GENDER + SEXUALITY
LAURA MULVEY'S MALE GAZE THEORY
The audience is positioned as a man to look upon a woman; ie. she is objectified and sexualised from a heterosexual perspective.
Jacques Lacan's Gender is socially constructed idea
According to Lacan, gender is socially constructed; give a girl a Barbie doll, she will inherently be feminine, take care of her looks and so on; give a boy an Action Man figure, he will inherently be masculine, be more active and perhaps more violent. The media has a similar way of shaping our values and beliefs - especially through things like children's films or TV programmes. Very few challenge or subvert traditional views of gender.
John Berger's "men act, women appear"
Berger stated that audiences are positioned to view texts as men, where women will be objectified or sexualised for their gaze. Men will therefore take on more active and dominant roles in texts. Even women int he audience are positioned to view texts as men; it is socially acceptable for women to critics each other based on the way they look more so than men; this tips into homoeroticism which still is not widely accepted in our society.
Yvonne Tasker's hypermasculinity theory
Tanker's work stems from the action films of the 1980s; lots of men with large weapons shouting 'ARGH!' She stated that men in these films are hyper-masculine; over the top, ripped and achievable physiques, and who always survive. Compare her findings with character's such as John McClane, Terminator, Dutch from Predator and Rambo. Also consider the revival of this representation through the Expendables franchise.
Queer theory
Based on Judith Butler's book, Gender Troubles, this idea represents that people are individual; we cannot collectively talk about 'women' for instance as there are so many individual identities within this. this theory is not just limited to lesbians or gay studies.
Judith Butler's Gender Performativity
Liezbit Van Zoonen's idea of Feminism
Feminist theory
Feminists are people who fight for women to have equal rights to men; they are not man haters! Betty Friedan, Sojourner Truth and Germaine Greer are interesting feminist figures.
Post-feminist theory
Post meaning after; this could embody the full equality between genders, it could even hint at the fact that women may supersede men.
Voyeurism
The act of looking or enjoying watching others.
Scopophilia
The act of looking or enjoying watching others - but for sexual pleasure.
Freud
A famous psychoanalyst; his ideas into the mind of characters and audiences are particularly interesting, look for the Id, Ego and Superego; the mirror stage, Oedipus Principle.
Gay Male Gaze - Neale
Steve Neale suggested that there are moments inc cinema where 'Masculinity is a spectacle'; this in turn positions men to look at other men, much like the male gaze suggested. Cinema offers us instances of aspiration, fantasy and desire - is it wrong that heterosexual men in the audience desire to be like the men they see on screen?
Homoeroticism
This links to the idea that people of the same gender have desire for each other. This could work in two ways; audience members have this for characters they see in media texts; characters have it for each other.
RACE + ETHNICITY
Stuart Hall's ethnicity model
Hall's model splits 'people of colour' into 3 categories:
The Slave - where they are subordinate to white people
The Clown/Entertainer - they are their purely for entertainment value
The Native - where 'foreigners' are seen to be different to white people through the use of their native costumes, accents, culture, food etc.
Alvarado's ethnicity model
Much like Hall's model, Alvarado stated that 'foreigners' in media texts are split into 3 defined roles:
The pitied - there to feel sorry for but the audience
The exotic - much like Hall's native - where 'foreigners' are seen to be different to white people through the use of their native costumes, accents, culture, food etc.
And Dangerous - stereotyped to be criminal.
Bell Hooks' Colour codes
Hook's theory states that lighter skinned women are considered to be more desirable as they fit better into Western ideologies of beauty. Black women however tend to be more sexualised, which is common in hip hop and R 'N' B music videos which reflects a colonial viewpoint - they are sexually disposable.
Her theory is quite outdated, however colonial representations are still in existence.
Paul Gilroy's post-colonialism theory
IDENTITY
David Gauntlett
His book on Media, Gender and Identity is of particular interest!
Gauntlet states that because of what we inherently already know (whether or not shaped by the media, or just scientific instincts), and the failure of stereotypes, audiences have to think of new ways to express themselves to find an identity. The media can prey on their vulnerability and help, if not 'brainwash' audiences into being something. With the growth of celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, or these reality stars from TOWIE and the like, gives audiences a sense of being anything they want - sometimes this is a harsh reality or can be dangerous. Take people who are obsessed with cosmetic surgery; WAGs, Katy Hopkins.... for instance - all nobodies, but because of the media and gullible audiences, they are turned into somebodies.
Pick and Mix theory
