The male gaze refers to the way in which women are typically presented in media often through the eyes of the straight male. The women being portrayed are more than often presented as sexual objects for the pleasure of male viewers. For example, in video games, A women’s sexual image is always seen as the most dominant aspect of her character as a pose to her actual purpose in contrast to men who’s bravery and selflessness are always the most important aspect of their character.

Born in 1941, Laura Mulvey is a feminist film maker and theorist from Britain who is commonly known for her work on the ‘Male Gaze’. She wrote the essay in 1975 which highlighted the misogynistic way women are presented throughout media – often through the eyes of the straight male in order to please the straight male.

John Berger, an English art critic born in 1926, was known for his television series and essay on art criticism called ‘Ways of Seeing’ which won the Booker prize in 1972. In the essay, he illustrates the issues with how women are presented in media and how they are overly objectified specifically for the pleasure of the straight man.

LEVELLING UP REPRESENTATION: DEPICTIONS OF PEOPLE OF COLOUR IN VIDEO GAMES	-“2015 study… higher percentage of teens of colour playing games , representation is extremely important but… has been lacking” -“regarding asian women, they are often sexualised… placing great focus on revealing clothes, large exposed breasts, and barely there underwear.”
WHY DIVERSITY MATTERS IN THE MODERN VIDEO GAMES INDUSTRY	– “Play Station recently sponsored Pride London, providing a joyous, hugely colourful presence in the parade” – “Xbox got a new feature in settings called co-pilot”
VISUAL PLEASURE AND NARRATIVE CINEMA – ACADEMIC PAPER BY LAURA MULVEY	–  “she falls in love with the main male protagonist and becomes his property, losing her outward glamorous characteristics, her generalised sexuality, her show-girl connotations” – “Once he actually confronts her his erotic drive is to break her down and force her to tell by persistent cross questioning”
FEMINIST FREQUENCY	– “As a trope the damsel in distress is a plot device in which a female character is placed in a perilous situation from which she cannot escape on her own and must be rescued by a male character, usually providing a core incentive or motivation for the protagonist’s quest.” – “we explore the Women as Background Decoration trope…These sexually objectified female bodies are designed to function as environmental texture while titillating presumed straight male players.”