Laura Mulvey's gaze theory argues that in media, the camera adopts the perspective of the heterosexual male gaze by lingering on female curves and portraying women as sexual objects rather than people. This places the audience in the position of the heterosexual male and influences how both men and women view representations of women. The theory highlights how various media platforms like films, music videos, and magazines typically portray women through this male gaze.

1. Laura Mulvey’s
Theory
The Gaze Theory – How the audience view
women who are represented in the media.

2. 1. How men look at women from the images and videos in
media
2. How women look at themselves
3. How women look at other women
(do they also see them as sexual objects or unrealistic
ideologies they are supposed to conform to?
What she has focused on…

3. The male gaze typically focuses on:
• Emphasising curves of the female body
• Referring to women as objects rather than people
• The display of women is how men think that they should
be perceived
• Female viewers view the content through the eyes of a
man
What Mulvey States…

4. • The male gaze describes how the audience or viewer is
put into the perspective of a heterosexual male i.e. the
camera lingers over the curves and assets of the female
body.
• Women in media texts are typically the objects rather than
possessors. This is displayed by the control of the camera.
Going into more detail…

5. • Men are perceived as the dominant gender and they are
more sexual
• The camera uses particular movements to perceive
women
Going into more detail…

6. Many media platforms have perceive women in
this way;
• Music videos
• Films
• Soaps and dramas
• Video Games
• Magazines
Going into more detail…

7. • Some artists see this as powerful to be seen like this
• It is an image representing themselves to an audience
• In order to please men
• Some enjoy the attention and want men to look at them
and women to be envious of them
Why They Do This…