Research - Mulvey's Male Gaze

What is the Male Gaze?

The male gaze shows females as sexual objects through the use of the camera who in this case is taking the place of heterosexual male. There are three ways in which women are looked at...

1. How men look at women

2. How women look at women

3. How women look at themselves

Mulvey’s ‘Male Gaze’ 1975

Laura Mulvey is a theorist who noticed how women were being represented in the media she discovered how the camera is being humanized into a man that lingers around the female assets soaking all her sexuality up and receiving satisfaction from it.

 

The particular genre which I believe excessively uses the Male gaze theory would have to be the RnB and Rap industry, to an extent also house music. Its very obvious that in those genres the lyrics are mostly about money and girls, so its obvious that they would use girls in their music and flaunt them, by using camera angles to showcase their assets.

Example

 

 

 

In these vidoes its clear to see the Mulvey gaze being used as the females in these videos are enhancing their assets in front of the camera. The first video, shows a lot of sexual references and Falloch based objects. The second video although the women are not necessarily showcasing themselves in front of the camera the camera still lingers around their body movements. Also the costumes of the women in the backgrounds, wearing bikinis and half dressed sexually dancing. Finally the final  video showcases both women and Falloch movements and also the lyrics are metaphorically relating to sex, the way in which the women are represented as they are dancing and simply by the way the camera showcases their body images is very over sexualised. Overall all of the videos above show  the male gaze theory into action.

 

Criticism of the Male Gaze

Ever since the theory of the male gaze people have built criticisms around it.

People say that the male gaze only includes the heterosexual male gaze, but excludes all the other sexes, for example the female opinion or the homosexuals view.

Feminist say that the male gaze undermines female empowerment, it doesn’t talk about female empowerment. On the other hand this may not apply to all women due to their conflict views, as it ignores the fact that some women might like to be looked at.

Others may say that the male gaze does not apply in modern day as now there is men also dancing topless, and the male gaze does not include that.

The male gaze does not include social opinions and religious culture.

 Conclusion

In my video I am planning to use women and the female asset, but I am not looking to extenuate their assets for the audience but merely to just because it will fit the narration behind the video. I am planning to represent the female characters in my video as fun, independent and strong. And I personally believe that using the 'male gaze' theory will not allow me to get the sort of reaction that I want from my viewers.