The speaker critiques the movie 'Pharaoh' for its portrayal of women through a heterosexual male gaze. The camera angles focus on the female actor's body, starting from the waist, moving up to the chest, neck, and face, with the actress wearing minimal clothing. This perspective is described as objectifying and reducing women to sexual objects, which the speaker finds offensive and degrading.
After identifying as a sexual minority, the speaker's reaction to the heterosexual male gaze has shifted from discomfort to feelings of disgust, anger, and offense. They describe this gaze as a form of heterosexual hegemony that forces all viewers to participate in objectifying women, which they find deeply violating and disrespectful.
The speaker shares an incident where their friend, who is a sexual minority, was repeatedly sent pictures of women by his heterosexual male gym friends. When he expressed his disinterest and discomfort, he was questioned about his masculinity and sexual functionality. This incident highlights the pressure within heterosexual male culture to conform to a hyper-sexualized, objectifying view of women as a measure of masculinity.
The speaker suggests that the ideal male behavior involves self-control and restraint over sexual impulses, contrasting sharply with the prevalent heterosexual male culture that equates masculinity with sexual aggression and objectification of women. They advocate for a model of masculinity that values respect, dignity, and self-discipline over the display of uncontrolled sexual desire.
The speaker references a book titled 'Men's Voices: 16 Gender Critics Tell Stories,' edited by Fang Gang and Zhu Xueqin. The book discusses the formation of healthy male identities and gender equality, aiming to end gender violence and social oppression linked to hegemonic masculinity. The speaker finds the book's insights relevant to understanding and challenging the cultural norms that promote aggressive and objectifying behaviors as markers of masculinity.