Laura Mulvey's theory - The Male Gaze - Textual Analysis

by

Don Broco - Priorities 



  The video conforms to the idea of a patriarchal society as all the band members are male. This is further backed up by the main focus being not on the woman, but the male band members. The music video shows objectifies the female figure in a number of ways, one being that the woman has no real focus at any point in the video and the entire concept behind the song and the video is that the woman in the video isn’t welcome in the current setting. The woman is made to look like a hindrance to the band members who are all male. This is because men and women are seen as differently in society because they have different ideals of socialising.  Similarly, in the second half of the video, women are shown in a sexual manner. This is can also be applied to Mulvey’s theory in that woman that appear in a sexual way in a music video is satisfying the male ego along with women being an image to be looked at. This is shown in the second half of the video where the woman is dressed only in lingerie and exposed while dancing on a tableThe camera angle is at eye level although doesn’t match the eyes of the woman but this can be attributed to being the the viewing pleasure of men. Editing is used to show that the scene is moving quickly and adds pace to the song, the speed could also indicate excitement. The colour red is used to show that the scene is sensual and is commonly attributed to sex. This is common in videos such as this, with the members of the band being all male and women appearing in the video to sexualise the music video and thus the song. 

     The first time the woman appears in the video, there is a certain degree of arrogance and confidence within her surroundings. The first half of the video focuses on that the female figure is a hinderance to the men in the video rather than the woman being objectified and sexualised. This is where the video differs from conventions of Laura Mulvey’s ‘Male Gaze’ theory in that the woman isn’t there to simply be looked at for sexual or social reasons but rather the opposite where the woman is looked upon with respect, fear or being shown to be superior. Towards the end of the video, the music video differs from the conventions mentioned in the ‘Male Gaze’ theory. The narrative of the video takes a turn towards the end when the woman in the video is revealed as a police officer. This can be seen as figure of authority, a figure of power and a male dominated profession.