RESEARCH: MULVEY'S MALE GAZE

RESEARCH: MULVEY’S THEORY

Who is Laura Mulvey? What is her theory?

Laura Mulvey is a British film theorist and a feminist. She came up with the theory of ‘Male Gaze’. The ‘Male Gaze’ refers to the way everything in media is presented from a heterosexual male point of view. It explains that women are objectified and eroticized through camera to excite the male audience. This includes lingering around female assets, including breasts or hips etc. and utilizing close ups or slow motions of female’s bodies.

Mulvey’s general theory considers:

• ·         How men look at women- meaning the way heterosexual males feel towards the opposite sex and how they perceive women in general.
• ·         How women look at themselves- meaning the way in which a woman perceives herself and how she decides to present herself. It also includes her perspective towards her own body etc. and feelings towards her self-image.
• ·         How women look at other women- this includes homosexual women and how they perceive other females. It also includes how women perceive other women in a non-sexual/romantic way. For example, how they feel towards their body or how they reactor to their lifestyle etc.

Mulvey’s theory is applicable to modern music videos. Many contemporary artists portray females in an erotic way and objectify them in order to gain male audiences but also look dominant and supreme. Genres like Rap, R&B, Pop or Hip-Hop are known for utilizing ‘Male Gaze’. Therefore, females who take part in such music videos are considered passive and submissive in contrast to males who are active and supreme.

Music Video Examples.

50 Cent- Candy Shop

‘Male Gaze’ is evident in this video throughout the viewing. First off the male artist enters a house full of women who seem to be there for his pleasure and amusement.  Everywhere he looks there are women who seductively look at him, which is displayed through close ups of their provocative faces. He is welcomed with the sentence: “Welcome to the Candy Shop” clearly showing that females are just ‘sweet’ and temporary amusement. This shows ‘Male Gaze’ as there are more females who are there to ‘serve’ and please the ‘alpha male’ but also women are compared to candy, thus portraying them as sweet object rather than human beings. Further on, the females wear sparse clothing in contrast to the male artist who has a thick coat or vest and jeans covering his body. This clearly sexualizes females and shows they are subordinates even though there is more of them.

Rihanna- Pour It Up

‘Male Gaze’ is evident throughout this video. The main artist is trying to appeal to the heterosexual male audience through minimal clothing and provocative acts. Rihanna sits on the chair in an explicit manner, which can excite male audiences. She also wears tight clothing and reveals her body to please the viewer. There is a repetitive use of slow motion, combined with close ups of female assets, to exaggerate and sexualize the women in the music video. The females also pole dance, which is associated with erotic behaviors and club atmosphere, which can further please heterosexual males. Most of the females wear leather, which is associated with fetishism and ‘kinky’ behavior. The female characters often look at the camera, especially the lead singer, to engage the viewer and give them a sense of control, which can also excite the audience. Lastly, there are various cross dissolves of female bodies to sexualize their movement and blur their appealing bodies which can have a pleasing effect on the viewer.

Pitbull- Hotel Room Service

The ‘Male Gaze’ can be also applied in this music video by Pitbull. From the beginning the video opens with a close up of a female bum, to show the explicitly of this video and straight away excite the viewer and engage them with the content. As the lead singer enters the hotel, he is surrounded by females who seek his attention, thus shown through eroticized body language, such as the come-hitcher motion and sexual facial expressions. The women are dressed in tight clothing and expose their cleavage, in contrast to Pitbull who is wearing a sophisticated suit to dominate the subordinate gender, clearly giving the heterosexual male viewers the control. Pitbull is ‘entertained’ by two women in the lift and is generally surrounded by women wherever he goes, clearly showing that women are supposed to please men. As he enters the room there are females in the shower. They make a direct eye contact with the camera to excite the viewer and connect with the heterosexual males. In addition there are shots of two women who engage in a sexual activity. It is common that homosexual women are sexualized by heterosexual males, which is an example of ‘Male Gaze’.

Criticism of Mulvey’s Theory

• ·         Theory predominantly focuses on heterosexual males- Mulvey doesn’t consider much the different types of sexuality and attractions. She forgets to mention women who like other women or discuss different gender identities. She suggests that only heterosexual males are interested in females.
• ·         Males can be gazed at- Mulvey doesn’t consider the fact that men can also be gazed at by either females or others. She ignores the fact that male bodies might attract different people and some music videos objectify men too, even though it is less common.
• ·         People have different preferences- Some people enjoy being gazed at and find it flattering which is something Mulvey ignores in her theory. Many people feel attractive when stared at and feel a boost of their confidence.
• ·         All women are different- The ‘Male Gaze’ suggest that every female is promiscuous and her aims are to please men, which is not true and in fact many women subvert this representation in real life.

Overall I think that Mulvey’s theory is credible and applicable in modern music videos. It presents an accurate representation of women and their role in music videos. This is valid especially in certain genres, including rap, pop, hip-hop etc. where females are used to empower men. She pin points the issue of women objectification and sexualisation, which makes it harder for them to breakthrough as respected artist and show their talent. Mulvey shows that females are used as attractions and additions to male music videos where they play an insignificant part or are there for male pleasure.

Conclusion

To conclude, it is apparent that Mulvey is one of the key theorist when it comes to the music industry and music videos. She addresses the issues of gender equality and objectification, which is apparent in today’s society, not only within the industry. From the analysis it is apparent that some genres utilize ‘Male Gaze’ more than others. Rap is known for male empowerment and placing female characters as the subordinates, similarly to R&B or hip-hop, which are male dominated genres.  I am unlikely to use ‘Male Gaze’ in my music video because the indie genre doesn’t associate with female objectification or men empowerment. They rather promote equality or create surreal music videos that doesn’t necessary require erotic content. This is also due to the appeal of indie music. Most viewers are mature and look for good sound rather than arousal which is why indie is such a fascinating genre.