The Male Gaze Theory BCCD - Media Studies AS-F

1. The Male Gaze
Laura Mulvey

2. What is the ‘Male Gaze’?
The Male gaze is a term discussed by Laura
Mulvey in her essay, "Visual Pleasure and
Narrative Cinema" (1975). It is used to
describe when the audience is put into the
perspective of a (heterosexual) man. Female
characters are sexualized, and the camera may
zero in on female body parts considered
sexual.

3. Mulvey incorporates the Freudian idea of
phallocentrism into "Visual Pleasure and
Narrative Cinema". Using Freud's thoughts,
Mulvey insists on the idea that the images,
characters, plots and stories, and dialogues in
films are inadvertently built on the ideals of
patriarchies, both within and beyond sexual
contexts. She also incorporates the works of
thinkers like Jacques Lacan and meditates on the
works of directors Josef von Sternberg and Alfred
Hitchcock.

4. Traditionally
• Men play active roles which drive the
narrative.
• Women play passive roles and are seen as
erotic objects, which slow the narrative.
• Men outnumber women.
• Female roles are sideline.
• Lead roles for women scarce.

5. Stereotypes used in media to
represent women:
• Bimbo
• Female’s physical attraction, such as figure.
• Easy
• Housewife
• Mother
• Intelligent yet willing to settle down.

6. • Two distinct modes of the male gaze of this era:
voyeuristic (an obsessive observer of sordid or
sensational subjects) & fetishistic (excessive
attention or attraction to something)
• Films presented images of women that were
produced simply for the grafitation of male
viewers.
• Various studies in the 1970’s found men to be the
dominant characters and decision makers in film
and TV production.

7. HOWEVER!
• CHANGES IN SOCIETY  CHANGES IN
WOMEN’S ROLES  CHANGES IN MEDIA
REPRESENTATION.
• WHY? :
To show the audience a change. The audience
would like to relate to the media content and
if the women in real life are changing so
should the women portrayed through media.

8. Some things never change…
Or take a while
Women are still represented in today's media as:
• A female may get a masculine role but is
usually presented in fitted clothes for the
male audience to seek pleasure from.
• Barely will you see female action stars that are
not attractive.

9. What is ‘Misogyny’:
Hatred of women.
The contempt or hatred of women and girls.

10. References:
• Wikipedia
• www.aber.ac.uk
• www.kracauer-lectures.de/en/sommer-
2014/laura-mulvey/

11. RESEARCH BY: MISHA IRFAN(AS-F)
AND NAOMI HAVELIWALA(AS-F)