Mic Drop Misogyny: A Feminist Analysis of Male Hosts Conduct in Pakistani Digital Media

Abstract

Since 2018, the Pakistani podcast scene has developed significantly and provided new forums for public discourse; however, they may also serve to reinforce traditional media's current dominant patriarchal authority structures. This research utilizes a feminist lens to explore critiques of new social media programs produced by Pakistani podcasts from 2024-2026 through analysis of the behavior of male hosts towards female guests as well as how those actions impact women within society. The study draws on theories of hegemonic masculinity (Connell & Messerschmidt, 2005), ambivalent sexism (Glick & Fiske, 1996), the male gaze (Mulvey,1975), and gender performativity (Butler,1990) to investigate three distinct case studies: Irshad Bhatti's approach to questioning Meera; Dr. Omar Adil's commentary regarding female anchors; and Rehaan Tariq's interrogation of Wardah Malik. According to the results of the study, male interviewers commonly utilize similar discourse practices (e.g., aggressive questioning; moral judgment) combined with communication that challenges competence (Briggs et al., 2023). These three behaviors serve to render the interview an arena of gendered evaluation. This research finds that the above-mentioned behaviors are not coincidental but rather are structural performances of hegemonic masculinity both in the unregulated and virally motivated digital media environment.