This document discusses several academic media theories: - Auteur Theory states that the director is the "author" of a film and it reflects their artistic vision. Alfred Hitchcock is a prime example. - Reception Theory examines how media texts are encoded by producers but decoded differently by audiences. Readings can be dominant, negotiated, or oppositional. - The Hypodermic Needle Model suggests media messages are directly "injected" into passive audiences' brains. Examples include Nazi propaganda films and North Korean propaganda. - The Male Gaze theory proposes that media represents women from a sexualized, male perspective that objectifies women through techniques like nudity, body framing, and inappropriate clothing. Films like

1. Academic Media Theories
Research

2. Auteur Theory
• Auteur Theory is a way of looking at films that state that the director
is the “author” of a film. The Auteur theory is that a film is a
reflection of the director’s artistic vision
• One main example of this is Alfred Hitchcock, who directed films such
as Vertigo, Wrong Man etc. Alfred Hitchcock

3. Reception Theory
• The theory states that media texts are encoded by the producer
meaning that whoever produces the text fills the product with values
and messages. The text is then decoded by the audience. Different
spectators will decode the text in different ways, not always the way
of the producer intended.
• A text can be received in the one of three ways,
• Dominant or Preferred reading
• Negotiated reading
• Oppositional reading

4. The Hypodermic Needle Model
• The Hypodermic needle theory is a linear communication theory that
suggests that media messages are injected directly into the brains of
passive audiences.
• One massive example of this is in North Korea where propaganda
triggers the population of North Korea to have a hatred for Western
Culture. Another massive example was in World War 2 where German
films would be made by the Nazis to brain wash the population of
Germany promoting the Nazi cause

5. 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.
• Examples of Male Gaze in media are things like, nudity of female
characters, slow camera pans of women’s bodies, women wearing
inappropriate clothing, framing women, so their cleavage stays in the
frame, using a female body as a prop.
• A film that uses mostly all examples given is The Wolf of Wall Street

6. Male Gaze Research

7. Male Gaze Research
• Wolf Of Wall Street
From the movie Wolf of Wall Street, they make women out to be nothing more than someone to sleep with. One key
example of this is the scene when Jordan Belford is in the office and explains the different types of Hookers available, The
Blue Chips, The NASDAQ and the Pink Sheets Skanks. They go on to say how majority of the hookers have some sort of sexual
disease. From the long quote one key quote I could you use in my essay is ”Then came the NASDAQs , who are pretty, not
great”.
Jordan Belford (2007). The Wolf of Wall Street. United States: Jordan Belford.

8. Male Gaze Research
• Laura Mulvey, Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema
On page 3 it goes on to call out the media as they represent woman as
the ”weaker sex”. This shows that the media may be some what sexist
towards women
Carolina Hein (2007). Laura Mulvey, Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema. United States: GRIN Verlag. 3.

9. Male Gaze Research
• Looking for the Other
On page 51 its states women are oppressed and discriminated because
of their gender. Main quote for this is “Oppresses women because
woman are subordinate to males”
E. Ann Kaplan (2012). Looking for the Other. n/a: Taylor & Francis. 51.

10. Male Gaze
Research
• Fast Five
From the screenshot you can
see that women are objectified
as nothing but an object. With
“scantily clothed” and “slo-
mos”.
Justin Lin (2011). Fast Five. United States: Justin Lin.

11. Bibliography
1. Anon. (n/a). What is Auteur Theory? – Definition and Examples. Available: https://indiefilmhustle.com/auteur-theroy/. Last accessed 09 Sep 21.
2. Alfred Hitchcock (1956). Wrong Man. United States: Alfred Hitchcock.
3. Alfred Hitchcock (1958). Vertigo. United States: Alfred Hitchcock
4. Anon. (2007). Reception Theory. Available: https://revisionworld.com/a2-level-level-revision/media-studies-level-revision/reception-theory. Last accessed 09 Sep
21.
5. Anon. (2007). The Hypodermic Needle Theory. Available: https://revisionworld.com/a2-level-level-revision/media-studies-level-revision/hypodermic-needle-
theory. Last accessed 09 Sep 21.
6. Andy Simmons. (2016). What is the male gaze, and does the female gaze exist?. Available: https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-does-the-male-gaze-mean-
and-what-about-a-female-gaze-52486. Last accessed 09 Sep 21.
7. Anon. (2021). Understanding the Male Gaze: Hot or Hurtful? (Episode 2). Available: https://www.modernintimacy.com/podcasts/understanding-the-male-gaze-hot-
or-hurtful-episode-2/. Last accessed 09 Sep 21.
8. Jordan Belford (2007). The Wolf of Wall Street. United States: United States. 1-528 pages.
9. Carolina Hein (2007). Laura Mulvey, Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema. United States: GRIN Verlag. 3.
10. E. Ann Kaplan (2012). Looking for the Other. n/a: Taylor & Francis. 51.
11. Justin Lin (2011). Fast Five. United States: Justin Lin.