Laura Mulvey and "The Male Gaze" in music videos

Laura Mulvey describes the "male gaze" as when in a film, the audience is put into the perspective of the heterosexual man. A scene may focus on the curves of a woman's body, putting the viewer in the eyes of a male and encouraging objectification of women. This theory is only presented if the female body is highlighted with close ups, tracking shots, slow motion, zoom-ins and tilting up. The theory suggests that the female only exists in relation to the male and that the male gaze leads to hegemonic ideologies in our society, reinforcing gender differences in society. Mulvey argues that the audience, including other women, is encouraged to identify with the male characters and how they treat women, leading other women to take the male gaze and view women in the same way as a man would, thus objectifying other women.

Examples of music videos that demonstrate aspects of the male gaze would be "Wrecking Ball" by Miley Cyrus and "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke.