By: Maddy Grumet
Sexual politics rule the media industry. Although many may be familiar with the term “the male gaze,” it is critical to understand the impact it has on television viewers and society at large. According to Oxford Languages, “the male gaze” is defined as “the perspective of a notionally typical heterosexual man considered as embodied in the audience or intended audience for films and other visual media, characterized by a tendency to objectify or sexualize women” (Mulvey, 1975). On a deeper level, the male gaze limits the ability of female audience members to imagine themselves as an individual with agency. In two very popular HBO shows, Game of Thrones and Euphoria, the male gaze sexualizes a variety of different women.
In Game of Thrones, the male gaze emerges most notably in the female character’s nudity, frequent sexual violence towards female characters, and how women gain political power and influence through sexuality and fertility. A viewer of the show would know that female characters are not necessarily powerless in all situations and at all times. However, almost all of their access to power is through obeying and acting on typical forms of femininity or with the help of men they have relationships with, which means that their power is limited and ultimately controlled by men. Without the male gaze present in the show, female characters would have the opportunity to gain power without offering their bodies.
Beyond the sexual ways that the male gaze emerges in Game of Thrones, non-gendercomforming female characters like Arya Stark and Brienne of Tarth are still subject to the underlying patriarchal views. Arya and Brienne, among others, are still subjected to the control, coercion, and discipline of the male gaze if not necessarily in a sexual way. Perhaps the reason they are not subject to sexualization like most of the other female characters is because they are portrayed in a more masculine way. Their physical strength and ability to wield a sword saves them from being sexually abused, hinting that if a woman doesn’t “fight like a man,” they will be abused at the hands of others. The male gaze does not mean every female character is powerless. It does mean, however, that the progress of having strong female characters is offset by constantly subjecting these characters to mistreatment by torturing, degrading, assaulting, sexualizing, etc. While Game of Thrones is notorious for keeping no one safe from harm, the show developed a pattern of degrading, objectifying, and hyper-sexualizing female characters significantly more than any male character on screen. However, the male gaze ensures that all of these instances of violence against men are not sexualized like the instances of violence against women.
Although one of HBO’s more modern shows, Euphoria, may seem more progressive than Game of Thrones to viewers, the conflict between female empowerment and the male gaze is present in both shows. Euphoria’s demonstration of female sexual empowerment has the potential to be a great thing as a departure from other media. However, this demonstration often manifests itself in a way that caters to the male gaze. In examining Barbie Ferreira’s character Kat Hernandez, a simplification of feminism is evident. In the show’s early progression, Kat discovers a newfound confidence that manifests in a sexual way; she chooses to pursue sexual camming where she can make money off of her newly harnessed sexual confidence. Although this idea demonstrates that women should be free to not only express their sexuality but to have control over their bodies, the Euphoria directors chose to exacerbate the objectification of women in order to demonstrate Kat’s confidence rather than choosing another, less sexual path. Additionally, instead of creating a conversation around the mental impact of selling one’s body online, the show promotes it. Ferreira’s character may pressure female watchers, especially younger ones, to chase desirability in harmful ways and base their self-worth strictly on sexual attractiveness.
Kat’s character is also interesting when examining her sexual fantasies compared to a male character Nate Jacobs’ sexual fantasies. Euphoria directors crafted intentionally erotic cinematography of Nate’s later love interest, Cassie, both in scenes demonstrating reality and fantasy. Although female characters like Kat do have their own sexual fantasies, the scenes are shot incredibly different. The difference in shooting changes the way the audience absorbs information. Kat’s fantasy is essentially a way of sharing more information about herself. Nate’s fantasies are intended to sexually tease the audience as it does him. The deliberate sexualization of the male characters’ fantasies in the show, but not the female characters’, demonstrates clear complicity in the danger of the male gaze.
Deliberate sexualization in Euphoria continues when examining Sydney Sweeney’s character, Cassie Howard. Cassie is one of the most evidently objectified characters in the show, presented to viewers as a hopeless romantic who struggles with her self-worth and how to say “no” to people, specifically men. These traits are not foreign to many people, especially younger women navigating their confidence both sexually and not. However, Cassie’s relatability is overshadowed by the sexual nature in which her character is written and portrayed. In Cassie’s sex scenes, she is shown fully nude and the camera focuses on her body rather than her male counterparts. It is not abnormal to struggle with the need for male validation as Sweeney’s character does. However, the overt objectification in scenes involving Cassie restricts the viewer from understanding her struggles by providing sexual distraction. The show explores male character’s struggles without overly sexualizing or objectifying them, demonstrating that Cassie and other female characters are heavily subjected to the male gaze.
At face value, Euphoria may seem like an effort to subvert the male gaze and fight the moral panic surrounding teen girls’ sexuality. However, upon examination, Euphoria’s writers and directors are actively participating in perpetuating both the male gaze and such moral panic. There is a fine line that Euphoria has seemed to cross between sexualizing and objectifying young women and being informative on how younger people think about and experience sexuality.
The link between two seemingly different HBO shows demonstrates a network issue as well as a societal issue at large. For many, the male gaze is an intrinsic way of understanding and navigating the world, revealing itself in so many facets of life. The first step to combatting this engrained thought and behavior is to acknowledge it and a great place to start is somewhere that has a great effect on us all: media.
