The Male Gaze Theory - Laura Mulvey

The concept of gaze is one that deals with how an audience views the people presented. Mulvey believes that in in the media, audiences have to ‘view’ characters from the perspective of a heterosexual male. 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. Applying this theory to Womanizer by Britney Spears, it is a great example of it. The music video begins with Britney naked in the shower. Arguably, it could be said that she is flaunting her body in order to engage and attract male viewers by drawing attention to it and using her looks. Additionally, she is wearing tight fitting outfits and dances is risque fashion around a male character. Therefore, she is presented as being a provocative and sexualised female. This is further emphasised by the use of red lipstick which has connotations of the seductive femme fatale which Britney is portraying in order to attract the man she seems to be interested in. However, she subverts the male gaze by being in control. This is reflected by her being fully clothed, dominant and multiplying to eventually kill him. This could be a metaphor for her to discourage the male gaze and show her freedom and independence as a women.
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