Laura Mulvey- Feminist Theory
Opposition and representation of Gender:
Male representation, in film male characters are usually portrayed as:
Represented as strong, muscly/masculine
- Charismatic, A strong leader, The alpha male
-Sexually confident
-able to defend himself, good fighter, with immense strength
-Attractive/handsome
-Not too pretty, Handsome but rugged to make his appearance achieveable to the audience.
-If too perfect, the audience can't relate with them, Avoid Homoeroticism- The man can't be too pretty (effeminate)
Female Representation, in film female characters are usually connoted as:
-Weak/Vulnerable
-Shallow/ Indecisive
-A passive recipient (sexually passive)
-Watches and screams alot, she's an obsticle -fits perfectly into the princess role
-Hot, Beautiful, Stacked.
-Never old.
-Always an unachievable example of a woman
-Not intelligent.
Female Representation (strong), However if a female character is seen as 'strong' she is represented in this way:
-Muscles (butch, leading her to the stereotype of being a lesbian)
-Demanding and bossy
-If she's sexually confident then she's classed as promiscuous
-Uses sex for power
-Fighting is fettishized, becomes almost sexual - perhaps represnting elements of S&M.
-Portrtayed in a negative light, as gay.
-If she's intelligent then she uses it against men, she's manipulative.
In film, strong male attributes in women are represented negatively and are typically characteristics that are attributed to antagonists. Either this, or women are represented as weak/ vulnerable and fill the princess role.
Mulvey suggests that in film there is a idea of 'The Ideal Man' who is seen with:
-Chizzled Features
-Defined and enlarged muscles.
-Blokes with hipbone, Showing 6 packs and abs.
-Pecks are large and hard
-Usually white, if the protagonist.
-Not much hair
-hairless body, excentuating his muscles
-a sign that the guy is healthy, hard and physically capable.
-We see his body almost like armour, showing physical toughness.
-He's got a packet and he knows how to use it
-Stubble also appears at one point in the film, represting masculinity and maturity.
The male audience get someone to identify with, women get someone that they can't live up to.
Your Average Hollywood Chick: Mulvey suggests that females in film are usually seen like this:
-Large eyes
-Long eyelashes
-Pouty lips, signifying the possibility of oral sex- a sexual orafice
-Long shiny hair
-brunettes- more intelligent
-she works out
-you can see her belly
-super thin but toned
-hard bellys
-Belly Button oten noticable
-Super long, thin legs with a thigh gap, long legs signify a 'pathway to pleasure'
-tight jeans
-Big bum
-We don't see topless women anymore, as it means that a rating on a film has to go up and therefore the audience becomes smaller, and thefilm makes less money.
-Clothes hug her figure.
-Belly button signifies a vagina porthole.
-its a hole, representing the possibility of penetration.
Mulvey says that the camera deliberatley slices the female form up in shots in a way which objectifies the woman.
The females bodyparts are sexualised/ fettishized/objectification of females in film.
Reducing a woman and women in general to an an object and not representing them as equal.
In 'Laura Muley, visual pleasure in narrative cinema'
she says that the camera forms the 'male gaze' and it objectifies women from the perspective of the male.
Male Gaze
Laura Mulvey's male gaze theory looks at how the camera chops up a women into a series of body parts for male viewing pleasure.
Males in the cinema get to voyeuristically objectify and look at a woman in a way that is socially acceptable
-its dark
-its typical audience behaviour.
Opposition and representation of Gender:
Male representation, in film male characters are usually portrayed as:
Represented as strong, muscly/masculine
- Charismatic, A strong leader, The alpha male
-Sexually confident
-able to defend himself, good fighter, with immense strength
-Attractive/handsome
-Not too pretty, Handsome but rugged to make his appearance achieveable to the audience.
-If too perfect, the audience can't relate with them, Avoid Homoeroticism- The man can't be too pretty (effeminate)
Female Representation, in film female characters are usually connoted as:
-Weak/Vulnerable
-Shallow/ Indecisive
-A passive recipient (sexually passive)
-Watches and screams alot, she's an obsticle -fits perfectly into the princess role
-Hot, Beautiful, Stacked.
-Never old.
-Always an unachievable example of a woman
-Not intelligent.
Female Representation (strong), However if a female character is seen as 'strong' she is represented in this way:
-Muscles (butch, leading her to the stereotype of being a lesbian)
-Demanding and bossy
-If she's sexually confident then she's classed as promiscuous
-Uses sex for power
-Fighting is fettishized, becomes almost sexual - perhaps represnting elements of S&M.
-Portrtayed in a negative light, as gay.
-If she's intelligent then she uses it against men, she's manipulative.
In film, strong male attributes in women are represented negatively and are typically characteristics that are attributed to antagonists. Either this, or women are represented as weak/ vulnerable and fill the princess role.
Mulvey suggests that in film there is a idea of 'The Ideal Man' who is seen with:
-Chizzled Features
-Defined and enlarged muscles.
-Blokes with hipbone, Showing 6 packs and abs.
-Pecks are large and hard
-Usually white, if the protagonist.
-Not much hair
-hairless body, excentuating his muscles
-a sign that the guy is healthy, hard and physically capable.
-We see his body almost like armour, showing physical toughness.
-He's got a packet and he knows how to use it
-Stubble also appears at one point in the film, represting masculinity and maturity.
The male audience get someone to identify with, women get someone that they can't live up to.
Your Average Hollywood Chick: Mulvey suggests that females in film are usually seen like this:
-Large eyes
-Long eyelashes
-Pouty lips, signifying the possibility of oral sex- a sexual orafice
-Long shiny hair
-brunettes- more intelligent
-she works out
-you can see her belly
-super thin but toned
-hard bellys
-Belly Button oten noticable
-Super long, thin legs with a thigh gap, long legs signify a 'pathway to pleasure'
-tight jeans
-Big bum
-We don't see topless women anymore, as it means that a rating on a film has to go up and therefore the audience becomes smaller, and thefilm makes less money.
-Clothes hug her figure.
-Belly button signifies a vagina porthole.
-its a hole, representing the possibility of penetration.
Mulvey says that the camera deliberatley slices the female form up in shots in a way which objectifies the woman.
The females bodyparts are sexualised/ fettishized/objectification of females in film.
Reducing a woman and women in general to an an object and not representing them as equal.
In 'Laura Muley, visual pleasure in narrative cinema'
she says that the camera forms the 'male gaze' and it objectifies women from the perspective of the male.
Male Gaze
Laura Mulvey's male gaze theory looks at how the camera chops up a women into a series of body parts for male viewing pleasure.
Males in the cinema get to voyeuristically objectify and look at a woman in a way that is socially acceptable
-its dark
-its typical audience behaviour.