Research: Laura Mulvey's Theory

"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. " --Laura Mulvey


Laura Mulvey refers to the male gaze. The objectification of women has turned into pleasure of looking (male) and being looked at (female). The male gaze projects what a man whats to see, his fantasy, onto the female, who strives to look like so. 


What are some of the issues involved in discussing "the gaze"?

• The objectification of women.
• The males are often seen as the dominants, and the women as the objects.
• The commonality of female nudity.
• Objectification transforms into some sort of pleasure for both the on-looker and the looked at.
• Changes women's perceptions of themselves and makes them think of themselves as objects.

Women are often dressed in as little clothing possible to, like Mulvey says, become what the male gaze fantasizes about. In certain music genres (e.g. RnB, Rap) women are dresses as so, and the video is formed by many close-ups of the females body. This is filmed through the camera, and as the position is called, cameraman, it is a man, usually. And so it is filmed through the eyes of the man.


Olly Murs- 'Heart Skips A Beat'

I think Olly Murs is an artist that challenges this. Although he is a male artist he does not objectify women in his songs, it is more as if he sings to/for them. He does have women in his videos, but all wear casual clothing, nothing of the types of clothing the women in RnB or Rap (or other genres of the sort) wear. In this particular song, he does not have females of a certain age, there are some females of all ages, from quite young to elder. 

Chipmunk- Take Off ft.Trey Songz

This is an example of the opposity of Olly Murs' video, and the exact same idea that Laura Mulvey had. In this video the females are objectified. From 0:14 to 0:34 there is a female standing in her swim suit near the artist while he is singing, he uses the lyrics '... Never thought I would see the day when you wasn't by my side...' , and she is literally shown by his side, up a few steps to the left of the artist. Throughout the video she is seen beside/near this artist.