1. Auteur Theory
• auteur theory, theory of filmmaking in which the director is
viewed as the major creative force in a motion picture.
2. Reception Theory
• Reception theory as developed by Stuart Hall asserts that media
texts are encoded and decoded. The producer encodes messages
and values into their media which are then decoded by the
audience. However, different audience members will decode the
media in different ways and possibly not in the way the producer
originally intended.
3. The Hypodermic Needle Model
• The Hypodermic Needle Theory is a linear communication
theory which suggests that media messages are injected
directly into the brains of a passive audience. It suggests that
we’re all the same and we all respond to media messages in
the same way.
4. The Male Gaze
• The “male gaze” invokes the sexual politics of the gaze and
suggests a sexualised way of looking that empowers men and
objectifies women. In the male gaze, woman is visually
positioned as an “object” of heterosexual male desire. Her
feelings, thoughts and her own sexual drives are less important
than her being “framed” by male desire
5. Bibliography
• Anon. (n.d.). auteur theory. Available: https://www.britannica.com/art/auteur-theory. Last accessed 9th Sep
2021.
• Anon. (n.d.). Reception Theory. Available: https://revisionworld.com/a2-level-level-revision/media-studies-
level-revision/reception-theory. Last accessed 9th Sep 2021.
• Lamb, B. (2021). The Hypodermic Needle Theory. Available: https://lessonbucket.com/media-in-minutes/the-
hypodermic-needle-theory/. Last accessed 9th Sep 2021.
• Loreck, J. (2016). Explainer: what does the ‘male gaze’ mean, and what about a female gaze?. Available:
https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-does-the-male-gaze-mean-and-what-about-a-female-gaze-52486.
Last accessed 9th Sep 2021.
• D. Bloom, A (2017). Reading The Male Gaze In Literature And Culture. Allentown: Global Masculinities. p1.
• Fridley, B. (2018). The Male Gaze In Transformers. Available:
https://femfilm18.wordpress.com/2018/11/15/the-male-gaze-in-transformers-2007/. Last accessed 16th Sep
2021
• Jalil, R (2018). Preeto & other stories, The male gaze in Urdu. unknown: Thornbird, Niyogi Books. p7.
7. The male gaze has been around for decades to
the point it’s become a normalised thing and
everyone calls it out. “The stereotypical male
gaze” shows that it’s being recognised more
however it’s become a cultural thing in
Hollywood to exploit women. The Male Gaze
was rooted in patriarchy and became a cultural
thing being added to movies and how times have
changed now in the present in which were are
now able to recognise the male gaze being used
in media.
8. In transformers (2007) Megan Fox plays a character who’s
only purpose is to serve as a love interest who’s only
character development is when she reveals she knows a
lot about cars because of her dad. The camera angle
shows most of her skin revealing clothes and you see the
main character looking at Megan. This is a small scene
but it tells you a lot how the director is using the male
gaze to please his audience which is mostly heterosexual
men. The audience is supposed to be relating to Sam
when Megan Fox comes on screen and Sam is shown
looking at her lips and chest and the camera angles
shown when she’s looking at his car is supposed to be
Sam’s POV.
“This character development only serves to distract from
the fact she is only present to satisfy the masculine
scopopholic desires of Sam and the audience”
9. The article explains that this way of thinking has
dated back for many years since it’s also the
traditional way of heterosexual men looking at
women. The Male Gaze was made to let men have
pleasure which is deeply rooted in a patriarchal
society. The Male Gaze was then made popular in
different media however in the present we use the
term to show how hetero men traditionally see
women. The way men see women is a lot different
how women see women and this is because of
patriarchy.
“A traditional heterosexual way of men looking at
women”
10. The Male Gaze isn’t always an over
sexualisation of women, sometimes it’s the
man being dominant (active) while the
women is more submissive (passive). Once
again this is due to the patriarchal society
and it’s view on women on how they’re
supposed to be supporting a man’s goals
while them not having any themselves.
However it explains how women can still
have goals and stands up for herself but still
be objectified by the media because of the
male gaze.
“What matters is that she incites (passive)
the male protagonist to take action (active)
towards his goal”
