Laura Mulvey’s Male Gaze theory is a type of deconstructive theory. This means it is a completion of ideas which analyse why and how people behave. In 1975 she created it from noticing women in music videos are filmed indifferently to men. She believes they have different expectations of what they should look and act like. For example, the media focuses on the weight of women and see being thin in a positive light and being bigger negatively. As a result, she explains that when we are watching music videos which focus regularly on the bodies of women when they are in them, we are watching them through a heterosexual male’s perspective which is called voyeurism.
The main features of ‘The Male Gaze’ theory include:
1. The representation of women as a sexual fantasy and from a heterosexual male point of view
2. Scopophilia: The pleasure involved in looking at other peoples bodies
3. Objectification of female characters
4. Representing a patriarchal society
5. Showing an active male and passive female: Meryl Streep, a part of the film Suffragette said only 15% of films have lead female characters. Until recently it wasn’t unusual for the actors and make-up artists to be the only females on set
6. Men are shown as being dominant and controlling
7. Women as an image
8. Men do the looking and women are there to be looked at
9. Meeting the needs of the male ego
An overview of this Theory which I made on www.mindmeister.com:
An example of a music video where this theory can be applied:
Make The Girl Dance's "Baby Baby Baby" Music Video which is mentioned on the mind map above shows features of the Male Gaze theory as it includes naked/semi-naked females who lip-sync along to provocative, French lyrics. Theorist Andrew Goodwin who says that the imagery and lyrics of music videos connect to one other would be proven right in this instance as the women’s sexualised appearances are emphasised through this connection. Due to the fact they sing in French, it could be implied that an immediate, stereotypical association between lyricism, women and sex can be made because of the popular, previously released song “Lady Marmalade,” in which sleeping with someone is a sung about topic in this language. This connection between the viewers and artists is known as a “spectacle,” which links to the objectification of these women.
Mid-shots are used to focus on the women undressing in public places, where men can be seen taking long stares at them. It is evident that Mulvey’s Male Gaze theory can therefore be applied as we view these women in a stereotypical, heterosexual view. This is highlighted by the fact the women walk towards the camera as they undress which feeds into the sexual fantasies of these men and also represents the women as a man’s object who are there to be looked at and enjoyed. Interestingly, this can be seen in the music video, since the reaction of men imply that they like seeing these undressed women, whilst other clothed women look shocked when they see them.
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