What is 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.
It is the
"notion of looking"
in order to gain sexual pleasure.
Laura Mulvey's
"Visual Pleasure Theory"
Feminist Laura Mulvey presented the visual pleasure theory. This 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 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.
The male gaze denies the identity of the female. The females body is objectified and is admired for physical appearance.
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 Male Gaze
male viewing females voyeuristically or fetishistically.
The Female Gaze
accepts that women can also gain voyeuristic pleasure.
The Intra-digetic Gaze
when a character gazes at another character within the text.
The extra-diegetic Gaze
when the character looks in the camera directly and breaks the fourth wall.