It is a well-known fact that social media is constantly pushing boundaries set by society. In some cases, it’s only bringing new light on concepts that were always there, but we simply didn’t have words to express it or a community that would carry them and make them grow. Let’s discuss one of those concepts today, the female gaze.
What is the female gaze?
First, I would like to acknowledge that one box doesn’t fit all. It makes sense that the female gaze will differ depending on which individual, and that is the beauty of it. For the sake of this article, let’s have a look at an official definition: “For many, the term alludes to the right of women to adopt the active and objectifying gaze that has traditionally and stereotypically been associated with males, undermining the dominant cultural alignment of masculinity with activity and femininity with passivity” (Female Gaze, Oxford Reference). What is traditionally broadcasted in the media will mostly show women as an object of desire for a male partner to enjoy. The female gaze is giving women the opportunity to have desires and act on them if they wish to.
The female gaze is taking over the media
With an algorithm that is personalized to each user, it is no surprise that the content that someone will see will be highly precise to what the user likes. Traditional content used to be created in order to please the masses, and unfortunately this was mostly represented through the male gaze. By using social media, content can now be curated for a community and will find a specific audience. If you pay attention, you see that the female gaze is taking over many industries.
For the cooking enthusiast:
If you are a Tiktok user or using Instagram Reels, you might have seen videos from Cedrik Lorenzen. He makes elevated cooking content, with a spicy twist that greatly represents the female gaze.
His high-quality videos are leaving the user to enjoy his performance, and he is letting himself be the object of desire. His popularity might be coming from the fact that he is performing an activity that will be traditionally related to women, allowing women to stay in the role of spectator. With millions of views on almost each of his videos, he is a prime example of how there is a market for the female gaze.
For the books fanatics:
The female gaze was able to find a community on the GoodReads website by being its own category. GoodReads allows its users to create their book wishlist, keep a registry of books they already read, review them, and more. By creating your profile, you will be able to share it with others and see what other readers are up to.
Writers don’t have the same pressure of pleasing a mass audience as they would with a Hollywood movie. Books will be written with the female gaze in mind, with different ways to explore the characters than what you would expect. Masculinity will often be explored through the eyes of a woman, written for women. If you are curious about how it can be represented through writing, lookup their selection on GoodRead’s website and take your pick!
I believe female gaze content can be enjoyed by anyone and might open your mind to see life, relationship and seduction differently. Let me know what is your favourite way to enjoy female gaze content in the comments down below!
Facebook: Tired of seeing content written always with the same perspective? Check out the link to my blog where we explore the female gaze and what it can offer you.
Twitter: Are you ready to #empoyer yourself? Click on the link to my blog to learn about the #femalegaze and how it can change your perspective.
References
Cedrik Lorenzen, TikTok
GoodReads Website
Kevin Bolk, Deviant Art Website
Oxford Reference Website
Algonquin College Social Media Certificate Program 