LAURA MULVEY AND THE MALE GAZE

“the gaze is male whenever it directs itself at, and takes pleasure in, women, where women function as erotic objects” Laura Mulvey.

Laura Mulvey defined the "Male Gaze" in 1975. She states that when watching a film, audiences have to view characters from the perspective a straight male. Key characteristics that the Male Gaze theory focuses on is some editing and shots that are used when a female is on the screen. The camera lingers on the curves of female bodies and event which occur to women are presented largely in the context of a man's reaction to these events. These features relegate women to appearing just as an object. The female viewer then has to identify and experience the narrative through the male. 

Some theorists have also noted that sexualizing the female body, even when sexiness has nothing to do with the product, is still used and apparently works in advertising. 

I personally don't agree with this theory from what I know about it. I think it makes out that the women who are being filmed in a sexual way don't know they are being used as an object, which I believe they do. I think they will have been told to act in a provocative way, maybe a little, maybe a lot. But either way, by telling them to act in this way it will enhance the sexualness of the clip. 

I also believe that this isn't just done on woman, and it is equally affecting the male in any movie. I just so happens that a lot of the examples used to look at this theory will be clips where just the female is being objectified. 

I think a perfect example that the "Male Gaze" is just as much apparent in videos which have target audiences that are primarily woman is when Zac Efron in 17 Again, or in Twilight where the main female characters isnt conventionally pretty/attractive but al the males in it are ripping off their tops ever 2 minutes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTb_2RdoR0s

Overall I believe that one; women know when they are being objectified its not just the camera work that does it, and two; men are just as much looked as a sexual object as women are. I believe at the time this theory was written it was probably pretty on point, but it has become very dated.