Objectification of Females
Looking at the film industry in the category of gender representation, it is apparent that the majority of the protagonists are male. This margin demonstrates that men dominate and gender is continually misrepresented in cinema. Men are seen as the protectors, the saviors, the breadwinners, and epitomize power and independence. Women are constantly misrepresented in films by being illustrated strictly for purposes of objectification, supporting the male characters, or most commonly as love interests that drive the male characters,
Women in cinema, even in action roles, are portrayed in a way that objectifies them, even if that is not the end goal of their role. This repetition of the stereotypical gender roles correlates with Laura Mulvey’s theory of the "Male Gaze.” Mulvey innovated the idea that active and passive aspects of scopophilia (the urge to look) are shared among the sexes. Relatedly, in his article Ways of Seeing, John Berger had already proposed that in Western culture, from painting to advertising, “men acted and women appear,” or rather men look at women and women watch themselves being looked at, (Berger, p. 198). Accordingly, Mulvey’s theory works in Hollywood film as follows: the male character looks at a woman and the camera films what the man is seeing (a point-of-view camera shot), and because the camera is showing what the man sees, the viewer is seemingly required to look through the male’s perspective. Thus, the ‘male’ gaze consists of three main components: the camera, character, and the spectator.
There are many films that explicitly and implicitly illustrate the male gaze. In this essay, the films Charlie’s Angels (2000) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012) will be compared in each film’s usage of the male gaze and its function throughout the movie. While the two movies are similar in aspect of both being a basic example of Mulvey’s male gaze, the two differ in the sense of the way the male gaze is portrayed. For example, Charlie’s Angels
Women in cinema, even in action roles, are portrayed in a way that objectifies them, even if that is not the end goal of their role. This repetition of the stereotypical gender roles correlates with Laura Mulvey’s theory of the "Male Gaze.” Mulvey innovated the idea that active and passive aspects of scopophilia (the urge to look) are shared among the sexes. Relatedly, in his article Ways of Seeing, John Berger had already proposed that in Western culture, from painting to advertising, “men acted and women appear,” or rather men look at women and women watch themselves being looked at, (Berger, p. 198). Accordingly, Mulvey’s theory works in Hollywood film as follows: the male character looks at a woman and the camera films what the man is seeing (a point-of-view camera shot), and because the camera is showing what the man sees, the viewer is seemingly required to look through the male’s perspective. Thus, the ‘male’ gaze consists of three main components: the camera, character, and the spectator.
There are many films that explicitly and implicitly illustrate the male gaze. In this essay, the films Charlie’s Angels (2000) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012) will be compared in each film’s usage of the male gaze and its function throughout the movie. While the two movies are similar in aspect of both being a basic example of Mulvey’s male gaze, the two differ in the sense of the way the male gaze is portrayed. For example, Charlie’s Angels
Cited: Berger, John. "Ways of Seeing." The Media Studies Reader. Ed. Laurie Ouellette. New York: Routledge, 2013. 197-204. Print. Morley, Davis, and Kevin Robins. "Under Western Eyes: Media, Empire, and Otherness." The Media Studies Reader. Ed. Laurie Ouellette. New York: Routledge, 2013. 363-377. Print. Mulvey, Laura. "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema." Screen 16.3 Autumn 1975: 6-18. Brown U, 10 June. 2010. Web. 12 April 2013. . Schubart, Rikke. Bitches and Action Babes: the Female Hero in Popular Cinema, 1970-2006. Jefferson: McFarland & Company Inc. Publishers, 2007.