male gaze

American  

[meyl geyz] / ˈmeɪl ˈgeɪz /

noun

1. Often the male gaze the assumption in visual and creative arts that the default or desired audience consists of heterosexual males, and inclusion of women in narrative or art should seek to please this audience with the objectification or sexualization of these depicted women.

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Etymology

Origin of male gaze

Coined by Laura Mulvey (born 1941), British feminist film theorist in her essay “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” (1975)

Example Sentences

There have also been instances where feminists themselves have found an artwork offensive and protested against the male gaze.

From BBC • Jan. 9, 2026

They were etherealized through delicate pastels, and while Brundage created images to appeal to the male gaze, she also could portray women as purposeful agents rather than passive victims.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

Men in prestigious publications and TV programs were empowered to offer their behavioral prescriptions for all womankind, and women were expected to apologize for their failure to please the male gaze.

From Salon • Sep. 12, 2024

The flinch is an inverse of the male gaze, and I know it too well because I’m blind in one eye.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 2, 2024

The designer, whose work offered women respite from the limits of the male gaze, has never been all that interested in explaining herself.

From New York Times • Mar. 17, 2024