This document discusses the concept of the "male gaze" and analyzes whether Miley Cyrus' music video confirms or subverts it. The male gaze refers to how women are viewed and presented in media from a heterosexual male perspective. Several shots in Miley's video support the male gaze through extended focus on her body and engagement in sexually suggestive acts. However, some shots counter the male gaze by showing Miley in a position of empowerment using masculine tools like work boots and a sledgehammer. Overall, the document analyzes how the video both confirms and subverts the typical objectification of women from a male perspective.

1. WHAT DO YOU UNDERSTAND BY THE
‘MALE GAZE’

2. WHAT IS THE GAZE
• The concept of the gaze is one that deals
with how an audience views the people
presented.
• The basis of the male gaze
- How men look at women
- How women look at themselves
- How women look at other women

3. BACKGROUND
• Laura Mulvey discovered the ‘Male Gaze’ in
1975. Her beliefs were that the audience for film
or in this case music videos have to view
people through the eye of the heterosexual
male.

4. THE ‘MALE GAZE’ IN PRACTICE
• The key features of the ‘Male Gaze’, is that
when viewing a female, the camera stays on the
women for extended periods, especially on
areas that supposedly a heterosexual male
would be looking at.
• Events that occur during the music video
involving the women, are followed by the
reactions of a male.

5. EXPLANATION
• Film has been called ‘an instrument of the male gaze,
producing representations of women, the good life, and
sexual fantasy from a male point of view’. From this
analysis, I understand that the Male Gaze relates to how
more and more Music videos have become about
heterosexual male fantasies with the camera shots and
angles representing the male point of view, suggesting
that what is shown on camera is what males want to see,
and how men would look in situations such as those
presented in the music videos

6. EVIDENCE
• It is noted that music videos are heavily associated with
scopophilia – the pleasure involved with looking at
other people’s bodies as erotic objects. The evidence
for this can be seen in many modern music videos. 50
Cent’s music video for the song ‘Candy Shop’ is a
prime example as the music video is about 50 Cent
dreaming that he went to a playboy like mansion with
lots of women wearing minimal clothing and dancing in
front of the camera. In other words a heterosexual
mans fantasy.

7. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO MEDIA
STUDENTS
• This is important for us media students,
because it allows us to see how Music
videos are slowly changing, along with their
contents. We can see how modern music
videos are made and use ideas/conventions
to put into our own music videos.

8. ANALYZE MILEY CYRUS’ NEW MUSIC
VIDEO – FOCUSING ON FEMALE
REPRESENTATION. DOES IT SUBVERT
OR CONFIRM THE MALE GAZE IN
YOUR OPINION?

9. OPENING SHOT
Bright Red Lipstick gives off a sexual vibe to the
viewers. When combined with Miley’s Blue eyes and
Blonde Hair, Laura Mulvey’s Male Gaze theory is
confirmed as these features are the typical favorite
features for a heterosexual man.

10. This Shot further supports Laura
Mulvey’s Male Gaze theory, as it links
with the idea music videos link with
scopophilia (The pleasure involved with
looking at another person as a sexual
object). By Miley being fully unclothed
apart from some shoes, males will look at
Miley in a sexual manner.

11. The ‘Doc Martins’ in this
shot counteract the ‘Male
Gaze’ theory, as they are
typically very manly
working boots.
The Sledge Hammer complements this
interpretation, because again a sledge
hammer, is a heavy tool used typically by
men. This gives Miley a sense of
empowerment and makes her appear a
stronger women, instead of a sexual object.

12. This shot heavily supports Laura Mulvey’s concept of the Male Gaze, as a key element to
the male Gaze in action is extended shots going over female body parts. In this case, we
can see Miley’s bum. The shot is clearly in the music video so that we can see Miley’s
bum, as it would excite a heterosexual viewer. The way Miley lays on her back is also
quite submissive, making her appear innocent to the viewer.

13. This is yet another shot that supports the Male Gaze theory as Miley is licking the
sledge hammer, which could be symbolized as male the genital. This is one of
the key shots that supports the theory as it is a shot a heterosexual male would
want to see as opposed to a woman.