Laura Mulvey
"The defining male gaze projects its fantasy on to the female figure who is styled accordingly. In their traditional exhibitionist role women are simultaneously looked at and displayed, with their appearance coded for strong visual and erotic impact so that they can be said to connote to-be-looked-at-ness. "
Laura Mulvey is a British Feminist and this quote sums up her theory famously entitled The Male Gaze- which looks at how women in the public eye are only used for "erotic" purposes to stimulate a male dominated society. This argument is particularity prominent in the entrainment industry where females in music and film are almost always used as sexual props in order to sell material. Here are some music video's which I feel support and defy her theory.
Pop artist Miley Cyrus was once a Disney darling having much success with her hit TV Show Hannah Montana, launching her to global stardom. But Miley was only favourited amongst young girls in the 12-15 demographic- (also known as 'tweens') the audience of her show. Now 20 she's looking to switch genres from Bubblegum-Pop and wants to draw in an older audience- from both sexes. Here is her latest music video- We Can't Stop.
It is fair to say that whilst the fun spirited track about youth, partying and living life can be enjoyed by both male and female, the music video was definitely directed towards The Male Gaze.
Whilst Miley probably would have had to find a way to gain a male following for her more adult themed music- It's evident in the images above that without having to overly sexualise herself it wouldn't have been possible. And with 203,591,229 YouTube hits it seems to have worked. Miley now has a strong male following and is seen as a sex symbol around the world. Lyrics aside unfortunately all this video displays is another young, 20-something woman half naked, making sexual innuendo's, inappropriate references to alcohol and illegal drugs, staying up late and aggressively 'booty' shaking. Unfortunately videos like this are far from uncommon and couldn't be making Laura's theory anymore clear or just.
On the other hand British artist Adele is someone who challenges this theory. Now a 10 time Grammy winner Adele is famously known for saying "...Music is for the ears not the eyes." breaking the boundaries of female representation in music videos. Here is the video for her Grammy award winning single - Rolling In The Deep.
With 432,084,342 YouTube hits (Over 200 million more than Cyrus) it is clear that whilst looking elegant, fully clothed, and sitting down the whole duration of a video, a woman in her early twenty's can also be eligible of The Male Gaze. Adele is not only listened to by both sexes but also people of all ages, captivating audiences with nothing but her voice. Having said this, this doesn't put Laura Mulvey's theory to rest, it is still very relevant in today's society but re-assuring that with modernisation and more adapted mindsets artists like Adele can be can be just as, if not more successful than those who are a product of the 'gaze'.
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