The Male Gaze

For many years, the concept of the "male gaze" has been debated in feminist and media studies. Laura Mulvey used the term in her 1975 essay, "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema," to describe how media frequently portrays women as objects of desire for male viewers. The male gaze can have damaging consequences that go beyond gender and sexual orientation.

Women have frequently been the object of the gaze in much of the media landscape, susceptible to objectification and unattainable beauty standards. While women are commonly featured as the principal characters of desire in films, advertising, and pop culture, their roles do not always come with empowerment or agency. Instead, they are often used as passive objects, promoting the damaging belief that their principal value is dependent on their physical appearance. This portrayal not only limits female character diversity, but also fails to provide them with exalted roles that are usually given male characters in films.

In history, cultural standards and expectations have frequently affected behaviour and relationships in a variety of ways. One noteworthy component of this phenomenon is the idea that men participate in behaviours designed to impress other men, frequently to a higher level than women. This subliminal desire to win the approval of other men can be seen in a variety of areas of life, like; popular culture. In this essay, we will look at how men, in some situations, favour the opinions of their male peers over the opinions of women, using examples from films such as "Fight Club."

The characters in "Fight Club" engage in this activity because they feel that traditional masculinity, as represented by physical power and toughness, is the road to self-worth and validation. This depicts how some men may prioritise earning the approval and recognition of other men over gaining the favour and recognition of women. The men in the film are more concerned with asserting their masculinity in a male-dominated environment than with impressing women.

This effect extends beyond films and can be seen in a variety of real-life circumstances. Men frequently take part in acts aimed to display their superiority to other males in many competitive situations, including sports, business, and even social relationships.