Spectators gaze- the spectator who is viewing the text. this is often us, the audience of a certain text
Intra-diegetic gaze- where one person depicted in the text is looking at another person or object in the text, such as another character looking at another.
Extra-diegetic gaze- where the person depicted in the text looks at the spectator such as an aside or an acknowledgement of the ''fourth wall''
The Intra-Intra-diegetic gaze- where the person depicted in the text is watching themselves, e.g on a TV screen
Regarding the gender gaze theory, theorist Laura Mulvey's argues "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema" (written in 1973 and published in 1975) which expands on the conception of the passive role of women in cinema to argue that film provides visual pleasure through scopophilia, and identification with the on-screen male actor. She asserts: "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," and as a result contends that in film a woman is the "bearer of meaning, not maker of meaning." Mulvey argues that Freud's psychoanalytic theory is the key to understanding how film creates such a space for female sexual objectification and exploitation through the combination of the patriarchal order of society, and 'looking' in itself as a pleasurable act of voyeurism, as "the cinema satisfies a primordial wish for pleasurable looking."
Whilst Laura Mulvey's paper has a particular place in the feminist film theory, it is also important to note that her ideas regarding ways of watching the cinema (from the voyeuristic element to the feelings of identification) have been very important in terms of defining spectatorship from the psychoanalytical view point.
Mulvey identifies three "looks" or perspectives that occur in film which serve to sexually objectify women. The first is the perspective of the male character on screen and how he perceives the female character. The second is the perspective of the spectator as they see the female character on screen. The third "look" joins the first two looks together: it is the male audience member's perspective of the male character in the film. This third perspective allows the male audience to take the female character as his own personal sex object because he can relate himself, through looking, to the male character in the film.
Mulveys theory also links to voyeurism, the examples below show how the gaze and voyeurism are used in order to attract an audience.
In this Nat King Cole video the Male gaze is used, the video shows how Nat King Cole is using a waitress as his object of affection and she is portrayed as a slave as he is waiting for her to take his order. This shows that over time the male gaze has developed as today the gaze is portyayed in a more sexual light as the 50 Cent P.I.M.P video below shows but the idea behind a woman being shown in a sexual manner has remained the same over time.Voyeurism has been used here as Nat views himself on a televison screen playing the piano which shows he is watching himself in another way, also the Extra Diegetic gaze has been used as Nat also looks at the camera and acknowledges the audience.
The P.I.M.P video by 50 Cent greatly contrasts the Nat King Cole video as the Male Gaze is used to extreme lengths as women are portrayed in a lot more of a sexual manner, and are shown to appear as slaves to men. Due to their lack of clothing and provocative mannner this supports Mulveys theory that media is used to sexually objectify women. The video used the Intra-diegetic gaze as 50 is often shown singing to women or whilst looking at their bodies, although the Extra-Diegetic gaze is used in parts such as when him and Snoop are singing to the camera. Voyeurism is also used at the beginning of the song where 50 Cent plays his song on his ipod which may be a represenation of his wealth and that he fits into the contempary society which appeals to a wide audience.
The video to Rio by Duran Duran also uses the male gaze in order to appeal to an audience. The shots of the video focus on female body parts which supports Mulveys theory of appearance coded for strong visual and erotic impact. The video shows alternate views about how women are portrayed, they on one hand are portayed in a negative way as they are presented in minimal clothing and as objects but they could also be argued to be presented as strong figures as they have control over the men in the video. Voyeurism is not used in the video just the Spectators gaze and the Extra-diegetic gaze.
In Open Your Heart Madonna plays the Male gaze but also contradicts this. Madonna is shown in a strip club in provocative clothing with men watching her dance. This plays on Mulveys theory about women being seen as sexual objects but Madonna also contradicts this as she is controlling what the men see as it is a peep show theme and a shutter goes down on the mens windows, therefore showing she is teasing them.Voyeurism is partly used as we see the viewpoint of the men watching Madonna, showing us the spectators gaze although she does sing directly to the camera using the Extra Diegetic gaze.This represents Madonna as a strong female who can control men but also as a woman who enjoys the sexual attention of men.
Pencil Full of lead presents both the Male gaze but also enpowers women. Initially the women in teh video are presented as sexual objects due to them all being dressed the same and in revealing clothing, being grabbed by the male charcatre. This fulfills the male gaze but this is contradicted as halfway through the song it shows the women being enpowering and controlling the male character and laughing at him. Voyeurism is used in this video as it gives the impression of the video being filmed for a TV station, showing the actual filming is being done for another production which is an effective method.
The Lady GaGa video presents women in an enpowering light which is unsual for music videos as Gaga and Beyonce are presented as villains that are manipulating and seeking revenge on a male character. Although they are shown in revealing clothing the message of the video shows that they are strong and powerful women. Voyeurism is used as CCTV footage of gaga is used and also a TV of a news station of the two singers. This is a clever way of using voyeurism and is called the Intra-Intra-diegetic gaze. In this video women are represented in a less naive light and are shown in a strong light which is a huge contrast to videos such as P.I.M.P.
Theorist Andrew Goodwin believes women are objectified through camera and editing and it is through iconography and visuals that illustrate this.
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