Laura Mulvey - Feminism

Laura Mulvey is the creator of the theory of the 'Male Gaze' (1975). She looks at how the audience view people who are presented in the media. The Male Gaze typically focuses on emphasising the curves of the female body, referring to women as objects rather than people. It also focuses on the display of women, and how men think they should be perceived, as well as female views, viewing the content through the eyes of a man.

The Male Gaze describes how the audience or viewer is put into the perspective of a heterosexual male. The concept of 'the gaze' is one that deals with how an audience views the people/person presented. An example of this is the recent look and behaviour of Miley Cyrus, and how she has gone from dressing respectively, to dress in short and clingy clothing, and also showing off a lot more of her body. 

Mulvey states that in film women are classed as objects, rather than the possessors this is displayed by the control of the camera. The camera uses particular movements to perceive the women in an idealistic view. Some women may disagree with this use of camera yet others may feel liberated. 

The male gaze occurs when the camera puts the audience into the perspective of a heterosexual man, for example, it lingers over the curves of a woman's body. The man emerges as the dominant power within the created film fantasy. The woman is passive to the active gaze from the man. An example of this is a majority of music videos which are shown on TV, and how the camera objectifies the women by focusing on the areas of the body in which would expect to see the males gazing at, breasts, bottom, etc.

Mulvey also states that the female gaze is the same as the male gaze because women look at themselves through the eyes of men.

A feminist may see the male gaze as either an expression of unequal power between gazer and gazed, or as a conscious or subconscious attempt to develop that inequality, men are more powerful therefor it is okay to objectify. Summarising the women is displayed for the male gaze to provide pleasure in a sexual way (voyeurism). However women may want to be objectified and find this empowering. This objectification is a running theme in music videos, and within all media elements.