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The Male Gaze Essay

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Choose one or two examples of media texts and explore how they might challenge or disrupt Mulvey’s concept of ‘the male gaze’. With the rise of the internet and social media, “feminism” has risen to its absolute peak. When asked what the term feminism actually is, the definition will vary based on the respondent. Ask an ordinary man, and the response would probably refer to women attacking or trying to over powering men, which has become a common misconception. In theoretical terms, “feminism” can be used to described as a movement for the equal rights and protection of women in economic, social, cultural and political aspects (Merriam Webster, 2016) (Bodenner, 2016). Many theories have surfaced since women have started their fight for empowerment and equality, and one of the most famous theory is “the Male Gaze” theory, founded by Laura Mulvey in her essay, “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.” This essay will look into the sources of opposition the theory of “male gaze” faces, and how the theory is disrupted by other possible theories or pieces of media. As mentioned before, the Male Gaze theory was introduced in the essay Mulvey wrote in 1975. This theory is derived from the term “gaze” which was popularized by the work and publications of Jacques Lacan. Manlove (2008) explains that the gaze isolates the subject form themselves, making it seem like an object rather than a human being. This was then taken up by Mulvey, who elaborated on “the gaze” and came up with the

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