The male gaze puts pressure on all women

Sources’ names have been changed for anonymity.

Since I was a little girl, I have been acutely conscious of how men perceive me. Until recently, I didn’t know where this awareness originated or why I wanted to be noticed. But, as I got older and began to feel attracted to men, I focused on looking desirable to them. I often wondered if I measured up to what they wanted to see. 

I now attribute this mindset to the male gaze, a concept introduced in 1975 by Laura Mulvey in an essay titled “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.” The male gaze, by definition, is the objectification of women from the perspective of a heterosexual, cisgender man.

As I now call it, my internalized male gaze is especially identifiable to me when men catcall me. I feel utterly disgusted when it occurs, yet at the same time, there is a part of me that feels validated by the recognition from those who call out to me.

I often sit with the issue of feeling valued by this objectifying treatment. However, I now realize that the desire to appeal to men doesn’t stem from my attraction to men but from societal pressures that I was previously unaware of.

That being said, this profoundly ingrained self-perception isn’t exclusive to heterosexual, cisgender women. High school junior Ruby, who is a lesbian, believes that the male gaze can create a standard of attraction that non-heterosexual and heterosexual women alike feel they must conform to. 

“I know that I’m not attracted to men, but sometimes I will feel like I am because of the male gaze and because of how internalized it is,” Ruby said. “That’s what’s expected of you. You expect your body to feel that desire even though it doesn’t. It’s confusing.”

The male gaze is internal and is also perpetuated in magazines, television, movies, and other forms of media. In this regard, the male gaze centers female existence around mens’ desires. Films such as The Wolf of Wall Street and The DUFF cater to this patriarchal idea.

According to data provided by the Geena Davis Institute on Gender and Media, roles portrayed by women in film are four times more likely than their male counterparts to be seen wearing revealing clothing. Additionally, women are twice as likely to be shown partially nude and four times more likely to be shown naked than male characters. 

High school junior Christine, who is asexual and aromantic, feels that societal pressure to obtain male attention can impact a woman’s sense of self-worth. Cinematic culture significantly affects how young girls view themselves and their futures. 

“In some ways, I used to picture myself as a rom-com character. I am a girl, I’m the main character in my life, and eventually, I’m going to end up with a man,” Christine said. “You have to dismantle this narrative in your head when you realize you’re not attracted to men. You have to dismantle that expectation you have of yourself.”

Audiences of any gender or age receive the message that women are sexual objects that must intrigue men. This sets an unrealistic and unhealthy standard for all women, and it severely sexualizes women. The media needs to stop objectifying women on screen.

The male gaze can cause women of any sexual orientation to think that they are subservient to men and are meant to play a more passive role in society. It can create insecurities among these individuals, resulting in them changing their behavior, such as how they dress, how they interact with men, or how they view their bodies themselves. 

The effects of the internal male gaze can be hard to identify at any age. It is so ingrained in our culture that most women don’t even realize how it marginalizes them. Determining when the male gaze is present internally and externally is critical in deconstructing its misogynistic burden. The desire to attract male attention isn’t a toxic ideal in itself. Still, the societal pressure for women to present themselves solely to appear attractive to men is harmful to our self-image.