The Female Gaze: Undoing The Adverse Effects of The Male Gaze

The male gaze is the phenomenon characterized by the portrayal of various characters in a way that appeals to and pleases the stereotypical heterosexual male. Because of the negative impacts of the male gaze on our society, the female gaze was evolved as an answer to the male gaze. The female gaze, simply put, is a way of portraying people and things that is neither offensive nor particularly pleasing to any one gender or part of the population. The female gaze talks about a way of portrayal that is not demeaning to any one gender and neither does it unnecessarily glorify any other gender. For years, just like any other field, the film industry has also been dominated by male opinions and preferences. This is what has led to the male gaze occupying such a firm position in our society. It is not only wrong for the other genders, but it is also wrong for all of us as a society as it affects both men and women and all genders equally. It causes them to think of themselves only within the stereotypical gender roles that define their abilities and potential. The present paper is an attempt to highlight the adverse effects of the male gaze in our film industry and how the female gaze attempts to cure these and establish a just and equitable society.