Research: Laura Mulvey

Laura Mulvey had a view on representations in music videos and the way gender is portrayed she explains this in this quote: “ In a world ordered by sexual imbalance, pleasure in looking has been split between active/male and passive/female. The determining male gaze projects its fantasy onto the female figure which is styled accordingly“.

What Laura Mulvey is saying in the above quote is that in music videos men are viewed as the dominant, in charge and active within the videos and women are seen as the object of them and are portrayed as submissive, and are purposely styled and behave in a certain way in order to appeal to the male gaze, as the viewers of the music clips (camera) is positioned as a heterosexual man. Now this may not be done obviously and directly in every music video it may be portrayed through phallic symbolism, usually by dismembering parts of the body or sexual suggestions.

By using the camera to position the viewer as a man, displays to the audience that women are objectified and may influence that this is correct, it also sexualizes women on whole while on the other hand making males look dominant and the main focus whether that be through camera angles, mise en scene or phallic symbolism.

Here are some examples of Laura Mulvey’s Theory.

Nicki Minaj - Anaconda

The reason I think this video best displays Laura theory is because Nicki Minaj and her backup dancers and constantly being dismembered throughout the video, in the intro they are hanging off objects making them become apart of the object. Also their clothing choice of shorts, tight gym wear and bathing suits appeals to the male gaze. Lastly my main point is towards the ending of the video Nicki Minaj and Drake are in a shot together Drake is on the chair fully clothed looking down at Nicki Minaj who is on all floor in animal like position.

This video only consists of two people but still supports Laura’s theory of active males and passive females. Throughout Kayne is shown on a clear screen no distractions, full body shots and he is also fully clothed, whereas Kim Kardashian is shown with a movie background and subject to him, she is also half naked and parts of her body are dismembered e.g. lips, boobs and eyes which all suggested in a sexual manner and portray her as a sexual object. Another point is that when Kanye is shown on the motorbike he is riding it correctly in bright lighting whereas the feel is shown on the motorbike in a darker lighting and is a suggestive manor.