Male Gaze Quotes

Joss would come to understand that this position - respecting, admiring, and identifying with women while acknowledging the objectifying influence of the male gaze - helped him create female characters that worked and connected with an audience. "You can't write from a political agenda and make stories that are in any way emotional or iconic. You have to write it from a place that's a little dark, that has to do with passion and lust and things you don't want to talk about. ~ Amy Pascale

The girl anchors the stage, sucks in the male gaze, and, depending on who she is, throws her own gaze back out into the audience. ~ Kim Gordon

We're all already aware of boobies; it is the general state of most people in North America! THANKS, MEDIA AND THE MALE GAZE ~ Ryan North

The "male gaze," as a shaper of my life's choices, is largely incidental. Gender ~ Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

In a field where else you found a stack
of revealing nature photographs, of supernude nature
photographs, split beaver of course nature photographs,
photographs full of 70s bush, nature taking come
from every man from miles around, nature with come back
to me just dripping from her lips. The stack came
up to your eye, you saw: nature is big into bloodplay,
nature is into extreme age play, nature does wild inter-
racial, nature she wants you to pee in her mouth, nature
is dead and nature is sleeping and still nature is on all fours,
a horse it fucks nature to death up in Oregon, nature is hot
young amateur redheads, the foxes are all in their holes
for the night, nature is hot old used-up cougars, nature
makes gaping fake-agony faces, nature is consensual dad-
on-daughter, nature is completely obsessed with twins,
nature doing specialty and nature doing niche, exotic females
they line up to drip for you, nature getting paddled as hard
as you can paddle her, oh a whitewater rapid with her ass
in the air, high snowy tail on display just everywhere. ~ Patricia Lockwood

I was in a band in the '90s called Bikini Kill, and we were so freaked out about documentation then, and there was the whole thing, not just about the male gaze, but that people were going to misrepresent you ... a kind fear of the mainstream that a lot of us had. ~ Kathleen Hanna

Though Snow White might triumph in the tale, she will undoubtedly acquire a mirror after she marries, matures, and has children, and as the mirror reflects her aging and loss of beauty, she will be confronted by a young girl whose innocence and youth will spark her envy and hatred and perhaps drive her to eliminate her "competition." It appears as though there is a vicious cycle that entraps women up through today. Everything is played out under the male gaze. ~ Jack Zipes

I often wear clothes that men don't like or don't "understand." I wear them
because I like them and because I feel good in them. The "male gaze," as a shaper of my
life's choices, is largely incidental. ~ Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

There is no need for arms, physical violence, material constraints. Just a gaze. An inspecting gaze, a gaze that each individual under its weight will end by [internalising] to the point that they are their own overseer, each individual thus exercising surveillance over, and against themself. ~ Michel Foucault

[E]ven today, when confident and self-affirmative lesbian identities have emerged and are available to women, images of `lesbianism' are still regularly appropriated by a male heterosexual pornographic imagination which cannot accept that this is one party to which men are not invited and at which their presence is not necessary. ~ Nivedita Menon

George Balanchine had once remarked that 'ballet is woman.' For Balanchine, you go to a ballet for the same reason that Parmenides journeyed to the shrine of the Goddess. You go to a ballet to apprehend the event of woman as truth's disclosure. Balanchine implied that woman reveals her essence as the beautiful in the art of ballet. Truth manifests itself as the beautiful or sensuously abundant. Ballet is therefore the metaphysics of woman. Balanchine didn't put it exactly like that, but that's how Haas understood him. The woman who discloses her essence in ballet is not a human subject that is endowed with agency. Nor is she a helpless and inert object of the male gaze. She is Aletheia. Abyss. ~ Will Thorpe

If there's a woman who is exhibiting her femininity or performing her femininity, it's always seen as meant to pull in the male gaze. ~ Jill Soloway

The acceptance of woman as object of the desiring male gaze in the visual arts is so universal that for a woman to question or draw attention to this fact is to invite derision, to reveal herself as one who does not understand the sophisticated strategies of high culture and takes art "too literally," and is therefore unable to respond to aesthetic discourses. This is of course maintained within a world - a cultural and academic world - which is dominated by male power and, often unconscious, patriarchal attitudes. In Utopia - that is to say, in a world in which the power structure was such that both men and women equally could be represented clothed or unclothed in a variety of poses and positions without any subconscious implications of dominance or submission - in a world of total and, so to speak, unconscious equality, the female nude would not be problematic. In our world, it is. ~ Linda Nochlin

There's something different about when a female directs versus a male. The level of maturity, mutual respect, and energy that you get from a female director is so different. I've worked with male directors who aren't good, and no one says anything about it, but then we had one female director who was kind of all over the place and everyone complained. It's so gendered. I feel safer when working with a female director because I know it's from a female gaze. ~ Rowan Blanchard

Regardless of the business aspect of things, is there a reason that there isn't a female Hitchcock or a female Scorsese or a female Spielberg? I don't know. I think it's a medium that really is built for the male gaze and for a male sensibility. ~ Bret Easton Ellis

Logan put his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her away. "Better?"

There was some emotion in his eyes, but it disappeared before she could decipher it. "I'm okay, but I'll be better when all this is over. Thank you."

"For what?"

"For coming here when I asked. It was probably an inconvenience to drop everything at a moment's notice."

Again, something flittered in his eyes, and he glanced away. When his gaze returned to her, whatever she'd seen was gone.

"Know this, Dani. Wherever you are and whenever you need me, I will always come to you. ~ Sandra Owens

His mistake. Eve, do you want to talk to Mira about this?"


"No." She considered it another moment, then shook her head and repeated, "No, not now anyway. Dumping on you levels it out a little. Taking him down, all the way down - that'll take care of the rest."


For a moment she studied their joined hands, then shifted her gaze up to his. "I didn't want to tell you I'd been scared, much less why. I guess that was stupid."


"It was."


She scowled. "Aren't you supposed to say something like 'No, it wasn't. Blah, blah, support, stroke, let me get you some chocolate'?"


"You haven't read the marriage handbook, footnotes. It's another woman who does that sort of thing. I believe I'm allowed to be more blunt, then ask if you'd like a quick shag."


"Shag yourself," she said and made him laugh. "But thanks anyway."


"Offer's always on the table."


"Yeah, yeah, and the floor, in the closet, or on the front stairs. Time to work, ace, not to play. ~ J.D. Robb

The truth is all around you, plain to behold. The night is dark and full of terrors, the day bright and beautiful and full of hope. One is black, the other white. There is ice and there is fire. Hate and love. Bitter and sweet. Male and female. Pain and pleasure. Winter and summer. Evil and good. Death and life. Everywhere, opposites. ~ George R R Martin

i collapsed like a skyscraper:
once upon a time, i lived in an enclave of
stars. i wore a coat of clouds,
and the sun kissed me before
the moon cradled me in its gaze.
but now... now i lie in a pile
of my own remains. ~ Mecca-Amirah Jackson

I sent all sorts of manically happy thoughts toward him, the exchange heightened by our direct contact.
"Ugh." He let his hand drop. "I can't take that much optimism. Maybe that's it."
"It's your kryptonite."
His gaze dropped to my hand as it patted him. Complicated emotions whipped through him again. "No, my biggest weakness is turning out to be something else entirely. ~ Anne Zoelle

The question is are you okay?" he asked, looking down at her with concern. "That was quite a spill you took."
"I ... I'm fine." Her gaze centered on his mouth. Then, she did the most torturous thing she could have done to a man whose lower torso was pressed against hers and whose mouth was just a few scant inches from those fleshy, pink lips. She ran her tongue across her lips to wet them. And he thought super glue got hard fast. ~ Lindsey Brookes

What is the male equivalent of Bimbo? ~ Valerie Harper

To meditate is to labour; to think is to act. Folded arms work, closed hands perform, a gaze fixed on heaven is a toil. ~ Victor Hugo

Fuck off, Cam," she shouted at him as he approached. "You're practically naked," he bellowed. "Get back to my quarters, now." "No." She tilted, angling to the left and pushing her wings harder to speed up. His anger spiked. "Elithea! I am losing my fucking patience!" She twisted back to look at him then swooped upward. "Eli - " Something hit him in the head from above. He slowed, pulled the material away. It was… her bra. ~ Zoey Ellis

I look back at my elementary or high school pictures and I always had gel in my hair and a gold chain that I would wear outside my shirt. That's how I was born and raised as an Italian male, and I always considered myself a Guido, anyway. ~ Pauly D

It's true, I couldn't see how you'd fit. But then I found out my life doesn't fit me anymore. Not without you. ~ Renee Rose

You are my home; it is in your loving gaze that I find the comfort, acceptance, and the sense of belonging. ~ Steve Maraboli

They'd followed him up and had seen him open the door of a room not far from the head of the stairs. He hadn't so much as glanced their way but had gone in and shut the door. She'd walked on with Martha, past that door, down the corridor and around a corner to their chamber.
Drawing in a tight-faintly excited-breath, she set out, quietly creeping back to the corner, her evening slippers allowing her to tiptoe along with barely a sound.
Nearing the corner, she paused and glanced back along the corridor. Still empty. Reassured, she started to turn, intending to peek around the corner-
A hard body swung around the corner and plowed into her.
She stumbled back. Hard hands grabbed her, holding her upright.
Her heart leapt to her throat. She looked up,saw only darkness.
She opened her mouth-
A palm slapped over her lips. A steely arm locked around her-locked her against a large, adamantine male body; she couldn't even squirm.
Her senses scrambled. Strength, male heat, muscled hardness engulfed her.
Then a virulent curse singed her ears.
And she realized who'd captured her.
Panic and sheer fright had tensed her every muscle; relief washed both away and she felt limp. The temptation to sag in his arms, to sink gratefully against him, was so nearly overwhelming that it shocked her into tensing again.
He lowered his head so he could look into her face. Through clenched teeth, he hissed, "What the hell are you doing?"
His ~ Stephanie Laurens

But marriage goes in waves. You've got to be patient. People bail and give up on their marriages way too early. They just don't put the work and the effort into it. You've got to suck up your ego a lot of times, because that can be a big downfall. ~ Anna Benson

Her gaze feasted on his cock, which was a turn on in itself. "There's nothing tiny about you, is there? ~ Vonnie Davis

Oh!
and I speak out of later knowledge
Heaven forefend me from the most of the average run of male humans who are not good fellows, the ones cold of heart and cold of head who don't smoke, drink, or swear, or do much of anything else that is brase, and resentful, and stinging, because in their feeble fibres there has never been the stir and prod of life to well over its boundaries and be devilish and daring. One doesn't meet these in saloons, nor rallying to lost causes, nor flaming on the adventure-paths, nor loving as God's own mad lovers. They are too busy keeping their feet dry, conserving their heart-beats, and making unlovely life-successes of their spirit-mediocrity. ~ Jack London

The male is a domestic animal which, if treated with firmness and kindness, can be trained to do most things. ~ Jilly Cooper

Lia whispered, "I don't snore."
And the thief angled his gaze warm to hers, offering his lazy smile. "Aye, love, but if you did, I'd still treasure every one. ~ Shana Abe

The world always looks straights ahead; as for me, I turn my gaze inward, I fix it there and keep it busy. Everyone looks in front of him: as for me, I look inside me: I have no business but with myself; I continually observe myself, I take stock of myself, I taste myself. Others ... they always go forward; as for me, I roll about in myself. ~ Michel De Montaigne

Raquel laughed, and David joined her. They sounded slightly manic. "You're free now," he said.
"Of all of it," she answered, and I looked up to see them locked in a gaze I'd previously only observed between actors on Easton Heights - one filled with all the things unspoken over the years, all the betrayals and fears and pain left behind in favor of overwhelming love. It was beautiful.
Oh, who am I kidding, it was awkward as all heck and I didn't have time for it. "Okay! So, you may have noticed Lend is in the kitchen."
"Mmm hmm," Raquel answered, reaching up to smooth down a stray piece of David's hair.
"Yeah, that'd be the big faerie curse."
"Farie curse?" She actually turned toward me; David took both her hands in his.
"Yup. Really funny one, too. See, any time Lend and I are in the same room or can see each other or could actually, you know, touch, he falls fast asleep."
"Oh," Raquel frowned.
"So I need your help. You know all the names of the IPCA controlled faeries, right?"
She nodded, her frown deepening.
"Well, it was a dark faerie curse, so I figure we need a dark faerie to undo it. So you call an Unseelie faerie, we give him or her a named command to break the curse, ta-da, we can double-date!"
"Wait, who can double-date?" Lend asked.
"I'll let your dad tell you. So. Faerie?"
Raquel heaved a sigh, along the lines of her famous things never get easier, do they? sign, and, boy, I agreed with her.
"T ~ Kiersten White

Deciding that at the moment it behooved her to, as Wiry had put it, behave, Heather inclined her head, first to the woman alongside her, "Martha," then to the barrel-chested man, shorter than Wiry but of heavier build, who'd remained quietly seated in the far corner of the coach. "Cobbins."
She turned her gaze on Wiry. "And you are?"
He smiled. "You may call me Fletcher, Miss Wallace."
Heather thought of a few other epithets she might call him, but she merely inclined her head. Settling on the seat, she leaned her head back against the squabs and ventured nothing more. She sensed that Fletcher expected her to protest, perhaps beg for mercy, or try to subvert him and the others from their goal, but she saw no point in lowering herself to that.
No point at all.
The more she thought of all Fletcher had let fall, the more she felt certain of that. This had to be the strangest abduction she'd ever heard of...well, she hadn't heard the details of any abduction attempts, but it seemed distinctly odd that they were treating her so considerately, so...sensibly. So terribly calmly and confidently. ~ Stephanie Laurens

I was born blond, but I grew out of it
Nobody took man from woman
Nobody took male from female
Nobody took boy from Tom Boy
Nobody took he from she
I'm as sexist as he is ~ Catherine Elizabeth Clay

Again the surprised expression crossed his face. He had not imagined that a woman would dare to speak so to a man. For me, I felt at home in this sort of discourse. I could never rest in communication with strong discreet, and refined minds, whether male or female, till I had passed the outworks of conventional reserve, and crossed the threshold of confidence, and won a place by their heart's very hearthstone. ~ Charlotte Bronte

He gave us three irrefutible pieces of advice about the male species:
1. Boys will lie, cheat, and steal to get into your pants. A man will stand the test of time. Make him wait, and you'll see which one he is.
2. They will try to tell you that it feels better without a condom. You just tell me where they live.
3. And relationships are supposed to make your life better. You don't drag each other down. You hold each other up. ~ Penelope Douglas

Lord Kane," the king acknowledged. "Before the proceedings begin, we must say how thrilled we were to meet your PMS."
Uh ... "My what?" "Your personal male secretary. ~ Gena Showalter

She shook her head, though her shoulders trembled and her nails dug into her palms. "You are ridiculous, Khalid Ibn al-Rashid. I am just one girl. You are the Caliph of Khorasan, and you have a responsability to a kingdom."

"If you are just one girl, I am just one boy."

Shahrzad closed her eyes, unable to hold the fierce light in his gaze. ~ Renee Ahdieh

A smile is hidden beneath the mustache, it crinkles the corners of his hooded eyes. "I didn't. I have other business in town and I told my friend I would attend to the matter of his son, as he could not do so himself."
"Very kind of you."
"Yes. I have been looking forward to it for quite some time."
Daddy's lemonade is almost gone, he sips it carefully, turning his eyes back to the water. "Looking forward to seeing the lad or to conducting your business?" Daddy is toying with him.
"Both. You see, I had never actually met his son." The glass rests against Daddy's lips, unmoving. Mr. Geyer watches him closely. "But now I have, so I can get on with my," he fixes his own gaze on the water, as though trying to see whatever it is that has transfixed my father, "business. ~ Gwenn Wright

Absently, she brushed back some of the hair from her face, and she saw as Jaguar's eyes followed how the long strands slid across her throat. Though his dark skin did not show pallor as clearly as Lord Daryl's had, Turquoise could tell Jaguar had not fed yet, and she recognized the hungry look in his black eyes.
Testing, she stood, the movement appearing reluctant. "I"ll leave you to your work if you'd like."
He answered the way she had expected him to. Not raising his gaze from her throat, he said, "Come here." Though the words were an order, the tone left room for argument.
For a moment, Turquoise almost felt guilty. She was intentionally manipulating him. A feeding vampire is an easy target; most of them completely lost sense of their surroundings as they drew blood. Jaguar did not even try to catch her mind as his lips fell to her throat. If she had been armed, it would have been revoltingly easy to kill him. ~ Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

To live is to be other. It's not even possible to feel, if one feels today what he felt yesterday. To feel today what one felt yesterday isn't to feel – it's to remember today what was felt yesterday, to be today's living corpse of what yesterday was lived and lost.

To erase everything from the slate from one day to the next, to be new with each new morning, in a perpetual revival of our emotional virginity – this, and only this, is worth being or having, to be or have what we imperfectly are.

This dawn is the first dawn of the world. Never did this pink colour yellowing to a warm white so tinge, towards the west, the face of the buildings whose windowpane eyes gaze upon the silence brought by the growing light. There was never this hour, nor this light, nor this person that's me. What will be tomorrow will be something else, and what I see will be seen by reconstituted eyes, full of a new vision.

High city hills! Great marvels of architecture that the steep slopes secure and make even greater, motley chaos of heaped up buildings that the daylight weaves together with bright spots and shadows – you are today, you are me, because I see you, you are what [I'll be] tomorrow, and I love you from the deck rail as when two ships pass, and there's a mysterious longing and regret in their passing. ~ Fernando Pessoa

She moved to get up, but the man held her down as her car exploded next.
Bree lifted her head and looked back at the wall of fire behind them. "Well. We're well and truly screwed now. ~ E. Jamie

Women have an infallible instinct for knowing when a man has fallen madly in love with them, especially when the male in question is both a complete dunce and a minor. ~ Carlos Ruiz Zafon