Study Task 02: Male Gaze theory

Mulvey. L (1975) Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema:
Structure:
– intro in psychoanalysis as a feminist weapon
– radical scopophilia emerging from classic hollywood cinema

Paragraph 1:
– how people react to human body in film
– women inferior as they don't have a penis
– men are dominant because they have a penis and therefor are leaders, we've created a society where men are leaders because women don't have a penis, there role is to be maternal.
– on board with psychoanalysis, using it as a means to understand oppression
– gives women power through castration threat

Paragraph 2:
– Hollywood is dominated by male dominance despite resent development which allow women to lead, this will never be a constant
– alternative cinema make it possible to break away from male dominance
– cinema today has improved through the use of powerful female figures
– the ability to be seen is more accessible through the development of social media
– the male gaze is still relevant today

Paragraph 3:
– discusses scopophilia's place within cinema, through the pleasure of seeing
– main focus on cinema, darkeness of cinema gives impression your spying on someone
– pleasure of seeing develops at young age, extremes can develop to pepping toms and pedophilia
– discusses the link between the pleasure of seeing and the ego, how this develops
– scopophilia is the joy of watching, voyerism in a perverse sense
– in relation to psychoanalysis, not aware of it in reality but it is there

Paragraph 4:
– narcissistic pleasure, view yourself as the male protagonist and gain pleasure from that
– recognition of human form and film
– how the ego develops and narcissistic pleasure
–  identification with the dominant male character which dictates the story line
– we're all obessed with the ideal version of ourselves

Paragraph 5:
– male role as spectator and female roll on screen, discusses the flatness of representation of women on screen to appear object like, women as object/persessions
– male seen in more 3-d from
– women displayed in two forms, erotic form within the narrative and as an object seen by the spectator
– role of men within cinema of the protagonists, controls the film fantasy, drives the story forward
– male spectator, feels they can relate to male protagonist character by objectifying female
– man can't handle sexual objectification

Paragraph 6:
– castration, intimidates men through the female body (lack of penis), boost men ego by controlling the female role within cinema to dissolve the threat of castration
– women object of affection but also presents a threat

Storey, J(2001) Cultural Theory and Popular Culture:
Cine-psychoanalysis:
– analysis of Laura Mulvey's text , secondary text
– aimed at students, explains/explores the original text, interpretation
– recognise difference in texts, always look at primary texts
– use text book to aid understanding after reading primary text

Dyer, R (1979) Stars:
– argument against Mulvey
– presenting a counter argument to counter but not contrast, theoretically filling the gaps
– uses conflation, to present his argument, including own text
– are continuing examples where looks are directed at the male body
– the male disavows this look, male rejects idea of his own erotic potential
– incorporates Mulvey's idea but develops them further with the psychoanalytical theory

In terms of Graphic Design:
– male gaze used when investigating adverting and social media
– relate theories to visual circumstances
– developing theories further based on argument