Coward & Mulvey, Gaze and the Media

Mulvey's breakdown of cinema with consistant referance to Freud's breakthrough, but often-irrelevant psychology regards the woman's symbolism in the film and where she stands opposed to the man. In typical cinema where one would expect to find the visual pleasure of voyeurism, that representation appears to be one of lust and power from a certain perspective. 'Woman is often only to serve in a patriarchal society as a signifier other, bound by a symbolic ordering which man can live out his fantasies through linguistic command by imposing them on the silent image of the woman, again and again represented to be second to him; her place as the bearer of meaning, but not it's maker. '

Coward on the other hand portrays a representation that is less vaguely tied to archaic psychological ideas and more to more modern ideologies; that women's experience of sexuality rarely strays far from those ideologies and feelings about their self-image. This ties in well with the fact that the audience often is more preoccupied and gives priority to the visual image and impact, rather than other impressions. 'The camera has been observed in it’s use as an extension of the male gaze, and men largely control the look; and the female's responsive look can determine her own power'. This goes against Mulvey's suggestion that women serve as signifiers of their male partners - 'attraction to imagesof women's bodies is none other than an attraction to a sight which is in some way reassuringly pleasurable.’

The two viewpoints favour the role of male power and male gaze in cinema through the audience's and camera's perspective, but Mulvey's use of psychoanalysis is far too dated, regardless of the apparent pre-existing patterns of fascination already at work within the essay. It would be hard to put these ideas into context in games or animation and are best left to the areas of film, where such ideologies are sought out and explored. However, some interesting points are made when the focus is moved away from psychoanalysis, especially regarding the relationship between Scottie and Judy in Alfred Hitchcock's 'Vertigo'.

Strict control over sexuality is suggested to be a characteristic of male-dominated societies. Marriage is said to secure the women's labour and reproductive capacity to the advantage of men and that in some societies this control is references to practices in 18th and 19th century China like foot-binding, and ancient punishments for adultery, and how Western societies pride themselves on their advanced morality; but points out that individuals are supposed to be drawn to one another without having to take into account property or political preferances.

Mulvey goes on to suggest that 'men cannot bear the burden of sexual objectification, according to principles of ruling ideology and the physical structures that can back it up' - that man is reluctant to be seen as an exhibitionist - justified by the fact the audience should be able to project themselves to the main male character; and become his own on-screen surrogate doppelganger. This is true enough for games as well, though perhaps not in the same context. The player needs to relate to the main character, but for more reasons beyond sexual gratification, as there is far more moral choice to be made, and the player must see all things from the character's perspective.