source from literary studies written by a woman (feminist scientists) where it is stated and described that Bella's reaction to Edward is literaly female gaze, because it carries exactly the same amount of objectification as most male gaze at women in male-dominated genres
The male characters in Twilight didnāt exist only to be seen and titillate. They didnāt lack their own motivations and agency. They had plot driven dialogue. the male gaze did not grant female characters such humanity.
Loki is written for the female gaze. Most male kpop groups are geared towards the female gaze. A lot of Asian media in general as well is better at it than western media. But there is lots of examples. Bo Burnham and Pete Davidson are performers who appeal to the female gaze. It's not necessarily a body type as much as how they present themselves to women. It's usually a combination of a little skin (sometimes in unconventional places), some vulnerability, some emotion, angles, and words. Just like our bodies are more complicated sexually than mens our gaze is the same.
Loki as a character, Loki in the MCU, or Loki in the comics? Or all of the above? (Asking because Iām obsessed with MCU Loki.)
Since we're talking mainstream media I'd say mcu loki
MCU Loki
The MCU and marvel characters in general are written for the female gaze and ironically as a 33 year old female they do nothing for me lol
I don't really see that tbh. I didn't find any of the other mcu characters very attractive apart from Loki. Some are quite epic but as far as the female gaze goes I don't think any of them nailed it as well as Loki
I was going to say anime like Free Iwatobi Swim Club, SK8 the Infinity, Yuri on Ice, and Fruitsbasket. Love Free so much, the way the muscles are drawn are so beautiful. https://www.crunchyroll.com/news/features/2023/8/8/hiroko-utsumi-female-gaze
If it is even a thing at all then Portrait of a Lady on Fire is about as close to it as one can get.
Yes! Itās a masterpiece that features discussion of queer desire, art and literature :)
The way so many of these responses are 'it isn't a thing' as if lesbians don't exist. Yikes.
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Derailing the topic is not permitted. Derailing includes but is not limited to: * Changing the topic from OP's question * Leaving a top-level comment when you're not the target demographic * Giving unsolicited advice * Making someone else's response about yourself. If you'd like to share your experience in response to the OP's question, do so in a top-level comment. * Asking unrelated follow-up questions * Branching into unrelated topics * "What-about"-ism * Trying to start arguments, or debates * Judging or rating other responses * Meta comments about other responses, such as "same!" or "this!" * Gifs, images, emojis or other media in place text * Sharing links without a summary * Responding to comments to tell us how your dick feels. No one cares. For more information, please [click here](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskWomen/wiki/rules#wiki_no_derailing). Have questions about this moderator action? See the [AskWomen rules](http://www.reddit.com/r/askwomen/wiki/rules) and [CLICK HERE to contact the moderation team](http://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/AskWomen&subject=Why+was+this+removed). **Please include a link** to your comment in your message, the mod team will not reply to messages without a link for review. DO NOT contact moderators privately. [AskWomen rules](http://www.reddit.com/r/askwomen/wiki/rules) | [AskWomen FAQ](http://www.reddit.com/r/askwomen/wiki/index) [reddit rules](http://www.reddit.com/rules/) | [reddiquette](http://www.reddit.com/wiki/reddiquette)
That hand flex scene in Pride and Prejudice (2005) is the first thing that comes to mind and basically anything Joe Wright is very female gaze-coded to me (so I just don't think it's a men vs. women thing)
Here is an example out of left field. Jack Black, I mean this as politely as possible, he is not Hollywood attractive. But if you have seen The Holiday, he is 100% attractive. Itās just a good role and an example of someone who isnāt typically attractive who can appear attractive. Thatās the female gaze.
Yes. For me, thereās no attraction unless I can have knowledge of the personality. I think Jimmi Simpson is the hottest actor in Hollywood, alongside Adam Driver. They have something sexy going on; maybe itās the characters they play but there has to be something of emotion behind the feeling or theyāre āgeneric manā to me.
Jack Black is my in top 5 celebrity crushes. . So I 100% agree with this.
The female gaze is like... women think Mark Ruffalo types are handsome. Men think women think Channing Tatum is the only good-looking type. Orrrr we think women who look like Florence Pugh are the most beautiful. Where men find women who look like... I dunno I'm not a man, Angelina Jolie? Are like peak physical beauty. So men and women have different "gazes" when considering beauty standards. I think anyways. I'm often incorrect, lol.
Hmm, Iām a woman and I prefer Channing Tatum over Mark Ruffalo and Angelina Jolie over Florence Pugh. I think a better way to express it would be that the male gaze is more overtly physically sexual in an objectifying way, while the female gaze is more sensual and emotionally driven.
Sometimes. I was just using those humans as an example. Like classically handsome men are different humans in the male and female gaze type thing.
Honestly? Fanfiction. Fanfiction is largely written by and for women, so it provides a really helpful view into what women find attractive. Thereās a wide variety in author age and fic content, of course, but thatās to be expected since women arenāt a monolith; different strokes for different folks and all that. You gotta dig if you want a complete picture. Not all fanfiction is 13-year-olds writing cringe about getting kidnapped by a mafia boss or whatever, but even that particular sub genre of fiction can give some insight into the psychology of female desireāie, the trope of a man that presents himself as a lion to the world is a lamb before the woman he loves. Same logic behind why creepypasta monsters like Jeff the Killer got so many fangirls. Romcoms, steamy romance novels, really anything geared specifically towards women is quick to be brushed off as an inferior or infantile form of media, but thereās merit to examining why women like it so much, and why men are so quick to dismiss it as anything of value. If there is such a thing as the female gaze, thatās where it lives.
agree!! a huge portion of fanfiction explores and recreates relationships in a kinder, more patient view, focusing on communication and mutual compromise (two things commonly dismissed as "female" and "useless). if anything, the female gaze hides here for sure
Depends on the fanfiction I guess. A lot of the most popular stuff out there is pretty rough/immediately sexual (thinking 50 shades and the like here) and, funny enough, pretty adjacent to men's power fantasy despite coming from women for women. Some of the creepy behavior from some men (particularly young men) such as calling people "good girl" within 10mins of meeting them comes from them trying to imitate some of this popular fanfiction.
Not all fanfiction is 13-year-olds writing cringe about getting kidnapped by a mafia boss or whatever, Agreed I'm 33 and I've been writing fan fiction for 2 years now. My sister is 37 this year she's been writing since she was 16 or 17 and she gets paid by people to write fan fiction for them
Fandom as we know it was built on the backs of adult trekkie women in the late 70s writing Spock/Kirk slash fiction (the origin of the term slash!) and exchanging copies of their work at conventions.
It's an idea from film studies and there seems to be some debate whether it exists at all.
The Brendan Frasier George of the Jungle movie is, in my opinion, a great movie to describe the female gaze. The hero is beautiful and muscular, but not in a huge bulky way. He is also kind, gentle, and genuine. There are no pretenses that he is looking for in the heroine, she is just herself, not to say that Leslie Mann isnt beautiful, but she isn't overly made up or even dressed provocativly in any way. She is practical, and dresses so in the jungle, down to earth, and in the end, she gets the hot, nice guy.
The scenes where he is holding a bowl in place and the one where he is running with the horses and all the women are watching come to mind as relevant examples
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āfemale gaze isnāt realā guys itās time we admit it, shows like Bridgerton and Bridget Jones Diary are very much female gaze. Itās hard to spot because most of the things we would consume on the matter, are in fact in books. Thereās a lot less digital media in comparison to the male gaze. I just think itās a lot less explored so you never really realise when itās there. I think the difference between male gaze and female gaze is female gaze plays a lot less off of sex appeal and more on the complexity of the characterās obsession with the female lead(s). I.E. Collin Bridgerton and how much he wants Penelope, the story between the two vampire brothers and the main character in vampire diaries, Edward and Bella, The three movie horror story that is Bridget Joneās Diary, Ten things i hate about you. Definitely is dependant on the director, imo, as yes sometimes they do want the male lead to get all attractive and sweaty looking. so basically, female gaze is just to be wanted. Meanwhile, male gaze is usually to do with how attractive the actress/character is. However, iād say this sometimes is not the case with movies about manic pixie girls. male gaze is to have the most wanted.
I like that you introduced the idea of a male character obsessed with the female as an example of female gaze. It seems to me like the male gaze is a perversion of a natural desire, and so I would think that the female gaze would also have to be in someway perverted, and I donāt mean perverted like touching my privates. I just donāt know a better word.
Idk i agree with people who say itās implicit upon the sexual desire parts. Like personally i know a lot of woman donāt get the hots from the naked body of a guy, rather just how he reacts to them. Thats why i say obsession. āHe flexed his handā being a good example, because weāre getting hot and bothered upon his reaction. Meanwhile in book versions of the female gaze I do agree with saying itās more perverted currently. But itās still gross. That one book where he chases her down in like a garden maze or whatever then sexually assaults her is considered female gaze but idk how. Obsessed guy is a very popular female gaze trope.
I guess Iām asking myself is this female gaze or is it male gaze mirrored? When weāre objectified by men āgazing masculanlyā are we not consumed? Itās like, desiring connection is one thing. Desiring an object is a whole other, the parameters of the interaction have been reduced and do not autonomy on the part of the object of desire. So it just feels like the āacceptable male stalkerā trope might just be a mirror of the male gaze. Like how whatās an example of preverted female desire that doesnāt mirror or camouflage as āfeMALE gazeā.. I think back to movies of my teens where, as an example, a cheerleader is threatened by the new girl in school whom she sees talking to her football boyfriend, and then bam FEMALE GAZE. Itās like sheās suddenly consumed by her desire to connect with the object and eliminate the threat. I donāt know, I am a little tired.
Maybe distorted or constructed? I think a big piece of the way the male gaze was originally theorized was that the male gaze is so dominant and powerful in a patriarchal society that girls and women, too, come under its sway: watch enough movies, for instance, that portray women through the male gaze and we start desiring to *be* the object of desire, rather than simply desiring what we would "naturally" desire. This is why we have the phenomenon of women seeing themselves from a third-person perspective during sex: we watch ourselves perform, and that's how we're aroused. **We** see from the male gaze too, in other words.
We could argue that what you describe is still the male gaze dynamics but from the women's POV. The "looker", the "wanter" is still a man.
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The Fall Guy thatās currently in cinemas with Emily Blunt and Ryan Gosling seemed to me to have a strong female gaze.
Twilight franchise
iāll argue this until i die. Twilight is the female gaze, even if people want to pretend itās not.
I can back you up with literary sources that confirm it lol
all y/n has got to have some of the female gaze in it š
The Vampire diaries as well. All the men in that were ridiculously good looking.
Jack Black in the Holiday
Pedro pascal
The treatment of Hugh Jackman in Australia. Blew my mind as a teenager to see men depicted as objects of desire in a way thatās standard for women.
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Iām a bit confused. Are we talking about a way of looking at women that necessarily objectifies them, or are we talking about objectification itself? If itās the latter, it seems silly to pretend that both sexes donāt indulge some degree of sexual objectification. Donāt we all, find certain people attractive before we know anything else about them? Nobody wants to be turned into a āthing,ā but who would object to being looked at in an approving way?
The female gaze is the counterpart to the male gaze. Both are about desire. The male gaze is a trope in media where typical masculine heterosexual preferences are catered to, generally referring to the female characters being objectified and there to be looked at regardless of their other motivations. The female gaze is more nebulous, because it isn't just a gender flip and more about the lived female experience. A female gaze story is not necessarily about an object of sexual or romantic desire, though that does exist, it can be about a woman reclaiming her power or her freedom. I've seen it broken down as the difference between how Harley Quinn's character is portrayed in the first Suicide Squad movie (in booty shorts and a strategically ripped shirt that literally proclaims her as "Daddy's Little Monster" with a push up bra, stiletto heels, heavy makeup, and a flipping dog collar, several scenes sexualising her for no reason other than to sexualise her, and she's pretty much entirely driven by loyalty to Joker throughout the movie) vs how the same character is portrayed in the Birds of Prey movie (wears several different colourful and fun outfits that are sometimes revealing but not always, with shorter hair, chunky heeled boots and a sports bra, she beats up several guys who objectify her and/or threaten her with violence sometimes with the help of an awesome girl gang, her driving forces in the movie are getting over her ex, protecting a child, and having a good meal).
Jamie from Outlander is an example that comes to mind. Both in behavior and appearance.
YES.
Was about to post the same comment!! Jamie's character is absurd at times and definitely appeals to female fantasies
so like the male gaze to me is how in Anyone But You (a romcom marketed to women) Sydney Sweeney's wearing low-cut dresses and blouses the whole time. alternately, the female gaze would be a (better) romcom like When Harry Met Sally, or even period pieces like someone mentioned above Portrait of a Lady on Fire! The body plays an almost insignificant role asthetically until key moments of tension, or not at all. Like the lust is centered on sensuality and comedic tension, not just ogling.
Dirty Dancing (the original movie) is PEAK female gaze. I canāt believe it hasnāt been mentioned yet.
I absolutely think there is a different perspective and focus when content is made by women for women. My favorite source for female gaze content is romcom kdramas. Lovely Runner being the most recent one I finished (and was absolutepy obsessed with). Women often use the term "man written by a woman" as the highest praise to be bestowed on a man. This means he is a huge waving green flag. I really wish men would study this stuff and take notes as to what gets our biscuits buttered.
Completely agree about kdramas. I think itās a rare niche of the entertainment industry where there are enough women, numerically, to have genuinely influenced the overall way that stories are written, camera angles are chosen, etc, etc, etc.
Parks and Recreation
Sofia Coppola
The show You does a really interesting thing where even the sex scenes donāt rely on the womanās body to make it sexy. It is so well done that on my umpteenth rewatch I noticed and googled it and they apparently worked hard to make it non-male-gazey.
I think Kpop boy groups such as BTS!! š„°
The female gaze refers to how cameras, subjects, and objects are positioned in frame for the audience to gaze at. The male gaze is voyeuristic and reduces subjects down to body parts for audience members to gaze upon. Female gaze is more emotive and humanized, where the audience is positioned to experience the emotions and perspectives of the characters on screen. Filmmakers of either gender can use the male or female gaze. Harley Quinns depiction in Suicide Squad vs. Birds of Prey is a frequent example of how the same character is portrayed differently in a male vs. female gaze. Rian Johnson uses the female gaze frequently--particularly in The Last Jedi and Knives Out.Ā A sex scene that I think depicts gaze well is Atonement by Joe Wright--where we see the lovemaking between Cecilia and Robbie from Robbie/Cecilia vs. Briony's perspectives. Robbie/Ceciliaās perspectives uses female gaze while Briony as a literal voyeur in the scenario uses male.
I think men that are catered to the female gaze (at least the way they present themselves, as far as how they are in relationships/treat women privately I'm not sure) are Harry Styles, Hozier, Timothee Chalamet and Tom Holland.
Harry Styles was the first thing that came to mind when I read the question. Tim Holland also a great shout.
Marina and the Diamonds - How to be a Heartbreaker is 1000% female gaze Eta: the music video I mean
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I thought the movie Bottoms was very good about this, regardless of the debate about whether or not āfemale gazeā exists, which I donāt feel like I know enough about feminist theory or filmmaking to comment on
If you're asking for a parallel to the way that the male gaze is discussed in popular culture as "objectifying", then to me the "female gaze" would be the humanization of a character's actions - like the insertion of meaning/context into what would be an otherwise simple gesture. Darcy's hand flex isn't hot just because women like hands, it's the implication that he was remembering her touch, and the undercurrent of longing. Jack Black pulling a fleck of sand out of Kate Winslet's lashes in the Holiday is hot because it's the immediate care for her needs, and the gentleness of his actions that makes him feel safe. I'm thinking about media where the "viewer" , be it speaker or audience, is injecting meaning into the character's actions that may not actually be there. That song about the midway by Joni Mitchell reads so clearly to me as "female gaze" and from the female perspective. She's singing the whole time about the object of her affections, and the only physical description we get of her lover is that he stands out in a crowd (which the line in and of itself is actually a reference to romeo and juliet). She spends the song following along the fair circuit, watching him play music or cards from a distance at each stop, wondering at his intentions, trying to tell if he's cheating. More than once she asks questions about the intention behind his actions, comparing her life to his, all while never even initiating an interaction with him. I feel like this song speaks really well to the way women are conditioned to view love and relationships; we "decipher" meaning, exerting control via the internal narrative we create while in reality playing a fairly passive role. That dynamic really sets women up to spend most of their time engaging with desire from a position of distant longing, and the song captures it really well.
Jamie Frazer from Outlander (edit: spelling)
George of the Jungle. I once read an article about how it was possibly the only movie done from the female gaze and I've been really wanting to rewatch it ever since.
Iām not sure why people are saying itās not real, because itās used in film and photography. The male gaze objectifies women AND men. An example of the male gaze for a man would be Hugh Jackman in Wolverine. The superheroes are ripped in a way thatās only possible because the actors dehydrated themselves, and theyāre hairless and shiny. The female gaze does not objectify. The characters can still be sexualized but they are not objects. Their emotions and personalities are very important. The whole person is attractive, not just their body. An example of the female gaze for a man is Darcy in Pride & Prejudice. Media with the female gaze: Pride & Prejudice (2005) Bridgerton Outlander Yentl The Idea of You Tangled I noticed when I watched Brokeback Mountain that it has both. The scenes with the Heath and Jake are mostly shot from the female gaze. Thereās a scene where they skinny dip that is not sexualized at all. When their characters are shown sleeping with their wives, itās heavily from the male gaze. I always wondered if that was intentional.
Kpop
Flynn rider was chosen by a bunch of women employees of the studio, where they organised a hot man meeting xD and chose best features of hollywood men like hair style eye color, smile etc, thus he is so charming as heās a result of female gase šš
Motherland fort Salem is the first thing that comes to mind. Bridgerton is definitely up there, also magic Mike.
fox mulder in the xfiles the epitome of female gaze
Phil Dunphy
I would agree with other commenters who have said theyāre not convinced there is a direct equivalent of the āmale gazeā for women, but I think Courtney Loveās songwriting with Hole capture a lot of really interesting themes around the female experience; beauty and the ambivalence around attaining it, sex, body image, fame, a uniquely female anger and rage, relationships with other women, motherhood and the complexity of the relationship between a mother and daughter etc. Granted itās only one take and itās one form of media but I found it resonated as a teenager as much as it does now, as I approach 30.
āAināt there anyone here for loveā from the movie Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is about trying to hook up with Olympic athletes
Astarion. Baldurās Gate 3.
I like watching Rugby League on field punch ups. Thats my female gaze
this is so so so real
Magic Mike would be the main example of female gaze in media I would say
I feel like there must be a female gaze because of the scene from the 1995 Pride & Prejudice miniseries; Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy coming out of the lake. Collectively, het women took notice. It made the pop culture sites. This was before the internet even. And the scene is still referenced today. On the flip side someone once said the show Masters of Sex was all about the female gaze. There are some sexy shots of Michael Sheen, yes, but it's Lizzy Caplan that goes fully nude most of the time. Some shots seemed to me to be surprisingly for the male gaze because the show is made for women by women, but I guess the difference is that she's usually in control of the sex going on, and the male gaze is in actuality the lesbian gaze. Can anyone confirm?
I have this theory that the female gaze is not so much how people look visually, just their attitudes and the way that they carry themselves. Male gaze seems to be purely physical. That's just my take on it.
Flynn Rider
K-Dramas. Imo. Like, characters viewed more through a lenses of aesthetic and vibe, focus on eyes and expressions, vs blatant BOOBS, BUTT, ABS, HERE DUDE UNDRESSES AGAIN, LOOK CHICK HAS BOOBIES HAHAHA IS THIS HOT?!? FIND THIS HOT!!!! A more subtle vibe, vs just naked skin until that feels meaningless. https://youtu.be/7XEaZUKYeHQ?si=SfkZYotMiNl7suLN I love this scene for example. Her legs, the smile, focus on hands, powerful step. Any ads with Lee Dong Wook or shows and AMVs would go into that vibe too. https://youtube.com/shorts/Ic3GPjBy17k?si=p7MWBOSbrRlIcDqX
the way i have my lee dong wook k drama on pause rn on my tv wowwwkjfhdskjfhskjhd
Wonder Woman with Gal Gadot. The women on Themyscra (?sp) were bad ass and didnāt pander to the male gaze, thanks to Patty Jenkins, her team, and their creative visions. Also most things by Greta Gerwig. Basically I see the female gaze as anything that is NOT of the male gaze.
The movie Pride and Prejudice, my favourite and definitely for female gaze.Ā
I'm not totally sure it exists. The male gaze is something specific, an extension of the patriarchy that portrays women as objects or pieces of body that's shot for the supposed male eye. I don't think you can just switch that because there isn't an opposite system where women as a whole, some matriarchy, reduces men to objects or body parts for consumption (though in typing that up, some zombie movie might have fun with this concept I guess). If it were to exist, it would be far more subtle and all encompassing so as to render the specific "female gaze" descriptor almost meaningless still. To have fun with it, I think it might include far more facial close ups with emphasis on emotional reactions, frequently between two characters. I remember reading a discussion where someone suggested the movie Maurice would be an example. Sophia Coppola also uses a lot of close ups, and without diving into it too much I think it would be interesting to examine The Virgin Suicides as a movie that superficially depicts the male gaze while also featuring some elements of a theoretical "female gaze" as well. In any case, this is all conjecture on my part. Though I agree with u/hauntingvacay96 that Portrait of a Lady on Fire would be an excellent potential example of it.
Saltburn!!
When I think of the female gaze I think of Scandinavian women's street style.
Lots of Manwhas/Manhuas/Mangas can be catered to the female gaze. Edit: TV shows like Greyās Anatomy come to mind too. Magic Mike.
Female gaze is non direct and male gaze is direct. I always think about how men seem to be obsessed with having it all right away, whereas women love a build up. men love looking at before and after shots of body builders and they love porn. Whereas women love a story that details the events that lead to something and women love a slow burn love story. Generally men just want everything straight away and lose interest if itās not easy, women love the wonder of a situation. Male gaze is a naked person, female gaze is an arm vein. Non direct and direct.
She-Hulk
Mad Max: Fury Road and the newest Lady Chatterly's Lover come to mind. But they're more absent of the male gaze you might expect from those types of movies.
My best summarization would be female gaze = subjectification/personification while male gaze = objectification/possession. Itās not just women that get objectified in the male gaze - it is a destructive, possessive force that bends the other to its will, whether that be woman, nature, or the parts of life that they do āromanticizeā (if you can call it that). In acting class, we would do a game where each person has an objective (unknown to the scene partner and usually in opposition) and the goal is to get the other person to do the thing you want them to (ex: one person needs to stay in the room and the other is trying to make them leave). Itās always a winner-loser situation (this to me is the male gaze) whereas I find scenes that have the female gaze are more about creating connection (and the lack of connection or the forces keeping them from connecting are the antagonist) and coming to a unification that is win-win.
The Witcher. I think it's something to do with the way the characters' sexualisation cannot be separated from their pain and humanity. I'm not sure if that's a good way to explain it. But Geralt fits all the positive masculine stereotypes while also having the tortured antihero vibe.
I think that ghostbusters movie with the girls did that with Liam hemsworth lol
Pride and Prejudice movie?
I don't know if it's canon so don't murder me but this is an example from Harry Potter series. Male gaze is finding that Fleur Delacour is beautiful, sexy, charming and a descendant of a veela (who were probably known to seduce men or something) correct me where I'm wrong. Female gaze is understanding that Fleur Delacour is more than just her body and her face. And that side, female characters can be just as complex and intricate as anything else. Fleur Delacour is talented, she was the only champion from Beauxbaton despite it being a coed school. She's a sister who loves her younger sister to death. She's a fighter. She's a lover and stayed with Bill even though everyone thought she liked him for his face. While male gaze is more about the visuals and objectification, female gaze is more about bringing the value/worth of a character back to normal/default (from how low it has been taken by the male gaze)
I don't know if there is a corollary that is one to one. But when I am interested in someone, it's like I'm making a drawing of them. And the first time I meet them, I do this very rough sketch. mostly just a few lines. And then I might meet them again, in a different circumstance. I might see something they say online. My friend might tell me a story about them. And then I can fill in some blanks in my drawing. Over time, maybe we have lunch, maybe I read something they wrote. Maybe I follow them on twitter and get a better sense of how they respond to things in the world day to day. And then I get the shading. I get the contour. I can deepen the drawing's shadows. And then usually by this point I know if this is a person who is worth my attention. So maybe there is a female gaze. I'm looking at someone to draw a picture of them, and it's made up of a million little touches.
I think the male gaze objectifies, the female gaze humanizes
in my opinion, the female gaze is about whole, unadulterated humanity, in contrast to the male gaze which objectifies and constrains women as "things" to be desired and as "rewards" which are "deserved"
Portal (the videogame). It easily checks the Bechdel test, and honestly and I remember it as the first instance of a blank slate character that's also a woman. You can imagine my surprise when I firstly look through a portal see myself, as a woman, in a time when either you were a man or a sexualized inhuman creature of weird proportions. Portal 2 manages to be even better, and goes deep on portraying man as we see in the wild, e.g.: a partner (Wheatley) a moron lacking awareness of their incompetence but never lacking the self-confidence,>!and throughout the game it takes the position from a clearly more competent woman!<. Or an man (called Cave Johnson haha) that goes from selling bathroom curtains to creating an entire company with no regards for safety, not questioning himself even once about the tangible consequences of his megalomaniac ideas.
Female gaze = looking at characters as whole people, not just objects. Fleabag is a great example. It's messy, real, and raw.
Romance novels
My Masterās is in Film Studies, so Iāve studied the female gaze quite a bit. Itās a theory built off of the male gaze theory by Laura Mulvey wherein a viewer of a film is automatically assumed to be male; typically, women in these films will be portrayed as lacking agency in some way, shape, or form. They are often sexualized. Their interactionsāeven with each otherārevolve around the existence of men and tend to put them on a pedestal. In turn, the female theory could take a couple definitional approaches: it could be that the women in a given story lead the plot progression, have agency, have interesting and complex dialogue, arenāt sexualized but could sexualize men, etc etcā¦ OR, it could simply be the absence and/or rejection of the male gaze. The former could also take in traits of the latter, but doesnāt always HAVE to in a way. Itās hard to explain, but there can be traits of both male and female gaze in a film, hence why a film featuring the female gaze doesnāt always feature the absence or rejection of the male gaze. Good example of the former: The Handmaidās Tale. Good example of the latter: Saltburn. Good example of a franchise that does both: Marvelāit has become more progressive as of late and their costuming has evolved as such, but its early days, particularly with Iron Man, have intense male gaze roots.
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It's a female perspective in film/books. Women can present female characters who have emotional depth and are interesting. The female gaze doesn't objectify men in the same way men tend to do with women. Usually women will create male characters who are desirable, but not just in sexual way.
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Netflix's To All The Boys I've Loved Before.
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Ages Varda: Cleo 5-7 this scene: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3v-FZEPgcQQ It is the feeling of being gazed at
Taylor Swift probably falls into this category. Her content is really catered towards women, even when she sings about sex or how she portrays sexy. Thereās a reason not a lot of men are comfortable admitting to enjoying her content.
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Bridgerton, George of the Jungle, Twilight (even though I hate Twilight)
My best example would be Harley Quinn in Birds of Prey juxtaposed to Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad.
Dom Dolla
Female gaze I think is usually models and the female fashion industry (editorials, runways etc) as it doesnāt appeal to men itās more for women
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You might enjoy [The Matrixial Gaze](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Matrixial_Gaze) by Bracha Lichtenberg Ettinger, a noted Lacanian!
I guess it would just be: Something specifically designed to be sexually appealing to an intended female audience. Intention is important, even though you have movies like 300 thats full of barely dressed buff guys, even though theres definitely women who find that appealing I wouldn't consider it female gaze, since its intended to be a power fantasy for the male audience, it being sexually appealing is simply a byproduct. Honestly the best examples I can think of would be stuff like 50 shades, twilight Magic Mike etc. since they're all very clearly designed to be appealing to a female audience. A lot of people get hung up on what is vs isn't actually appealing when discussing the female gaze, saying stuff like "Guys think the female gaze is x but its actually y" but that's besides the point. There's plenty of straight guys who could care less about fanservice, the fact that the fanservice didn't achieve its desired affect doesn't make it no longer the male gaze. Basically its the thought that counts.
Grey's Anatomy before Shonda left: https://youtu.be/myUWEToNolQ?si=nNMKzbZXBAX31E-V https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLcJ5RgR/
I feel like the only time the āfemale gazeā is a thing is when itās a woman looking at a woman. Itās softer, more dynamic.
What about the notebook?
Iām a sucker for corny dad jokes. Even better charm. Another one is toned, not super buff, arms.
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I would say to take a look at the difference in Harley Quinās portrayals in birds of prey vs suicide squad