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This week's lecture has been my favourite so far as we looked at the differing treatments of both men and women in the media. Then after going over the basic ideas, we looked and analysed forms of media that display the patriarchal ideals, such as style magazines, and children's books. I specifically found the analysis section of the lecture very interesting as you would never realise how many blatant gender ideals and roles there are still projected into modern media, despite the progress we have made as a society. Also, the extent to which these ideas are still normalised. Blog Task.Essay Annotation: Essay Review: Within Mulvey's essay, she explores the idea of 'The Male Gaze', and the ways in which, at the time, the theory was portrayed in cinema. However, I would argue that this theory and idea very much still stands within the modern day. Mulvey begins by discussing the theories of Freud, regarding the idea that women are envious of men due to their lack of penis (which is explored within his idea of the Oedipus Complex). They are instead a 'barer of the bloody wound' - vagina - and therefore must be 'punished' as they are viewed as a threat the male viewers. It is then later said that it is because of this fear in males, that the objectification of the vagina, and more generally, women, occurs. When I began this essay, I was rather confused by this concept, however, by the end it made complete sense. Women are treated almost as foreign objects by the media - they are seen more as statues than people - which may be due to the fact that most professions today, are still male-dominated. Therefore, the male ideals are projected and portrayed as the 'mainstream'. The essay explores the idea of females in cinema 'freezing' the action and plot progression, and are essentially disposable to the overall story. They are presented simply as a catalyst of male action, 'inspiring' the male protagonist to drive the plot forward. Many modern examples come to mind when referencing this idea, such as, James Bond and Indiana Jones. The women featured in those films are accessories to the lead, and plot, rather than a key component. Mulvey further examines this idea by discussing how cinema has utilised this freeze in plot, to act as a pause, and moment of sexual tension. This may come in the form of a fragmented shot of a woman's legs, or chest, immediately objectifying her to the characters and audience. The Transformer movie featuring Megan Fox was the first thing I thought of when reading this, specifically the shot in which the camera pans up her body, to finally reach her face when she is doing mechanical work on a car. Megan Fox herself has spoken out against this, among other scenes in the franchise. After Fox was removed from the series, Shia LaBeouf stated, “Megan developed this Spice Girl strength, this woman-empowerment [stuff] that made her feel awkward about her involvement with Michael, who some people think is a very lascivious filmmaker, the way he films women.”. Despite these blatant examples of poor treatment and dehumanisation of females in the media, I believe in the modern day there are clear examples in which ' The Male Gaze' is totally subverted, most commonly when a female director takes charge. The most prominent example that comes to mind is 'Birds of Prey', directed by Cathy Yan. When directly comparing the movie to its predecessor, 'The Suicide Squad', (directed by James Gunn and David Ayer), it is evident that the character of Harley Quinn is treated entirely differently. 'The Suicide Squad' presents her as an accessory to The Joker, as she literally wears a t-shirt stating that she's 'daddy's lil monster'. This alone, not only portrays her as property of the Joker, but also immediately sexualises her to the audience, which is enhanced by the trailing shots of her body. However, within 'Birds of Prey' Harley is instantly introduced as her own person, as she is totally separated from the Joker literally and metaphorically. She is seen wearing fun costumes, featuring flat combat boots, and overly garish sequined jackets - nothing of which is 'idealised' to men. She is treated as a human within 'Birds of Prey' rather than a sex object. Overall, I found this essay extremely engaging and informative, as well as enlightening in terms of the media are presented in the modern day. I will definitely perceive movies in a much different light now, as I feel that the essay has provided me with vital information and tools to analyse and acknowledge the underlying biases. Relevant Videos.Here are a few of my favourite videos exploring the male gaze:
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