Mulvey's Theory - Notion Of Looking

"There is frequently reference to notion of looking and particularly

voyeuristic treatment of the female body"

1) The gaze of the camera: the camera that looks at the female body

2) The gaze of the male actor: shots of males looking at women and then the shot of the     female body being looked at.

3) The gaze of the audience: what the audience looks at.

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Mulvey's theory is that "videos is produced from the males perspective, and that we as an audience are trained to see ourselves and the world through this "male gaze".
 

A good example of Mulvey's theory of male gaze is in the music video by 50 Cent's Candy Shop. From the start of the video the male gaze is used when you see all the women walking around he house. The camera tracking up the women who is wearing provocative clothing creates the male gaze to look at her. The close up of the women used throughout the video make them seem sexually available. This theme of video seems to run through most hip hop videos.

 

In this video the male look is still used and what the women is wearing throughout the video is still provocative. However, Goodwin's theory of the relationship between the visuals and the lyrics is shown in this video. The line "better go back to mother she'll take care of you" is represented throughout this video, the character in this video is messed up by drinking, doing drugs and starting fights you can tell she needs help. But the male gaze is still strong through out with how she looks.

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However, Mulvey's theory has a flaw she thought that all audiences were passive and couldn't step outside the male gaze. She didn't take into account that the modes of representation are not fixed but shift and evolve over time



Madonna's song Open Your Heart throughout the video uses male gaze but the difference is she purposely uses it in her video. With what she's wearing makes her seem like an sexual object and that she wants to be seen that way. She takes the male gaze to a different level when she actually decided to use it. The way she dances as well creates the male gaze in her video and al the camera zooms in on her and also uses the tracking to follow her hands up her body.




Lady Gaga's video Alejandro contradicts both Mulvey's and Goodwin's theory's in this video. In this video it was the men who were objectified not the women this time and it was aimed more for males who were gay. The camera did behave like a male gaze but towards the men instead. You can clearly tell who this video is aimed at with what the males in this video were wearing throughout this video. You can say however that the male gaze is on Lady Gaga in some parts with how she is dressed but also how she is acting as well.