Tuesday, 24 September 2013

Mulvey likes to talk about gender.

Laura Mulvey's theory consists greatly of the way in which women are sexualised in the media in general, we can apply her theories to music videos just as effectively. 

Her quote: "In a world ordered by sexual imbalance, pleasure in looking has been split between active /male and passive/female. The determining male gaze projects its fantasy onto the female figure which is styled accordingly" 

In summary she's explaining how women are dressed and portrayed in order to please the male gender, and are there for their own pleasure. Based on this theory, I think women are shown mainly undressed, with parts of their body (e.g. boobs and bum) highlighted or zoomed in on, and them strutting around with men looking at them suggestively and judging them. 

An example of where the video is steering towards men's viewing pleasure is Lady Marmalade. The costumes in this are extremely suggestive and wouldn't be worn normally.


These highlight the facts that the women aren't shown for their face or talent, but for their body parts, which shows what Mulvey is talking about when saying women are there for male viewing. 



There are times where people try to challenge this theory, such as Paramore and their video Ignorance.
Her outfits are very covering and aren't tight fitted, also most of the video is dark and you cant see her much anyway, apart from her hair and her face, the video also focuses on her male band mates who don't ever look at her, she always looks at them. This reverses the roles and makes the men's presence for her gaze instead.

No comments:

Post a Comment