Whether you like Bridgerton for the plot, the characters, or the costumes, it’s hard to deny it has a certain unique allure. This distinct point of view is the female gaze, and Bridgerton is one of the few major series to flaunt it to such a degree. Characterized by lingering eye contact, brushes of the hand, a thundering heartbeat, and stray strands of hair, the female gaze has only been getting attention in recent years. Conversely, the male gaze has dominated the big screen for decades. The male gaze objectifies women, showing them as something to be conquered, possessed, controlled, and gawked at. It is helpful to see the female and male gaze as two sides of the same coin since they are both ways of looking at the object of one’s desire and of expressing love and lust. The female gaze does so in a gentle, patient way. It is about anticipation, tension, and yearning, while the male gaze is overt, domineering, and demeaning.
Bridgerton was released on Netflix in December 2020, and it was immensely successful. It sparked spirited discussions on its take on colonialism and imperialism (namely that it chose to entirely reconstruct England’s Regency Era), but also on its steamy sex scenes and portrayal of desire through a uniquely female lens. The first season centers on protagonist Daphne’s search for a match after being chosen as the season’s diamond by the Queen. Daphne insists on a love match, quite uncommon during the Regency era, yet she manages to find one by the end of the season. In all her interactions with potential suitors, she is constrained by the strict social etiquette of her era, social status, and gender. For today’s 20-somethings, the most shocking rule is probably that a couple cannot be left unsupervised, or the woman’s reputation will be compromised. Despite that, Daphne’s scenes are dripping with desire.
Much of the yearning felt by the characters is showcased through their words left unsaid. Unfulfilled desires and thoughts no one dared to act upon take center stage as Daphne navigates a complicated web of rules and duties. Viewers are at the edge of their seats as they eagerly wait for one or both characters to give in, or to somehow find some privacy and confess their feelings. For those familiar with certain tropes, the wait was excruciatingly long. Simple acts such as the Duke buttoning Daphne’s cuff are much like the first signs of spring. The characters expect something, but do not know exactly what it will look like, nor when they will see it. Moreover, Bridgerton is an exploration of Daphne’s inner world and coming-of-age experience as she makes a very important life decision – who her husband will be. Her thoughts are clearly shown as she boldly instructs the Duke on what to do, and declares that a love match is what she wants, and will settle for nothing less. Her wishes are not fulfilled by a man, but by herself, as she relentlessly searches for what – and who – she thinks will be the best partner for her. After all, she was not only looking for a husband, but for a friend as well. Daphne was certainly the object of many men’s desires, but she refused to be objectified.
The male gaze is a stark contrast. As mentioned above, it is distinguished by its exceptionally misogynistic portrayal of women as lacking agency, objectives, or autonomy of any sort. A woman is but a prop. Without a boyfriend, husband, or someone to ogle her, she disappears. A classic example is The Wolf of Wall Street. In this film, women are mere status symbols – trophies. When Jordan Belfort becomes more successful, he gets a more beautiful wife, Naomi. She is always flawless and scantily clad. Naomi is living, breathing evidence of Jordan’s success, or at least that is how she is portrayed. She only exists to bolster his image, both within the film but also in the eyes of the audience. The message that “making it” means having a massive mansion and a beautiful, obedient wife is pretty clear throughout the story.
As a result, it’s hard to empathize with the women in The Wolf of Wall Street. They are nothing like real women, those on the other side of the screen (Jordan is, unfortunately, quite similar to a lot of real men). Real women have emotions, wants, and goals. We do not cease to exist when we are not putting on a show for a man. This is why Daphne, and the women of Bridgerton in general, are far more palatable. Most real-life women have been in their place, after all. Or want to be: we much prefer to be courted and romanced than to be stared at and owned.
Love the message in this!