Male Vs Female Gaze - Tumblr Posts
I've seen a little trend of (mostly) men being shocked and annoyed at how much sensuality was in this newest episode of The Acolyte and I think it's time to re-introduce 'the male gaze' vs 'the female gaze' and how prevalent it is in fiction.
Those same guys don't complain when women are shown topless in bed, the sheet only covering their ass as the full curve of their back is illuminated while the male lead buttons up his pants and smizes forlornly out the window.
They don't bat an eye at 'Slave Leia's' costume or James' Bond's exploits or the gratuitous nudity and sex in Game of Thrones centered on the male gaze. They don't question dehydrated men with bulging veins screaming at their enemies as they flex.
But the moment there's sensuality for the gaze of the fem lead, all of a sudden it's "soapy" it's "fanfic" it's "ridiculous".
Why is that? Why are you so ok with sexuality when it's from the male gaze, but the MOMENT it switches to female, you think it's not to be taken seriously anymore? All of a sudden, it's not 'fit for the public', it's to be relegated to the dark corners of the internet and not spoken of and MOST DEFINITELY shouldn't find it's way onto our screens.
Was Qimir in that episode sexy as fuck? Yeah. Was that what the episode was about? Partially - but it was so much more than that, too. Unlike movies where women are just there to be ogled at by the male audience and have nothing of importance going on with the plot, the Acolyte showed both the man and woman in those scenes as important players in this story with depth and nuance that yes, included sexuality, but was not limited to it.
Men jack off to 'slave Leia' all the time - why is it suddenly disgusting when a man shows up on screen in a sexy way that's NOT dehumanizing to him? Would you have preferred Qimir in a slave costume being held hostage by the Hutts? (feel free to draw fan art of that *cough* what was that? I didn't say anything *cough*) Would that have made it 'not fanfic' to you? Or are only women relegated to those roles? Only women are allowed to skinny dip in the ocean and then talk to the MALE lead all dripping wet and naked. For a man to do that is...well....it's silly!!! It's fanfic!! That's not what we're supposed to see!!