Representation is the way in which the media portrays particular groups, communities, experiences, ideas, or topics from a particular ideological or value perspective.
Laura Mulvey is a British feminist film theorist. She created a theory about male gaze.
Male gaze refers to the visual arts are structured around a masculine viewer. It describes the tendency in visual culture to depict the world and women from a masculine point of view and in terms of men’s attitudes. It sees the representation of woman in film and literature (society in general) as being dominated by a male point of view. Laura Mulvey believes that the world is a patriarchy and that men have the ‘active’ roles and women are ‘passive’. The view can be done in two ways:
- How do men look at images of women?
- How do women look at images of men?
Traditionally:
- men play active roles which drive the narrative
- women play passive roles and are seen as erotic objects which slow the narrative
- men outnumber women
- female roles are sidelined
- lead role for women was scarce.
Stereotypes of women:
- Bimbo (Blonde)
- Mother
- Sex object
- Easy
- House wife
- Intelligent yet willing to settle down
- Female’s physical attractions such as figure to overpower the male.
In 1970s ment to be the dominant characters and decision makers in film and production – produce simply for gratification of male.
The Male Gaze: Changes in society
As women’s roles change so does media representation. They are still objectified but also likely to be:
- carrier driven
- intelligent
- confident
- empowered
- able
Changes may be made cynically and in order to make money rather than change ideologies.
Laura Mulvey also talks about feminist theory.
- Voyeuristic – women as whore
- Fetishistic – women as unreachable madonnas
- Narcissistic – women watching film see themselves reflected on the screen
- Masculine subject with the woman on screen – object of desire
- Protagonist tended to be man
One example that conforms the theory original theory of The Male Gaze and another example that subverts the original theory of The Male Gaze and conform the theory of The Male Gaze in contemporary society.
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