Sunday, 16 June 2013

Research - Laura Mulvey

Laura Mulvey is a British feminist film theorist. She was educated at St Hilda's College, Oxford. She is currently professor of film and media studies at Birkbeck, University of London.

Laura Mulvey coined the term 'The Male Gaze' in 1975. The theory suggests that the audience are forced to view the text from the perspective a heterosexual male as the films constantly focus on womens' bodies and because for some reason everyone thinks that's all any heterosexual male can ever think about.
The camera sexualises women by lingering on their breasts, curves and booties much like hetero men do all the time supposedly. To an extent I agree with Mulvey's theory as it is what is done in the media the male gaze is used an awful lot to sexualise and objectify women. However I find it generalises far too much about men saying the camera focusses on womens' curves and bodies because that is what all men do. I will admit that a lot of hetero men do do this but I think it is quite harsh and a little bit offensive to state outright that this is all that we think about.

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