VOYEURISM
The concept of voyeurism originates from the psychologist Sigmund Freud and used in Media Studies for explaining the terms of gendered pleasures of cinema.
What is Voyeurism?
It is the "notion of looking" in order to gain sexual pleasure.
Voyeurism is seen in many music videos with the idea of "screens within screens". Which
Laura Mulvey's
"Visual Pleasure Theory"
Feminist Laura Mulvey presented the visual pleasure theory. Visual pleasure theory argues that visual images in media encourages viewers to look pleasurably at female images via male gaze. In many music videos it is seen that visual images of a female are shown through the males perspective. This can be seen in various music videos for example .
The male gaze denies the identity of the female. The females body is objectified and is admired for physical appearance.
The male gaze occurs when the audience is put into the perspective of a heterosexual man. For instance a females body curves are shown, and the audience is put in the eyes of the male. But, certain conventions make the male gaze theory and it will be the male gaze theory if only these are present such as slow motion, deliberate camera movements and cutaways.
Based on Laura Mulvey's theory the concept of gaze has developed to incorporate a number of different viewer positions.
Developments of the Gaze
The Spectator's Gaze
The audience looking at the subject on the screen. The viewer is something like a "Peeping Tom", basically the viewer is acts as a voyeur. A voyeur is someone who watches someone else for sexual pleasure or sordid. The person not being aware of it. This is frequently evident in music videos. For example
The Male Gaze
The male viewing the female, either voyeuristically or fetishistically.
The Female Gaze
Accepts that women might can also gain voyeuristic pleasure from looking at a subject.
The bearer of the gaze has the power since the subject of the gaze is not even aware that they are being looked at so we assume, therefore the bearer of the gaze has an upper hand thus more power.
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By fasihazaheer
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