Gender in contemporary media texts- Essay

To what extent do Mulvey's theory (1975) on the male gaze and Shroeder's ideas (1998) influence contemporary media text?  Discuss Charlie's Angels and one other show giving evidence from mise-en-scene, sound etc.

Mulvey's theory on the male gaze focuses on the fact that female subjects in media are often portrayed in ways which provide sexual gratification for heterosexual men.  This is often presented in various ways throughout media texts such as the way that the camera may linger on the curves of the female form or may be presented in clothing which is obviously unsuitable for the activity which they are partaking in therefore showing the fact that they are dressed purely for the pleasure of the male characters.  They may also appear as "two-dimensional characters" due to the fact that their storyline is often anchored to that of a male characters making them dependent on their male counterparts of giving them the status of an object displayed purely for sexual pleasure.  Shroeder's theory differs from Mulvey's in the fact that it states that "to gaze implies more than to look at" and that "it signifies a psychological relationship of power, in which the gazer is superior to the object of the gaze.  

Mulvey's theory is displayed in the trailer for Charlie's Angels: Full throttle through various elements of mise-en-scene such as costuming.  The first skimpy and suggestive outfit appears at 0.06 and this theme of outfit continues throughout the trailer.  One of the outfits which is most obviously used for the sexual gratification of the male audience is the white bikini which is worn at 0.11, the bikini itself is not the proper clothing used in the situation at hand as most serious surfers would wear a wetsuit even in the hot climate of California. The white colouration of the bikini symbolises purity which is in keeping with the group’s name of "angels" however this purity is juxtaposed by the innuendo of "riding [the waves] rough and hard"  this line is designed to have sexual connotations for the purpose of manipulating the male character whom is on screen at the time and is therefore empowering to the female character as it allows her to use her body as an effective weapon.  The use of the female body and sexuality as a weapon is a large underlying theme of Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle and subverts both Shroeder and Mulvey’s theories surrounding the male gaze.

Mulvey’s theory is also displayed effectively in the trailer of James Bond: Spectre.  In Spectre we see several rules of Mulvey’s male gaze as well as Shroeder’s theory.  Shroeder’s theory is displayed in the way that Bond pushes the female character against the mirrored wall in a way which exercises his power and dominance over her.  This is demonstrated by the way that in the action of pushing her against the mirror he blocks her out of the shot, we then see him begin to seductively unzip the female subjects dress the lack of the females face in the shot serves to objectify her, the next shot we see of her is of her attempting to kiss Bond this gives the scene a voyeristic quality which is a constent theme throughout Mulvey's theory of the male gaze.  This theme of  seductive clothing and sexual demeanour of woman for the sexual gratification of men is a theme which has been commonly presented in Bond films through the years with the use of the stereotypical bond girl whom exists purely for the pleasure of Bond the male protagonist and is often targeted by the male antagonist.  The highly sexualised aspects of James Bond: Spectre allow it to conform to both Mulvey and Shroeder’s theories.

In conclusion modern media texts both subvert and conform to Mulvey and Shroeder’s theories surrounding the male gaze.  The freedom that many modern media pieces are finding to break away from the traditional forms of gender representation in media allows for a variety of media content to be created and for the viewers world to be widened by new and possibly repressed representations of gender allowing for a much more insightful and fulfilling viewing experience.