Mulvey's Theory

Laura Mulvey's theory is centered around 'The Male Gaze'. In her theory she describes how the audience or viewer is put into the perspective of a heterosexual male. Mulvey states that in videos, women are typically the objects rather than the possessors of the gaze because the control of the camera comes form factors such as the assumption that heterosexual males are the target audience for most music video genres. An example of the male gaze would be the camera focusing or lingering on the curves of a woman's body.

The make gaze typically focuses on:

• Emphasising curves of the female body
• Referring to women as objects rather than people
• The display of women and how men think they should be perceived
• The female viewers viewing the content through the eyes of men

Mulvey also argues that in mainstream cinema, the male gaze typically overrides the female gaze, reflecting an underlying power imbalance.

Take for example Dizzee Rascal's Music video for his song Holiday. 

 

The video starts with a woman walking down a beach wearing a skimpy green bikini. Shortly after we see Dizzee rascal dancing with champagne as he goes on to rap his first lyric 'Get your passport and your bikini'. The mere fact that this is the first line of the song already goes to show how object-like women are being seen in this video. The shot then switches the to the same girl from the beginning tilting up and down her thighs, bum and back almost like a pair of eyes eyeing her up. She rings the door bell and waits to be let in. As the door opens a guy is on the other side and the first and only thing he looks at is her body almost as if to suggest that he is only interested in one thing - Sex. As Dizzee raps the camera begins to pan and all you can see is a group of girls all in bikini's dancing around him. From this we can infer two things. Firstly, women who are being used as props for the video implying that women are only in existence to perform rather than compliment men. And secondly, that women may feel pressure to look and dress a certain way in order to please and feel accepted by men.

Another music video which supports Laura Mulvey's theory Superbass by Nicki Minaj.

The video starts with a close up of the artists face all dolled up and plastic looking. She has a pink/blonde wig, bright blue contacts and a full face of makeup (imperfection free) in which she seems to resemble a Barbie doll. This is a delusional way of thinking as no one is perfect yet due to
the male gaze along with the intense pressure from society women are always wanting to look a
 certain all with the hopes of attaining the media's take on perfection which in reality doesn't exist. A little further on the video, the artist is in a rather provocative outfit. Her chest is protruding out of her vest and shorter than short shorts are opened at the zip. It all seems to me that this is a cry for a attention from men with all the suggestive wear that she has on. Similar to Nicki Minaj, many women today are desperate to feel wanted and accepted by men even if it means wearing the bare minimum. Lyrics in the song such 'He just gotta give me that look, when he give me that look then the panties coming off' just goes to show what lengths they will go for attention from men.