Look vs Gaze

What is the difference between these two words?

Key theorists beliefs

Jonathan Schroeder (1998), “to gaze implies more than to look at – it signifies a psychological relationship of power, in which the gazer is superior to the object of the gaze.”

The Male GazeThe Male GazeLaura MulveyLaura Mulvey

““Visual Pleasure and Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema”Narrative Cinema”

So what is The Male

Gaze?The concept of gaze is one that deals with how an audience views the people presented. The concept has been divided into the following three dimensions:•How men look at women•How women look at themselves •How women look at other women

Forms of the gaze

The spectators gaze: this is whereby the director is viewing the text.The Intra-diegetic gaze: when the character gazes at an object or another character in the text. The Extra-diegetic gaze: where the fourth wall is broken (the character looks into the camera, looking right at the viewer.

Laura Mulvey:In 1975, Mulvey wrote a

very influential essay ‘Visual pleasure and Narrative Cinema’ which stating that women are used for visual pleasure- women are made to seem like sexual objects through voyeurism.

She argued that women took the passive part of a film and that all men played an active part, in her eye the women were objects

Features of the Male Features of the Male GazeGaze

The camera lingers on the curves of the female body, and events which occur to women are presented largely in the context of a man's reaction to these events.

Relegates women to the status of objects. The female viewer must experience the narrative secondarily, by identification with the male.

Watch

Quick questionsQuick questionsWhat colour shirt was Zayn wearing?

What flower did you notice?

What colour necklace did Gigi wear?

What colour necklace did she wear?

How many different females were there?

Use of the Male Gaze in Use of the Male Gaze in everyday lifeeveryday life

Some theorists also have noted the sexualizing of the female body even in situations where female sexiness has nothing to do with the product being advertised.

Can you think of any examples of this?

Goffman’s Feminine Touch (1976)• Goffman argues that females are

frequently posing while “using their fingers and hands to trace the outlines of an object, or to cradle it or to caress its surface.

• This light touch can also involve self-touching, where women are softly touching or caressing themselves; the tips of the fingers slightly gracing the face, neck, shoulder, and so on.

• It can be argued that the pose is frequently sexualized.

Criticism of Mulvey and Gaze Criticism of Mulvey and Gaze theorytheory

Some women enjoy being ‘looked’ at e.g. beauty pageants.

The gaze can also be directed toward members of the same gender for several reasons, not all of which are sexual, such as in comparison of body image or in clothing.

Are there any ‘flaws’ in these arguments?

Categorising facial Categorising facial expressionsexpressions

Women:• Chocolate box• Invitational• Super-smiler• Romantic or sexual

Marjorie Ferguson (1980)

MenMen::•CarefreeCarefree•PracticalPractical•SeductiveSeductive•Comic Comic •Catalogue Catalogue

Trevor Millum (1975)Trevor Millum (1975)

• Chocolate box• Invitational• Super-smiler• Romantic or sexual

MenMen::•CarefreeCarefree•PracticalPractical•SeductiveSeductive•Comic Comic •Catalogue Catalogue

In the portrayal of men and women, advertising often uses the following codes and conventions:

•Male Superiority, Domination & Body Language•Dismemberment of females •The Male Voice-Over Authority

Sexual objectification in AdvertisingGoffmans Theory (1972)

Hoe does the following ad show Goffman’s theory?

• Consider the mise-en-scene and camera work.

Your task – Research Due: Next Monday

• Research opposition to Laura Mulvey’s theory.• Remember her theory is from 1975 (41 years ago)

so there has been plenty of time for new theories to be created.

• Link any theories you find to media texts