Laura Mulvey's male gaze theory, created in the 1970's, during modern society where hegemonic traditional stereotypes were portrayed throughout, suggests that woman are subjective to a gaze from a males perspective.
- Her theory suggests the male point of view is adopted by the camera for the benefit of an assumed male audience. Women are portrayed as objects or in a nature for male desire.
- The practice of the camera 'lingering' on female's bodies is evidence to this - thus women are viewed as 'sexual objects' to gratify men.
- She argued that the central active characters are male in which the male audience identifies with them in their viewing of females as passive.
- Female audience are also positioned to identify with the male gaze and see through the 'male's eyes'.
However, this theory can be challenged:
- Not all central heroic characters in films are male. Mulvey denies the existence of the female gaze!
- There have been changes towards the representation of women which has resulted in challenged to stereotypical gender roles since Mulvey's theory was written.
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