Gaze Theory Explained Simply

At its most fundamental level, gaze theory interrogates the ways in which viewers engage with visual narratives, and how these narratives, in turn, position the viewer. But delve a bit deeper, and it becomes clear that the gaze is not just a matter of seeing and being seen—it's a powerful dynamic that reveals intricate webs of power, gender, and identity.

The gaze, as explored in media and cultural studies, is not merely an act of seeing. It is an intricate dance of power, perception, and representation. Originating from film theory but subsequently adopted and adapted across various disciplines, the gaze encompasses a multitude of perspectives: from the male gaze that objectifies female subjects in cinema, to the colonial gaze that portrays colonized people in a specific light. It's about who holds the power to look and how those being looked at are represented and understood.

Gaze Theorists

Historically rooted in psychoanalysis, the idea of the gaze emerged as a cornerstone in film theory, though its ramifications extend across various disciplines. Its evolution is closely linked to several prominent figures:

• Jacques Lacan: A French psychoanalyst, Lacan is often credited with laying the groundwork for gaze theory. He introduced the concept of the "mirror stage," where an infant recognizes itself in a mirror, marking the commencement of the individual's relationship with their own image. For Lacan, the gaze wasn't just about looking; it was about the anxiety produced in being looked at, highlighting the asymmetrical power dynamics inherent in viewing.

• Laura Mulvey: Building on Lacanian thought, British feminist film theorist Laura Mulvey coined the term "male gaze" in the context of cinema. In her seminal "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema" she argued that mainstream films are constructed with male viewers in mind, leading to the objectification of women. Her insights brought gender dynamics to the forefront of gaze theory, showcasing how the act of looking can be entrenched in patriarchal structures. 

• Edward Said: While not directly associated with gaze theory in the same way as Lacan or Mulvey, Said's work on "Orientalism" introduced the idea of a "colonial gaze". He described how the West views the East through a lens colored by preconceptions and stereotypes, which in turn, reinforces Western dominance and Eastern subjugation.

• Bell Hooks: Renowned for her contributions to gender and race discussions, hooks expanded the discourse around the gaze to consider intersections of race, class, and gender. She critiqued the "oppositional gaze" of Black viewers in Western cinema, discussing how Black audiences recognize and resist the racist structures in which they're portrayed.

• John Berger: Berger, a British art critic and novelist, brought a fresh perspective on gaze theory in his groundbreaking work "Ways of Seeing". This 1972 series, later adapted into a book, demystified the act of seeing, arguing that what we see is invariably influenced by a host of variables including tradition, culture, and the viewer's own individual bias. One of Berger's most salient points centered on the portrayal of women in art and advertising. He posited that women were historically depicted as objects of the male gaze, conditioned to see and be seen as objects to be appreciated, judged, or desired. By doing so, Berger underscored the entrenched gender dynamics in visual representation, asserting that women are often presented not as they are, but as they are expected to be in the eyes of male beholders. His elucidations on gaze theory emphasized the societal constructs that shape our perceptions, bridging the gap between historical art representations and contemporary visual culture.

The male gaze in feminist film theory

The concept of the male gaze has been a central topic in feminist film theory and media studies for decades. The term was coined by film theorist Laura Mulvey, who argued that traditional cinematic representation is based on the premise of the viewer being male and the characters on screen being female. This means that the female characters are objectified and sexualized in order to satisfy the male viewer's gaze. Mulvey's theory of the male gaze has been influential in exposing and critiquing the ways in which traditional cinematic representation reinforces gender inequality and objectifies women. 

The male gaze in feminist theory after Mulvey

Other scholars, such as bell hooks, Gaylyn Studlar, and Jackie Stacey, have also written extensively about the male gaze and its effects on media representation. 

bell hooks, a feminist writer and theorist, has written about the ways in which the male gaze objectifies and sexualizes women in media and how this reinforces traditional gender roles. She has also argued that the male gaze serves to uphold the patriarchy and maintain male dominance.

Gaylyn Studlar, a film scholar, has written about the male gaze in relation to early Hollywood cinema and how it shapes the way that women are represented on screen. She has also examined the ways in which the male gaze intersects with other forms of power and privilege, such as race and class.

Jackie Stacey, a feminist film theorist, has written about the male gaze in relation to the representation of women in popular culture, including film, television, and advertising. She has also explored the ways in which the male gaze is challenged and resisted by feminists and other marginalized groups.

Read also: Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema - summary 

Gaze Theory Explained

Laura Mulvey's theory of representation - short summary

Laura Mulvey's theory of representation suggests that traditional cinematic representation is based on the premise of the viewer being male and the characters on screen being female. This is what she calls "The male gaze" of cinema, the topic of her well known "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema". This means that the female characters are objectified and sexualized in order to satisfy the male viewer's gaze. Mulvey argues that this dynamic is reinforced through the use of traditional film techniques such as camera angles and shot compositions that highlight the physical attributes of female characters and present them as objects of desire and causes of visual pleasure.

Viewing is active

Mulvey's theory of representation also emphasizes the role of the spectator in the creation of meaning in film. We are not just passive consumers of narratives but rather active creators of their meaning. Mulvey argues that the spectator is actively involved in constructing meaning through their own subjectivity and desires. This means that the spectator is not a passive receiver of meaning, but rather an active participant in the process of meaning-making.

See also: Gaze Theory Explained

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"Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema" - Laura Mulvey - summary and review (part 1)

"Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema" - Laura Mulvey - summary and review 

part 1 - 2

In her "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema" Laura Mulvey utilizes psychoanalysis theory as a "political weapon" to demonstrate how the patriarchic subconscious of society shapes our film watching experience and cinema itself. According to Mulvey the cinematic text is organized along lines that are corresponding to the cultural subconscious with is essentially patriarchic. Mulvey argues that the popularity of Hollywood films is determined and reinforced by preexisting social patterns which have shaped the fascinated subject.

Overview of "Visual Pleasure"

Mulvey's analysis in "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema" combines semiotic methodology of cinematic means of expression with psychoanalytic analysis of desire structures and the formation of subjectivity. The semiotic end of Mulvey's analysis enables the deciphering of how films produce the meanings they produce, while the psychoanalytic side of the article provides the link between the cinematic text and the viewer and explains his fascination through the way cinematic representations interact with his (culturally determined) subconscious.

Mulvey's main argument in "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema" is that Hollywood narrative films use women in order to provide a pleasurable visual experience for men. The narrative film structures its gaze as masculine (the male gaze). The woman is always the object of the reifying gaze, not the bearer of it (this has something reminiscent of John Berger's "Ways of Seeing") 

The male gaze 

The cinematic gaze is always produced a masculine both by means of the identification produced with the male hero and through the use of the camera. Mulvey identifies two manners in which Hollywood cinema produces pleasure, manners which arise from different mental mechanisms. The first involves the objectification of the image, and the second one the identification with it. Both mechanisms represent the mental desires of the male subject. The first form of pleasure relates to what Freud termed as scopophilia or the pleasure derived from subjecting someone to one's gaze. The second form of pleasure other which operates alongside the scopophilia is the identification with the represented character which is brought about by needs stemming from the Freudian Ego. 

"Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema" - Laura Mulvey - summary and review 

part 1 - 2

See also: Laura Mulvey's theory of representation

The male gaze in feminist film theory

Gaze Theory Explained

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