The Male Gaze is a term introduced by Laura Mulvey who was a feminist and a film critic, in her essay “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” published in 1975. Male Gaze is a concept of visual arts and words being structured to please masculine viewers or creators in films. The theory of male gaze is said to be objectifying women and sexualising them for the males viewpoint. The theory suggest that the positioning and perspective of the camera is placed with the male viewer by doing this traditional gender roles are supported and the idea of women being objects for male desire is highly supported in films and through the male gaze.
I’ll explain the key elements of the Male Gaze:
Objectification– Objectification explains the idea of women being presented as objects and are not seen as individuals with subjectivity they are not respected as ‘humans’ in society. Rather, they are what men fantasias over.
Sexualisation– In majority of the films women characters and sexualised by having the main focus put on their physical appearance and features. Women don’t have the ability to share their educational thoughts as its not producers main focus or priority they would rather them look pretty than speak.
Passivity– Women are portrayed as passive objects for male pleasure and validation, producers focus on doing this as its important to them to have the consumption of a male viewer.
Power Dynamics– Power Dynamic is big in the male gaze theory as their is not equality in the power both genders have over each other rather its men having all the control and women obeying the words a man demands and one being their appearance to please their needs, women have no say over their bodies.
Now ill be presenting some common characteristics of how women should be presented for the male gaze.
Physical Appearance– Women are presented in a way that emphasises physical attractiveness in a stereotypical way. The stereotype of a pretty women is tall, skinny and blond these are the characteristics a women should fit under in order to be seen as pretty and please the male gaze. In most films women who are objectified are often categorised under this specific stereotype.
Clothing and Attire– Female characters are seen dressed in tight revealing clothing in order to highlight their sexuality and show their femineity by showing their body parts. Women characters are often seen in tight dresses that show their figure or crop tops and short skirts.
Body Language– Women characters have to convey a sense of seduction this is done through slow movement, tempting poses and expressions. This is all done to please male viewers.
The Male Gaze was something seen very often in the 1900s and first seen in 1972. However now its not seen often women have now taken the role and have gained control over men in films, women are now taking bigger roles in films and not just a pretty look for males viewers. The male gaze theory does not apply to all men some when are against this concept.
Reference
Thank you for your blog, which helped me understand more clearly what male gaze is. Your analysis was very thorough and the examples you provided were enlightening to me.