This topic has been on my mind recently. Media critics occasionally condemn or criticize the use of the male gaze in modern movies. Why do so many people view this as a problem, in an era where many support if not glorify sexual media?
This topic has been on my mind recently. Media critics occasionally condemn or criticize the use of the male gaze in modern movies. Why do so many people view this as a problem, in an era where many support if not glorify sexual media?
Sadly, the male gaze tends to fall straight into misogyny, specially into treating women like objects. This is why there’s something called the Sexy Lamp Test, it checks if removing a female character significantly changes the plot
Would you say that sexual objectification of women in media is always misogynistic, and if so, sexual objectification of men is equally sexist, thus making all sexual media unethical?
No, it’s not always misogynistic. I don’t subscribe to puritan views of avoiding sexual content, it just has to be written well
So, the male gaze tends to treat women as purely sexual beings? That makes sense (after all this came to mind after I watched You Only Live Twice for the first time with my sister).
A perfect example of a well written male gaze movie is How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
Dang, I still need to see that movie