Summary of Mulvey

Mulvey uses ideas from Freud’s psychoanalytic theory and Lucan’s theory and applies them to Hollywood films via a feminist perspective.

Hollywood films are a narrative cinema and the narrative is usually told via a male perspective, hence the protagonist tends to be male. The audiences being male or female are positioned to identify and idealize the male hero, as they see a perfect version of themselves which generates narcissism, as the idealized version of us is reflected via the hero.

Freud refers to scopophilia as the pleasure involved in looking at other peoples bodies as (particularly erotic) objects. Mulvey argues that the viewing conditions of cinema facilitate for the viewer both the voyeuristic process of objectification of the female characters. The fact the females are objectified via the ‘Male Gaze’ and are passive characters reflects patriarchy and the media creates misogyny through objectification of women.

Freud argues the men unconsciously see women as castrated and this causes them to feel anxiety which is why fertishization objects are used in order to reduce anxiety.

Moreover, women have penis envy so they use phallic objects which act as a symbolism of power and dominance.


How this relates to my study:

The theory is challenged as Betty being the main protagonist is a female so in some ways it doesn’t reflect patriarchy. Therefore the audience identify with betty.

The voyeuristic idea can be linked as the characters do not know they are being watched and so can the idea of the objectification of women, as some of them are objectified yet this is also challenged as such are not.

The fact ugly betty is predominantly aimed at females means it will challenge this theory more than reinforce it.