Gender ad stuffs

1. Gender and Sexuality
Gender
Gender characteristics: Stereotypical qualities, typical things by nature
define the genders.
Male: Masculine, blue, assertive, authoritative, muscular, strong, sport, closed,
aggressive, tough love,
Female: Feminine, pink, polite, sweet, innocent, elegant, emotional, caring, open,
passive,
Key Words
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Task
Research Freud’s scopophilia
SCOPOPHILIA: Literally, the love of looking. The term refers to the predominantly
male gaze of Holloywood cinema, which enjoys objectifying women into mere objects
to be looked at (rather than subjects with their own voice and subjectivity). The
term, as used in feminist film criticism, is heavily influenced by both Freudian
and Lacanian psychoanalysis.
Looking at people like objects, it is like looking at them in a sexual way. E.g.
porn, and sometimes magazines with woman on it objectifying them.
Male Gaze
The Male Gaze Laura Mulvey “ Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema”
What is the Gaze? The concept of gaze is one that deals with how an audience views
the people presented. For feminists it can be thought of in 3 ways: How men look at
women, How women look at themselves How women look at other women.
Gaze and feminist theory Laura Mulvey coined the term ‘Male Gaze’ in 1975. She
believes that in film audiences have to ‘view’ characters from the perspective of a
heterosexual male.
Features of the Male Gaze The camera lingers on the curves of the female body, and
events which occur to women are presented largely in the context of a man's
reaction to these events. Relegates women to the status of objects. The female
viewer must experience the narrative secondarily, by identification with the male.
“I love the way she fills her clothes. She looks just like them girls in Vogue.”
Watch the video and then be prepared for questions
Quick questions What color top was he and she wearing? What bowling lane was used?
What color belt did he and she wear? What color shoes did he and she wear? What
color eyes did he and she have?

2. Why some of you might not have known the answers to all the questions. You were too
busy looking at the woman.
Use of the Male Gaze in everyday life Some theorists also have noted the
sexualizing of the female body even in situations where female sexiness has nothing
to do with the product being advertised. Can you think of any examples of this?
Criticism of Mulvey and Gaze theory Some women enjoy being ‘looked’ at e.g. beauty
pageants. The gaze can also be directed toward members of the same gender for
several reasons, not all of which are sexual, such as in comparison of body image
or in clothing. Are there any ‘flaws’ in these arguments?
Categorising facial expressions Women : Chocolate box Invitational Super-smiler
Romantic or sexual Marjorie Ferguson (1980) Men : Carefree Practical Seductive
Comic Catalogue Trevor Millum (1975)
Key theorists beliefs Jonathan Schroeder (1998), “to gaze implies more to look at
– it signifies a psychological relationship of power, in which the gazer is
superior to the object of the gaze.”
Charlie's Angels female empowerment vs sexuality Watch this clip and note down
examples of female empowerment and sexuality. Are they mutually exclusive? Does
Shroeder’s belief apply to this trailer?
Sexuality
 Bisexual: Love either
 Asexuality: Not attracted to any one, not interested in anyone.
 Heterosexual: Attracted to someone of the opposite sex
 Lesbianism: attracted to women
 Pansexuality: Like someone for who they are rather than appearance
 Transexuality: Change sex or gender