LAURA MULVEY – MALE GAZE Visual Pleasures & Narrave … · LAURA MULVEY – MALE GAZE Visual...

LAURAMULVEY–MALEGAZEVisualPleasures&Narra7veCinema1973

•  Womenincinemareflectbackthegazeofamaleviewer.•  Societyispatriarchal.(dominatedbymen)•  MaleGazereflectsthesepatriarchalvalues.•  Malegazeisvoyeuris7c(=mo;vatedbysexualdesire)Appliestorepresenta;onsofwomeninthemedia.Canalsoapplytomediarepresenta;onsofmenbutpatriarchymeansthepowerbalanceworksinmen’sfavour.

JohnBerger1972WaysofSeeingInart(….)menact,womenappearawomanmustcon;nuallywatchherself.Sheisalmostcon;nuallyaccompaniedbyherownimageofherself.

Menlookatwomen.Womenwatchthemselvesbeinglookedat.

JohnBergerWaysofSeeing1972

“Awomanmustcon;nuallywatchherself.Sheisalmostcon;nuallyaccompaniedbyherownimageofherself.Whilstsheiswalkingacrossaroomorwhilstsheisweepingatthedeathofherfather,shecanscarcelyavoidenvisagingherselfwalkingorweeping.Fromearliestchildhoodshehasbeentaughtandpersuadedtosurveyherselfcon;nually.Andsoshecomestoconsiderthesurveyorandthesurveyedwithinherasthetwocons;tuentyetalwaysdis;nctelementsofheriden;tyasawoman.Shehastosurveyeverythingsheisandeverythingshedoesbecausehowsheappearstomen,isofcrucialimportanceforwhatisnormallythoughtofasthesuccessofherlife.Herownsenseofbeinginherselfissupplantedbyasenseofbeingappreciatedasherselfbyanother....Onemightsimplifythisbysaying:menactandwomenappear.Menlookatwomen.Womenwatchthemselvesbeinglookedat.Thisdeterminesnotonlymostrela;onsbetweenmenandwomenbutalsotherela;onofwomentothemselves.Thesurveyorofwomaninherselfismale:thesurveyedfemale.Thussheturnsherselfintoanobject--andmostpar;cularlyanobjectofvision:asight.”

JudithButlerGenderTrouble1992

•  3rdWavefeminism•  Genderisaresultofcondi;oning(learnedbehaviourbasedonpressuretoconformtosociety’sexpecta;ons)

•  genderistheresultofakindofperformance–asetofroles,behavioursandiden;;eswornlikeclothestocreateanimpression

•  thebasisof‘QueerTheory’

JudithButler(2)

Genderisaperformanceorratheritisperforma;ve(notabouttakingonarole=performance)butcrea;nganimpressionandaniden;tyGenderisculturallyimposedandsociallyconstructed.Genderinvolvesritualandrou;ne.Rejectsbinaryoppositesofgay/straight;male/female.Genderisfluidandlinkedtoideasofmul;pleiden;;es.ThisisaPostmodernview,basedontheblurringofboundariesbetweentradi;onal(binary)opposites

LiesbetVanZoonenInfluencedbyJudithButler(GenderTrouble)Inpatriarchalcultures,thewaywomenareobjec;fiedisdifferentfromthewaymenareobjec;fied.Genderisaboutperformingroles,condi;oningandconformingtoexpecta;ons.Ourideasaboutmasculinityandfemininityareformedbyculturalandsocialexpecta;ons.Gendernormschangeover;meanddependoncultural,historicalandsocialcontext.TheInternethasallowedfluidandvariedversionsofgenderiden;;estoflourish.

Discussrepresenta;onsofgenderonafrontcoverintermsofBerger,Mulvey,ButlerandVanZoonen

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