Historically speaking, art is created by men, for men.

From movies to books, plays, and music, most canonical writers were men, and they created art through a male perspective — also known as the male gaze. 

In most cases, this lens belittles women and presents female characters only as they relate to their male counterparts, with no understanding of what the female experience is actually like. If you’ve ever read a sentence like, “She has breasts that smile,” (yes, that’s a real sentence published in a real book), you know what we’re talking about. 

But there's a new term in town: the female gaze. It challenges society's cultural default, insisting that we celebrate female creators and audiences’ talent, intelligence, and diversity — as we should. Here’s a guide to the meaning of the female gaze, with examples of what it can (and shouldn’t) look like. 

What is the female gaze? 

The female gaze applies to art of all shapes and sizes, as long as it’s created from a female viewpoint for a female audience. It doesn’t have to be exclusively for women — men can enjoy female-led books, shows, and movies, too! — but it does have to center the female experience in an accurate, nuanced way.

Stories told with the female gaze often resonate with women profoundly, challenging traditional depictions of gender roles by focusing on female experiences, wants, needs, and desires. Think of a movie like “Barbie.” It centers on a female character without sexualizing her, diving deep into what it’s like to be a woman. The men in the movie (Hi, Ken!) support the story without being the center of it all.

Through the lens of the female gaze, visual media like movies, television shows, and music becomes a powerful tool. This lens allows art to explore the complexity of femininity, enabling more nuanced portrayals of womanhood and girlhood. Instead of being objects of desire — as they often are through a male gaze — women are presented as unique individuals with ambitions and perspectives worth listening to.

Male gaze versus female gaze   

The “male gaze” was coined by feminist film theorist Laura Mulvey in the 1970s. The term refers to how visual media takes the viewpoint of heterosexual men, portraying women as objects of male fantasy and desire instead of people of their own. According to Mulvey, this perspective has dominated the film industry and other art forms for centuries, depicting women not as autonomous beings but as visual accessories to the male narrative. 

Comparing the male and female gaze means looking at how and to whom stories are told. The male gaze, which prioritizes male pleasure and perspective, sees men as the main characters. Women exist only to look pretty for the male audience — think Megan Fox as Mikaela Banes or Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft. 

With that definition in mind, you might assume that the female gaze literally flips the narrative, objectifying men and ignoring the male experience. And while some art does this, the point of the female gaze isn’t to look at men through a female lens, but to look at women through a female lens. It shares stories from women's perspectives, focusing on their experiences, emotions, and desires in tangible, relatable ways. It tosses objectification to depict empathy and respect instead. 

So the difference between the male and female gazes isn't just in what we see. It's in how we feel when we see it. The female gaze provides a broader, more inclusive view of the world — recognizing that female stories are worth telling and women aren't just eye candy.

Why is the female gaze important? 

The female gaze challenges long-standing stereotypes, offering a more authentic portrayal of womanhood. No longer just objects of male desire, women become whole individuals in an empowering shift toward autonomy. They become observers and doers who take on roles far beyond society’s confines — and that shows female viewers they can do the same.

8 female gaze examples   

The female gaze offers fresh perspectives and rich narratives prioritizing women's experiences, from iconic TV series to erotic literature and superhero movies. 

Film and television

Here’s what to watch for your next girls’ night or when you’re ready to see yourself onscreen (and shed a tear or two):

1. “Fleabag”

This groundbreaking series, created by and starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge, examines life as a woman in its ups and downs. Told through the eyes of its flawed yet relatable protagonist, “Fleabag” offers an unfiltered look at life as a modern woman grappling with issues like guilt and lust (hello, hot priest) and having some fun along the way. 

2. “Sex and the City” 

This iconic, pioneering, and controversial TV show, based on a book by Candace Bushnell, explored themes of friendship, sexuality, and work through the lives of four women in New York City. By putting Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda's sexual and emotional lives at its core, “SATC” challenged traditional narratives, offering a groundbreaking perspective on what it means to pursue love and success. 

From a modern perspective, “SATC” is sometimes outdated, but it’s a great watch if you want to see what the female experience was like in the early 2000s.

3. “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” 

This French historical romance drama is set in the 18th century. Led by female director Céline Sciamma, this film's portrait of a developing lesbian relationship embodies the female gaze in film, showcasing the characters Marianne and Héloïse with sensitivity and depth. Filmmaker Sciamma looks at themes like desire and memory, offering a rich exploration of female identity that avoids conventional objectification (cough, “Blue Is the Warmest Color”). 

4. “Wonder Woman”  

This blockbuster superhero movie starring Gal Gadot stands out for its portrayal of Diana, an Amazonian warrior. Unlike many female characters in this movie genre, Diana embodies strength and determination without sexualization. “Wonder Woman” embraces the female gaze — it showcases Diana as a hero, with or without men. 

Literature 

Ready to curl up with a good book? While these reads are more dense than your average novel, they’re perfect examples of centering the female experience:

5. “The Handmaid's Tale” by Margaret Atwood

Margaret Atwood's seminal work immerses readers in a dystopian future. In Gilead, women are stripped of their rights and forced to submit to a brutal regime that sees fertile females as property. Told from the perspective of the handmaid Offred, this story explores sexuality, power, and female agency in a patriarchal society. 

6. “Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women's Anger” by Rebecca Traister 

This book by journalist Rebecca Traister explores the history and transformative power of women's anger. She unpacks how women's anger is received, how it varies according to who it's directed at, and how it has become fuel for widespread political movements. It's a must-read if you want to learn more about the psychology and politics behind female anger.

Sexual content

It goes without saying that mainstream porn is the epitome of the male gaze. If you’re tired of unrealistic standards, here’s what to watch, read, and listen to instead:

7. Women-written erotica 

Women-written erotica is a powerful medium for expressing female sexual fantasies and desires, which are often an afterthought in traditional erotic literature. These sexual stories prioritize female pleasure and emotional connection, boldly asserting the female gaze.  

8. Ethical porn 

Ethical porn emphasizes performers’ safety, genuine pleasure, and diversity in bodies and sexualities. While it's not all created by women for women, much of it seeks to please a female audience and portray authentic intimacy. This type of porn works to dismantle the objectification that's often common in mainstream pornography. 

Explore the female gaze with Quinn  

The Quinn platform, created by women for the world, champions the female gaze. You’ll find a wide range of audio erotica recorded by talented creators for all audiences, from LGBTQ+ stories to kink and fetish content. 

To access thousands of narrated sex stories, guided masturbation sessions, and sexy playlists, download the Quinn app for iOS or Android.