Research: Laura Mulvey - Representation - Male Gaze Theory

Representation in any media product is based on preferred readings to the audience and how they presented either positive or negative. In music videos the main case of representation is how gender is being conveyed to the audience.

  Laura Mulvey came up with a theory based on representation of men and women in music videos. Below is a quote from Laura Mulvey herself about representation.

‘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’

  From this quote we learn that Mulvey is expressing the idea that in films especially music videos there are inequality between men and women. She further explains that women are seen as objects to be lusted upon and looked at as a source pleasure and this only happens through the identification of a male role and the female being passive and letting it happen. Furthermore, from this quote Mulvey suggest that women are put into certain clothing, specific minimal, so they can be subjected to the male fantasies and desires. 

  Mulvey also implies that there is clearly a gender bias (in favour of men) and has come up with the male gaze theory. The male gale theory, which is a psychology perspective, states that we - the audience - look at music videos through the eyes of man. We are conditioned to make judgements on passive females, whether we are male or female.

Finally, Mulvey also suggest that women are fragmentised or dismembered in media products. This is when desired and fixated body parts of a passive female are only being shown in shots. Usually, these body are parts are bums and chest etc. which are. Could this be part of the reason why so many women, especially young girls, feel insecure with their body because it isn’t considered to be a perfect, desired shape? Are these body parts are perfection!

 Genres that support Mulvey's theory in music videos tend be dominated mostly in R‘n’B, but also can be seen in urban and pop base music.

  Specific music videos that clearly show this are Kanye West – Gold Digger and Wiley – Heat Wave

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Studying various music videos there is a clear gender bias and makes us question the society we live in, by looking at the male gaze theory depth we can assume that the society we live on is patriarchy and that media products are set up for the a man instead.

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