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So I thought I should talk about: The Male Gays II


17.10.17

So I thought I should opening by asking if the pun in the title is queer-baiting? My good friend and key-fan, Charlotte Dougan, accused me of queer-baiting, which involves mentioning, or alluding to, queerness in a title or narrative or plot, in order to get people interested. The motivation behind queer-baiting is to attract more views than otherwise, rather than an actual representation of the queer community. Answer me: is key-fan Charlotte Dougan right?

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So today I want to talk about the male gaze, again. There’s more to it. Last time, I talked about the ethics of the male gaze. In a very uncertain way. I want to talk, more certainly, about the sexuality of the male gaze.

I think the male gaze can have a sexual part. I see the male gaze as an essentially introspective attitude in which men look at themselves and each other and seek out weakness in order to eradicate it. The male gaze seeks to perpetuate androcentrism and the maleness of everything else.

Men look at each other intensely but fear that it is too intense, so clarify that there’s ‘No Homo!’ I gotta say I don’t know why this is. Maybe it’s because all intimacy is a bit embarrassing and therefore we want to clear ourselves of the ambiguity? Probably it’s because homosexuality is STILL stigmatised (‘Tom Froy, bringin’ the home truths’) and men fear being associated with it. Behind any and either explanation is SEX! Sex, sex, sex. It’s always there! And men feel it, but fear it, and deflect by jokingly shouting ‘No homo!’ to dispel the doubt which they felt about the sexuality of their experience.

It’s not within the remit of the modern day man to show feelings, especially not towards other men. In this way, the male gaze, which is directed- at least initially- introspectively and therefore it has sexual, sensitive undertones. Men looking at each other and themselves and saying ‘Am I masculine enough? Are you masculine enough?’ Sizing each other up. Measuring their comparative masculinities. And if masculinity has anything to do with sexual prowess (and I’m inclined to say it does), then looking around to ensure masculinity is prevalent (the male gaze) is a very sexual act. Looking for masculinity is equal to, or at least involves, looking for the sexual behaviour identified with masculinity. The male gaze is sexual!

You heard it here first. Spread the word. Manly men are concerned about their own and other’s sexuality. It must be true! A man said it! I said it!

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