Male gaze theory

1. LAURA
MULVEY:
THE MALE
GAZE THEORY
BY KAYLEE HECKFORD

2. WHAT IS IT?
Laura Mulvey came up with the male gaze theory in 1975
which states that media products present women to be
viewed through the perspective of a heterosexual male.
It suggests that members of the audience are encouraged to
gaze upon the female body and reduce them to the status of
objects to be admired for their physical appearance.

3. WAYS IT IS EXPRESSED
Feminists believe male gaze can be thought of in three
different ways:
How men look at women
How women look at themselves
How women look at other women
Mulvey states that the role of a female character in a
narrative has two functions.
Being an erotic object got the characters within the
narrative to view.
Being an erotic object for the viewers to look at.

4. HOW IT IS SHOWN IN
THE MEDIA
The camera lingers on the curves and aspects of the
female body.
Events that happen regarding women are presented
in the context of a mans reaction.
Women only exist in relation to men and makes them
feel or act important.
Camera angles and movements are used to idolise
women.
A scene may put the viewer in the eyes of a male.

5. EXAMPLE: MEEK MILL - FACE DOWN
The camera work in this video focuses on and emphasises
aspects of the women's bodies such as their chests and rears.
The men in the video treat the women like pleasurable objects
which encourages the viewers to look upon them in the same
way. The lyrics are objectifying of women and talk mainly
about how the men wish to have sexual intercourse with them.
For Example: “Face down, *ss up. That’s the way, we like to
f**k”, is repeated in the chorus of the song which is an
obvious connotation of sex and the men being shown as
dominant and in control of the women.

6. MEEK MILL – FACE DOWN
(CONTINUED)
There is use of dark and red lighting within the video which is a
symbol of passion, desire, lust and sexuality. The women shown
are dressed in tight clothing, exposing a lot of skin. They’re
dancing provocatively next to a stripper pole and there are
scenes with a couple of them in a bed with the man who is
flashing money at them as if to pay them for their services.
These men appear to be interested in the women but aren’t giving
them the same attention they give which suggests that they
believe women only serve the purpose to be sexually active to
benefit the men

7. VOYEURISM
Voyeuristic objectification is explained when the male
spectator gains pleasure by desiring the female
character, and feeling he owns her because she is
passive like an object.
Mulvey suggested the cinema provides a voyeuristic
pleasure as it is achieved through watching others who
don’t know they’re being observed.