How does the male gaze construct our understanding of sexual power — using the example of Chinese film female characters

Abstract

China's increasing development and the people's giowing reliance on online social networking have led to social phenomena on social media becoming more prominent and. to some extent, deepening. Nowhere is this more evident than in the phenomenon of misogyny and men-pleasing, a gender debate that has been ongoing unresolved for over a century. The subject of this research paper is an in-depth analysis of the male gaze and a critique of the solutions that have been proposed. The research perspective of this paper will be based on the dissection of the male gaze by Foucault and Laura Mulvey, as well as postmodem feminist perspectives, to present and judge the gender issues that exist and are potential. From a theoretical perspective, the male gaze inherently influences plot and characterization in film, and the latter functionally deepens the impression on the masses on a societal scale. On the other hand, from an ideological standpoint, it can be argued that cunent attempts to counteract and diminish the male gaze are overly one-sided and may actually deepen society's ambivalence towards this social issue.