MALE GAZE THEORY

Visual pleasure and narrative cinema was an essay written by Laura Mulvey. 'Male gaze' was coined from Mulvey's essay, in film the male gaze occurs when the audience is put into the perspective of a heterosexual man. A scene could focus on the curves of a woman's body, putting the viewer in the eyes of the male character. The reason it is the male gaze theory is because the curves are highlighted with specific conventions within film. The theory suggests that the male gaze denies women identity which then makes them an object to be admired for their physical appearance. Mulvey's theory also suggests that women more often than not are forced to watch a film from a secondary perspective and can only view themselves from a mans perspective. Female Objectification is related to the gaze. The person who is gazed at is then objectified, who's sole value is to be enjoyed. In Cine-psychoanaysis (Story, J 2001) it is said that the pleasure of pop cinema must be destroyed in order to liberate women from the exploitation and oppression of being the raw material for the male gaze. In the text Stars and Audiences (Dyer, R 1979) it is said that Mulvey concludes that the male gaze produces a sadistically voyeuristic pleasure, which is a sexual interest in pleasure from inflicting pain. In relation to Graphic Design I think the James Bond franchise is a clear example of film objectifying of women and forcing the audience to view females through the male gaze. 

Triangulate 3 texts –

The male gaze as discussed by Mulvey. L (1975) in 'Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema' explores the sexualisation of women in cinema which is derived from the psychoanalytical theory that men are leaders because they have a penis and the women's roll is to be looked at due to her lack of penis and is forced to be maternal. Furthermore Mulvey. L (1975) explains the use of psychoanalysis as a feminist weapon in order to gain control over the male gaze. The male gaze is explained further by Storey, J (2001) in 'Cultural Theory and Popular Culture' where its discussed in relation to the ego and how the male gaze is linked to the pleasure of seeing which results in the sexualisation of women in cinema and life as the cinema gives the audience the experience of watching as the darkness creates the impression of spying on someone.  Additionally the male gaze is discussed further by Dyer, R (1979) 'Stars' in which he expands on the theory in relation to men and how today the man is sexualised just as much as women.