2. Laura Mulvey’s Male Gaze theory
•Visual Pleasure and Narrative
Cinema was an essay written by
Laura Mulvey
•An essay which coined the term
“Male Gaze” which soon went on to
become a very well know and
discussed theory
•In film, the male gaze occurs when
the audience is put into the
perspective of a heterosexual man. A
scene may focus on the curves of a
woman's body, putting you the
viewer in the eyes of a male
•However it is only the Male Gaze
theory if these curves are highlighted
with specific conventions such as
slow motion, deliberate camera
movements and cut aways.
3. • The theory suggests that the
male gaze denies women
human identity, relegating them
to the status of objects to be
admired for physical
appearance
• The theory suggests woman
can more often than not only
watch a film from a secondary
perspective and only view
themselves from a mans
perspective
Remember this statistic only 16%
of media creators are female.
Laura Mulvey’s Male Gaze theory
•The “masculinisation” of the viewer
4. Laura Mulvey’s Male Gaze theory
• However the presence of a
woman in mainstream film texts
is something that is vital.
• Often a female character has no
real importance herself, it is how
she makes the male feel or act
that is the importance.
• The female only exists in
relation to the male.
5. Laura Mulvey’s Male Gaze theory
•The male gaze leads to Hegemonic ideologies within our society
Hegemonic = ruling or dominant in a political or social context
6. Visual Pleasure
Mulvey states that the role of a female character in
a narrative has two functions
1.As an erotic object for the characters within the
narrative to view
2.As an erotic object for the spectators within the
cinema to view
8. Gender roles in film
The characters that look at others are
seen as the active role (male)
The characters that are to be looked at
are passive (female) They are under
control of the Male Gaze and only exist
for visual pleasure.
Females often slow the narrative down,
they act as inspiration for men to act.
Males on the other hand, push the
narrative forwards and make things
happen and are seen as active
9. Female Objectification
Objectification is related to the gaze.
The person gazed at is objectified,
treated as an object whose sole
value is to be enjoyed or possessed
by the voyeur (person doing the
gazing)
Objectified characters are devalued
and their humanity removed.
10. Gendered Theory:Laura Mulvey -
Male Gaze (1975)
• Voyeurism/ Scopohilia
• Women on screen for
purposes of display
• Spectators (regardless of
gender) are encouraged
to take on ‘MALE GAZE’
• Male Gaze = A powerful
controlling gaze at the
female on display, who is
effectively objectified and
passive.
11. Textual Analysis Task:
Candy Shop
(50 Cent ft Olivia)
- Watch the Candy Shop video.
- Taking Mulvey’s theory into
account how are the women
being represented?
Use the questions on the next
slide to help frame your
analysis.
12. Candy Shop Analysis Questions
1. What are the connotations of the song title ‘candy shop’?
2. Describe the location and setting of the video – how does it contribute to the representation of
50 cent?
3. How is 50 cent being represented in the video? (consider his costume, props, camera
shots/angles)
4. How are the women represented in the video? (consider their costumes, props, camera
shots/angles)
5. What does the video seem to be suggesting about the role of men and women?
6. Are the overall representations of men and women in the video reflective of gender issues in
wider society? Explain your answer
13. Key Questions
1.Define the key features of Mulvey’s theory.
2. What effect could this theory have upon female viewers?
3. What effect could this theory have on male viewers?
4. Do you believe the ‘Male Gaze is present in films/adverts and T.V
today? Give your own detailed examples
5. Do you have any criticisms of Mulvey’s ‘Male Gaze’ theory?
14. • A constructed representation of reality
• The female character has been coded
• Hyper reality
• A masculine voyeuristic position
• Objectified female
• Representation
• Scopophilia
• Patriarchal society KEY WORDS &
PHRASES you
should try to use
16. Criticism of Mulvey and Gaze theory
Some women enjoy being ‘looked’ at e.g. beauty
pageants.
The gaze can also be directed toward members of
the same gender for several reasons, not all of which
are sexual, such as in comparison of body image or in
clothing.
Are there any ‘flaws’ in these arguments?
