L A U R A M U L V E Y S T H E O R Y

THE MALE GAZE EXAMPLE

Example: Lady Gaga – Bad Romance

In Lady Gaga’s video she is first pulled out of a bath tub

and stripped by two women. She is the main object

and it shows she is desirable. It also shows that she is

helpless against them.

She then fights against a group of women whilst they

pull her coat and reveal her costume this again puts

her in the centre of attention by the male and

audience and also shows that she appealing to men

because her costume is revealing.

Gaga is centre of the male circle in which the male

gaze is present. As the camera circles us as an

audience also get a view of her figure from all

angles, this can appeal to both male and female; male

as a sex symbol and female as girls want to have the

same figure and look as her.

Example: Lady Gaga – Bad Romance

Because Gaga dances in front of the male audience it

links to the narrative as the are bidding for her. This

again reinforces the male gaze and the female as an

object in which the males control. Alternatively as she

crawls towards the camera and the audience this

could be copied by females again as they want to be

like her and a sex symbol for the males.

In the last part of the video Gaga appears to have the

control over the male who brought her. She then sets

fire to him and kills him, this changes the message that

Is sent with the video; that female characters have

power and should be treated equally to males. She no

longer is the object within the video.