Male gaze refers to the idea that we are put into the perspective of a heterosexual man, focusing on the curves of a woman for example, and giving you the view from their eyes. It is known that the curves etc are highlighted by specific conventions such as slow motion, specific camera angles and the way it is edited together. The theory suggests that the male gaze denies women their identities, and making them objects rather than a person, used for their own entertainment. The theory suggests that women cannot watch a film from a secondary perspective but rather from a males perspective of themselves. It is known that the women in films only exist in relation to the male, and has no real importance themselves.
Mulvey states that there are two main functions of women in films.
As an erotic image for other characters to view
As an erotic image for the audience viewing to see
The characters that tend to look and objectify the women are known as the 'active' roles, which is typically a male. The characters that are looked at, the women are known as 'passive' as they are under control from the males view and only exist for visual pleasure. Women are used to slow the narrative down and give the audience someone to look at. Whereas the males push the narrative forward to make things happen which makes them the active characters.
Laura Mulvey discussed the term 'socophillia'. Which refers to 'the love of watching'.
Movie making and movie watching have been analysed as socophillia practices. She also argued that we live in patriarchal societies. Meaning that men dictate and set the majority rules and construct ideal roles and dominance over women. People worry that a passive audience may be influenced by this representation of society and copy it, so that it would eventually become reality.
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