The Male Gaze & Facial Expressions

The concept of the gaze is one that deals with how an audience views the people presented.


For feminists it can be thought of in 3 different ways:

• How men look at women
• How women look at other women
• How women look at themselves 

Gaze and Feminist Theory
Laura Mulvey coined the term 'Male Gaze' in 1975. She believes that in film audiences have to 'view' characters from the perspective of a heterosexual male.

Features of the male gaze:

• 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.
• Relegates women to the status of objects. The female viewer must experience the narrative secondarily by identification with the male.  

Criticism of Theory
Some women enjoy being 'looked at'. The gaze can also be directed toward the members of the same gender for several reasons, not all of which are sexual, such as comparison of body image or clothing.


Categorising Facial Expressions 
Women- Marjorie Ferguson
Chocolate Box

• Half/ full smile
• Lips together/ slightly parted
• Teeth barely visible
• Full/ three-quarters face to camera

Invitational

• Emphasis on eyes
• Mouth shut with a hint of a smile
• Head to one side or looking back at the camera

Super-smiler

• Full face
• Wide open, toothy smile
• Head thrust forward or thrown back
• Hair often wind blown

Romantic or sexual

• Includes male/ female 'two-somes'
• Dreamy
• Heavy lidded
• Overtly sensual/ sexual

Men- Trevor Millum
Seductive

• Similar to cool/ level
• Eyes less wide
• Expression is less reserved, but still self-confidant
• Milder

Carefree

• Nymph like
• Active
• Healthy 
• Vibrant
• Outdoor girl
• Often smiling/ grinning

Practical

• Concentrating
• Engaged in business in hand
• Mouth closed
• Eyes object directed
• Sometimes a slight frown
• Hair usually short style or tied back

Comic

• Deliberately ridiculous
• Exaggerated
• Acting the fool
• Pulling faces

Catalogue 

• Neutral looks of a dummy, artificial, wax like
• Features may be in any position- but most likely eyes wide open and a smile
• Looks remain vacant and empty with personality removed

Jonathan Schroeder- 1998
'To gaze implies more than to look at- it signifies a psychological relationship of power in which the gazer is superior to the object of the gaze.'