How can contemporary media challenge the male gaze?

• A. By depicting female agency and offering alternative viewpoints.
• B. By increasing objectifying shots of women.
• C. By removing female characters entirely.
• D. By relying solely on action sequences.

Answer: (A)

Challenging the male gaze hinges on shifting who is positioned as the subject of the viewer’s attention. The best way contemporary media do this is by depicting female agency and offering alternative viewpoints. When a story centers a woman as an active mover of the plot—making decisions, pursuing her own goals, and revealing her thoughts and motivations—the audience is invited to identify with her perspective rather than with a gaze that treats her as a mere object. Narrative choices like following her experiences, giving her a strong voice, and presenting scenes from her point of view all help reframe how viewers look and whose experiences are prioritized. This moves representation away from objectification toward complexity and autonomy.

Increasing objectifying shots would reinforce the traditional framing instead of challenging it. Removing female characters eliminates the possibility of reframing the gaze altogether. Relying solely on action sequences tends to emphasize spectacle and masculine pacing, which doesn’t address how women are looked at or who holds the interpretive power.