Macenzie Collins
Theories
Laura Mulvey - The male Gaze
Basic Outline
-Women are only in film to be looked at, which is denoted through the use of camera work (angles and shots).
-The audience and consumer view the characters from a males perspective.
-The theory suggests that the male gaze denies women human identity relegating them to the status of objects to be admired for their physical appearance.
-The male gaze leads to hegemonic ideologies ( Ruling or dominant in a political or social context)
-Mulvey argued we live in a patriarchal society - med dictate the rules.
Here is an example of the male gaze in a modern representation.
With in this still image taken from the music video 'Womaniser - Britney Spears' you can see how she is denoted as the main subject for the audience to see but also the other characters in the image with them predominately being male. The mis en scene of this plays a big part in this image with it conforming to the male gaze theory. Mainly focusing on the make up and costume, the main subject is wearing a tight leather skirt as well as a low cut top which conforms to the idea of females showing of the assets that men stereotypically want to see. As well as this, the male characters seen in this image are all looking directly towards her denoting her being an object to be looked at because of her appearance.
Here is another example taken from the music video 'Trumpets - Jason Derulo"
This still image taken from the music video 'Trumpets' denotes how the female in the still shot it there to be looked at and shown of through the use of minimal clothing as well as the eye contact between the two. The composition of this shot, with the women being further forward compared to the man who is lead back denotes that the female is meant to be the main subject in this shot.
Sigmund Frud - Scopophillia
Freud describes the theory of pleasure in looking. He associates scopophillia with taking other people as objects, and subjecting them to a controlling gaze.
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The functions of a women according to the scophillia theory is that they are both an erotic object for the characters within the story they are in and also the erotic object for the voyeurs of the media product. The voyeur is guided to identify with the main male protagonist by seeing the story through the male perspective. As Freud quotes ' The power of the male protagonist as he controls events coincides with the active power of the erotic look'.
FETISHISTIC SOPOPHILIA
Fetishistic Scopophilia describes the women as being a threat to a man. There are two main fears of femininity for males :
1. The female being more powerful, not being able to demystify her mystery
2. Deny castration by turning the woman into a reassuring fetish. The image of a woman is overvalued.
The beauty myth
The beauty myth by Naomi Wolf is a theory that is based upon the idea that beauty has been constructed through society as what people deem as the most attractive. This process is continually changing and developing through time which is easily denoted through the change of appearances for women. For example, women in the 1950's look completely different regarding style and appearance as the idea of beauty has changed because of the movement in society. As a result of this women are put under pressure to look a certain way because of the way women are portrayed through out the media. This creates an unhealthy mind set towards your appearance because of the way the world around you has built the idea of beauty of being one ideal thing. However, this unrealistic approach is carried on through out the media which makes it difficult for women to move against the idea of 'beauty' and what is deemed 'normal'
Theodor Ardorno - Theory of pop culture
The theory of pop culture revolves around the idea of the split between pop culture and the art culture. He argued that capitalism feeds the consumers with products from the cultured industry to keep them satisfied. He thinks that the popular culture is the reason for societies passiveness and lack of interest in the capital system. He argues that the culture industries churn out mass loads of 'unsophisticated, sentimental products' that have replaced the more critical art forms
Anthony Giddens - Modernity and self identity
This theory surrounds the idea of modern societies - by which we mean not 'societies today' but 'societies where modernity is well developed' - self-identity becomes an inescapable issue. Giddens (1991:70) -
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'What to do? How to act? Who to be? These are facal questions for everyone living in circumstances of late modernity - and ones which, on some level or another, all of us answer, either discursively or through day-to-day social behaviour'
Earlier societies would provide individuals with a lot more social structure, clearly defining specific roles based on the societal norms and values at that time. However, in post traditional societies we as individuals have to work out our own role giving us more freedom however resulting in less social structure. Giddens sees a connection between the micro of society, these being individuals and the macro of society, this being big cooperation's or businesses. By this, he means each one effects the other, working in a cycle to develop the society we are in today.
Semiotics
Semiotics is the theory based upon the relationship between a sign, symbol and meaning. It is the theory of signs from the Greek Semiotikos which means an 'interpreter of signs'
>Icons - The signifier (denotation) is perceived as resembling or imitating the signified (connotation)
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-> Index - An index had a factual or casual connection that points towards it's object. E.g. Wet streets are a sign that it's rained or seeing smoke signifies there is/was a faire.
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-> Symbol - A symbol has an arbitrary relationship between the signifier and the signifies. The interpreter understands the symbol through previous knowledge and experience - it must be learned and agreed upon. Spoken or written words are symbols. There is no reason that the word 'cat' should represent the animal instead of a tree.
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-> Metasymbol - A symbol whose meaning transcends the tangible realm of simple one-to-one relationships. History, culture and tradition all play a role in creating metasymbols, such as the dove with an alive branch as a symbol for peace. For certain audiences, religious and magical signs and symbol take these properties.
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-> Gene Trope or Codes - A common pattern, theme or motif within the genre.
Queer Theory - Judith butler
Judith Butler theory is based around the concept that someone's or something's identities are not forever and therefore do not define an entire person. The theory is often mistakenly took for another name for lesbian or gay however instead it focuses on allowing individuals to choose their own identities and to create their own concepts not to conform to societies expectations.
Queer theory involves anyone who doesn't conform to the expectations of society in terms of race, sexuality, religion or disability etc.. Rather than being a fixed attribute in a person, gender should be seen as a 'fluid variable' which shifts and changes in different contexts and at different times. Butler points out that the fact someone can say they feel more or less 'like a man' or 'like a woman' shows that 'the experience of a gendered cultural identity is considered an achievement'. Exploring and challenging the way in which heterosexuality is constructed as normal and they way in which the media has limited representations of get men and women suggests sexual identity is more fluid than fixed.
Example...
Within the media, Johnny Depp's character 'Captain Jack Sparrow ' from Pirates of the Caribbean could be seen as fitting the queer theory. He portrays an ironic and over the top 'camp' character who dresses with overly elaborate costume with the addition of heavy eye makeup, whilst using quite 'feminine' gestures. Therefore his character is not what we consider the 'conventional male' within a modern society however evidently he is not female yet portrays minor characteristics swaying therefor into the 'queer' space.
Critics of the theory
- Many theorists question Butler’s theory about the subject and the issues that gender is a performance within existing constraints. One theorist is Seyla Benhabib:
“We are asked to believe that there is no ‘self’ behind that mask 9of gender/ gender identity). Given how fragile and tenuous women’s sense of selfhood is in many cases, how much of a hit and miss affair their struggles for autonomy are, this reduction of female agency to “a doing without the doer” at best appears to me to be making a virtue out of a necessity”.
Benhabib suggests that Butler is not acknowledging the struggle of women within society, and that many women’s sense of identity is too fragile to be able to take control and ‘do’ the gender for themselves.
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- Critics argue with the notion of identity as fluid since most people would assert that their sexual identity isn’t fluid even if other parts of their identity are.
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- Some critics argue that since queer theory focuses on media analysis instead of real life it cheats because it is easier to find ambiguities in texts.
Todorovs Theory
A state of equilibrium
(everything is normal and how it should be)
A disruption - an event that disrupts normalisation
Recognition - an understanding that the disorder has occurred
Repair - There is an attempt to repair the damage from the disruption (this can be emotion or physical)
New equilibrium - A return or restoration of a new equilibrium
Propp's Theory
Propp's theory is based around the idea that there are nine main character types that are used with TV but predominantly film. Vladimir suggests that there is struggle between the hero and the villain which then incorporates the other character in away to resolve the situation however, they can also be used to create an even worse circumstance depending on the narrative used and if goes against Todorov's theory of a narrative ending with a new equilibrium.
Hero
A character the seeks something or someone who actively helps or saves another
Villian
A character the opposes or blocks the hero's request. Resulting in the 'struggle'
Donor
A character in which they provide an object or piece of information to help
Dispatcher
They send the hero on his or her quest via a message
False Hero
This character disrupts the hero's success by making false claims
Helper
A character that aids the hero in their quest
Princess
Her father
Acts as the reward for the hero and the object of the villains plots
Acts to reward the hero for his effort and accomplishment
Claude Levi Strauss
