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The Male Gaze

The document discusses the concept of the male gaze in cinema and its effects on women in society. It defines the male gaze as portraying women as objects to be looked at, focusing on their physical appearance. Examples are given of how this is shown in films. The effects discussed are women taking on passive roles as sex objects, and shaping views of what is desirable. The possibility of a female gaze is also mentioned, but that it is not about asserting dominance but telling women's stories from their perspective. In conclusion, being aware of the male gaze and its influence is important, as well as watching films directed by women.

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Marthe Bwirire
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386 views14 pages

The Male Gaze

The document discusses the concept of the male gaze in cinema and its effects on women in society. It defines the male gaze as portraying women as objects to be looked at, focusing on their physical appearance. Examples are given of how this is shown in films. The effects discussed are women taking on passive roles as sex objects, and shaping views of what is desirable. The possibility of a female gaze is also mentioned, but that it is not about asserting dominance but telling women's stories from their perspective. In conclusion, being aware of the male gaze and its influence is important, as well as watching films directed by women.

Uploaded by

Marthe Bwirire
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as KEY, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The Male Gaze in cinema

and how it affects women


in society

Marthe Bwirire
overview

- definition and origins

- examples

- effects of the male gaze

- female gaze?

- changing the gaze


What is the Male Gaze
- Theory by Laura Murvey, 1975
- Women as objects and focus on their physical
appearance
- First in film theory later sociology and media
studies
“In a world ordered
"Typ hier
by sexual
een citaat."
imbalance, pleasure
in looking has been split between active/male and
passive/female. The determining male gaze
projects its phantasy on to the female form which
–Johnny
- LauraAppleseed
Murvey
is styled accordingly”
Examples of the male gaze

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqWuCsHKZU0
Effects of the male gaze

- not just aesthetic decision —> also power


- passive roles, sex objects

- young girls —> desirable to get attention

- shapes our view (media, people, ourselves)


Is there also a female gaze?

- Stefani Foster

- representing women as subjects having agency

- emotions > sexualisation of a man

- man objectification still possible but less


“ The female"Typ
gazehier
isn’teen
about
citaat."
asserting female
dominance on-screen. And it doesn’t mean that
we therefore get to man-rectify men in reverse”
–Johnny
–Stefani
Appleseed
Foster
Changing the male gaze

- time for a new


perspective

- women need time and


opportunity to tell their
stories
In conclusion

- be aware

- how or that it effects us


as viewers

- watch alternative
movies (directed by
females)
Works cited

- Matt. “What Is The Male Gaze? Definition, Examples and Historical Importance •.” Filmmaking
Lifestyle, 7 Apr. 2022, filmlifestyle.com/what-is-the-male-gaze/

- Mulvey, L. (1975). Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema. Screen, 16(3), 6–18.
https://doi.org/10.1093/screen/16.3.6

- “Megan Fox Iconic Car Scene - Transformers: (2007) HD.” YouTube, uploaded by Sky Walk,
17 Mar. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqWuCsHKZU0.

-Forster, Stefani. “Yes, There’s Such a Thing as a ‘Female Gaze.’ But It’s Not What You Think.”
Medium, 14 July 2021,
medium.com/truly-social/yes-theres-such-a-thing-as-a-female-gaze-but-it-s-not-what-you-think-d27be6fc2fed .

- Euphoria, created by Sam Levinson, season 1, HBO productions, 2019.

- The wolf of Wall street. Directed by Martin Scorsese, director’s cut, Paramount Pictures, 2013.

- Dr. No. Directed by Terence Young, director’s cut, Eon Productions, 1962.
Thank you for listening, are there any questions?

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