Contextual Research

2017: A New Wave 

The #MeToo movement marked a shift in how the world viewed feminism.

The suffragettes achieved the vote, Roe vs Wade protected women's bodily rights, #MeToo established a common experience amongst women; the ongoing fight against patriarchal power structures. The next wave in feminism is this acknowledgement that although there appears to be an outward image of inclusion, the reality is that these patriarchal power structures are still at play.

The illusion of equality can be seen across the media, here are just a few examples:

Firstly, through the globally recognised Marvel film franchise we see examples of women being given leading roles as superheroes. Sounds like progress, doesn't it? In reality, these women are being presented for the pleasure of a heteronormative male audience by wearing tight outfits (much tighter than their male co-workers) and being fed into romantic sub-plots. One instance of this is Scarlet Johansson's character black widow in the 2012 film The Avengers. Laura Mulvey's male gaze argues that women in Johansson's situation are being relegated to mere objects to be desired for their physical appearance; all while under the guise of inclusivity. 

Some may argue that Marvel films also appeal to a 'female gaze' by presenting their male leads in a similarly sexualised way. This is a weak argument. While a muscular, shirtless Chris Evans might appeal to a range of women, critics argue that this also appeals to the male gaze as this is a desired body type for men and something that they would like to see in themselves. Equally the condescending arrogance of Robert Downey Jnr's billionaire persona Tony Stark also appeals to a new generation who have come to idolise infamous misogynists such as Andrew Tate. 

Tate himself however is an altogether different beast feeling no need to disguise his misogyny and instead confidently stating that women should "bare responsibility" if they are raped to his millions of podcast listeners. If #MeToo is an example of how social media can drive a progressive movement, Tate "The King of toxic masculinity" is an example of how quickly social media can, equally, set us back. 

Even print media are reinforcing these power structures by undermining women who hold serious power in society. One not quite so subtle example was the "Never mind Brexit, who won legs-it!" headline from the Daily Mail in 2017; which refocused the attention of the public away from Brexit negotiations, to ogling the legs of the then prime Minister Theresa May and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon.

It is necessary for us to contextualise Mulvey's Male Gaze Theory with these examples as it demonstrates that this is a timeless issue that transcends across all media platforms. Mulvey published her theory in 1975, and yet in the 21st Century there are still endless examples of women positioned to be viewed instead of heard.