Representaion - Feminist Theory and Stereotype Theory

The Male Gaze

The objectification of womens bodies in the media has been a constant theme.

Laura Mulvey (1975) - argues that the dominant point of view is masculine. The female body is displayed for the male gaze in order to provide erotic pleasure for the male gaze (voyeurism).

Women are objectified by the camera lens and whatever gender the spectator/audience is positioned to accept the masculine point of view.

Examples of Male Gaze:

• Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball (2013)

• Katy Perry - California Gurls (2010)

• "Where Have You Been" - Rihanna 

Examples of Female Gaze:

• Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe (2012)

• "Moves Like Jagger" - Maroon 5 (2011)

John Berger 'Ways of Seeing'(1972)
"Men act and women appear"
"Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at"
"Women are aware of being seen by a male spectator"

Stereotypes

• O'Sullivan et al (1998) details that a stereotype is a label that involves a process of categorisation and evaluation.
• We can call stereotypes shorthand to narratives because such simplistic representations define our understanding of media text e.g we know who is good and who is evil.