As we all know, Harry Styles is a complete dreamboat to anyone who gives him a chance. Straight men are always wondering what’s so special about him and what makes him the epitome of female attraction. To retrace Harry’s steps to adapting to the definition of “being written by a woman”, we first must understand the true meaning of the female gaze and how it aligns the audience’s perspective with who they are as a person. The female gaze is a feminist theory term originally created by film theorist Laura Mulvey in the 1950s to disclose anti-feminist or male-dominating films that mostly serve the male audience in terms of aesthetics, characters, plot lines, etc. The term has recently resurfaced as Gen Z’ers and millennials are learning to apply their feminist theories to not only movies but also songs, books, artists and even clothing and makeup styles.
The shift of the female audience’s liking
Artists and influencers are starting to realize just how neglected the female gaze is and how every entertainment factor is made in the interest of the male agenda. Especially for male celebrities, people are now craving the anti-toxic masculinity personas over the usual f*ckboy-ish, mysterious ones. Young girls are moving on from the leather-jacket-wearing bad boy who they wish would break their hearts to the sweet boy who’s all pink flowers and smiles.
Because of the fact that what the majority wants is changing, public figures are now falling into the new ideal mold for the female gaze. There are several artists who chose to leave behind their stereotypical male identities to become lovable and compassionate feminists and human rights activists. Using Shawn Mendes as an example, he wasn’t always known for being the softie that he is today. Many fans barely remember him from his Vine and Magcon days since the change of his personality is so drastic— he went from being the frat boy type to becoming the soft singing, sweet talking Shawn. Granted, his lyrics have always portrayed him as a loverboy, but in my opinion, the ‘Lost in Japan’ era, with his soft singing and sweet-talking, was the shapeshifter to him growing more to the female liking.
Harry’s character development through the years
As most Harries know, Harry Styles used to be the “flirty, curly one” in One Direction. He was more of a player-type up until their fourth album, FOUR (2014), when he began distancing himself from that persona. His songwriting evolved and the way he carried himself in interviews changed. He became more open with his sexuality and his activism for equal rights. He got a hold of more people’s hearts and broadened his fandom by showing his loving and feminine side, which was a breath of air compared to what the media displays the typical male celebrity as.
Harry’s progression from his early career to the artist he is today was smooth and slow. He started changing the way he talked and expressed himself, wearing nail polish and “feminine” clothing, being more experimental in his songs, and speaking up for what he believes in.
We all remember the time Harry caused a stir on social media when he spoke against Candace Owen’s tweet. “In the west, the steady feminization of our men at the same time that Marxism is being taught to our children is not a coincidence. It is an outright attack. Bring back manly men,” she said. His reply was short and straightforward, but it was enough to remind his fans what exactly makes him special.
Harry set an example for many artists such as Luke Hemmings, who continues to embrace his feminine side in his style of clothing and songwriting, and even Justin Bieber. Justin has shown his liking towards Harry’s personality multiple times on Instagram, but fans say that he altered his mischievous past self to become more romantic and softer as an artist. He’s even shown support for Harry in his ‘Hold On’ video by wearing a “Treat People With Kindness” patch on his jacket
The influence Harry had on the female gaze
Because he has had such a big impact on a younger female audience, Harry readjusted the whole spectrum of the female gaze. We don’t define attractiveness like we used to, and I think it’s because we’re always comparing how every man acts and dresses to Harry.
Conventionally attractive celebrities aren’t only praised for their physical appearance but also their personalities and how they treat others. Especially with the rising popularity of living off of social media, celebrities are now considered as normal people who are held accountable for their wrongdoings.
The female gaze is still working on figuring out what we find pleasing and what we enjoy seeing. The entertainment world is slowly focusing mainly on how to satisfy the female liking whether it be with film or novel characters, singers, and even painters are starting to appreciate the female gaze. Of course, there’s more to the female gaze than femininity and vulnerability, but the very first step that is commonly disregarded is common decency.