The word "male gaze" is more offensive than "toxic masculinity".

Male Gaze explanation by Chatgpt -

The term male gaze refers to the way women and their bodies are often depicted from a heterosexual male perspective in media, art, and culture. Coined by film theorist Laura Mulvey in her 1975 essay "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema," the concept highlights how women are portrayed as objects of male desire rather than as fully realized individuals. It suggests that visual representations in film and other media often prioritize male viewers, shaping how stories are told and characters are constructed.

Key aspects of the male gaze include:

Objectification: Women are presented primarily as objects of visual pleasure for male characters or audiences.

Perspective: Scenes are often framed through the eyes of a heterosexual male protagonist or implied male viewer.

Power Dynamics: The male gaze reinforces traditional power dynamics, where men are the subjects (active, looking) and women are the objects (passive, being looked at).

From the very definition it is clear that it is about seeing women as objects instead of individuals. Why is this not called "Patriarchal Gaze" ? According to Feminist Theory ( and feminists ) it is patriarchy that promotes seeing women as conquests or objects. But now they are attributing it to the male biology by using the word "male" in it. As if it is something a part of being a male - like male organ or male hormones etc. Even women can look at other women with that gaze. It is just another tool to shame men and control them in my opinion. I also believe this because the word "male gaze" is never used in a positive context. It is like "since male gaze is negative how can males themselves be not" .