Laura Mulvey developed the Male Gaze theory to describe how mainstream films typically show women as objects for the heterosexual male gaze. The theory argues that women are displayed for both the characters and spectators to look at, with the male emerging as the dominant figure. Mulvey believes this reflects an underlying power imbalance where the male gaze takes precedence over the female gaze. However, some disagree with aspects of the theory by arguing that some women enjoy attracting attention or that some media also objectify men.

2. Laura Mulvey and The Male Gaze Theory
The Male Gaze, developed by feminist, Laura Mulvey describes
how the audience, or viewer, is put into the perspective of a
heterosexual male. Mulvey believes that women should enjoy the
attention of attracting the gaze, and put themselves in positions
to be looked at. The concept of ‘the gaze’ is one that deals with
how an audience views the people/person presented. Mulvey
states that in film women are typically the objects, rather than
the possessors, of gaze because the control of the camera (and
thus the gaze) comes from factors such as the as the assumption
of heterosexual men as the default target audience for most film
genres.

3. The male gaze occurs when the camera puts the audience into
the perspective of a heterosexual man. It may, for instance linger
over the curves of a woman's body.
The woman is usually displayed on two different levels:
- as an erotic object for both the characters within the film
- the spectator who is watching the film
The man emerges as the dominant power within the created film
fantasy. The woman is passive to the active gaze from the man.
This adds an element of 'patriarchal' order and it is often seen in
"illusionistic narrative film".
Mulvey argues that, in mainstream cinema, the male gaze
typically takes precedence over the female gaze, reflecting an
underlying power asymmetry.
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 a manifestation
of unequal power between gazer and gazed, or as a conscious or
subconscious attempt to develop that inequality. From this
perspective, a woman who welcomes an objectifying gaze may
be simply seeking to benefit men, welcoming such objectification
may be viewed as akin to exhibitionism.

4. The Male Gaze typically focuses on:
- Emphasizing curves of the female body
- Referring to women as objects rather than people
- The display of women is how men think they should be
perceived
- Female viewers, view the content through the eyes of
a man

5. There are some flaws and disagreements with the theory
however:
- Some of the women may enjoy the attention and like
people to look at them
- There are videos and media
products which use men in the same light, for instance in
Kelly Rowland’s Motivation the men have less clothes on than
she does and she treats them as though they are objects.

7. Source: Different Blogs on feminism