Scopophilia, Voyeurism and the Gaze of Objectification

Classical Hollywood cinema puts the viewer in a masculine subject position, with the figure of the woman on screen as the subject of desire and 'THE MALE GAZE'. - Laura Mulvey

Freud, Scopopilia
The pleasure of looking.

Mulvey, cinema experiences enhance Scopophilia

• Darkened room and fixation on entertaining screen.
• People conditioned from early age.
• Pleasure of looking enhanced.
• Promotes 'voyeuristic fantasy'. 

Lacan, image is better than reality

• When children first look in the mirror, they see an image of themselves.
• 'Image' seen as better than reality.
• Called mirror stage.

Mulvey, Lacan's mirror is a cinema screen

• We pretend the on-screen characters are an ideal version of ourselves.
• Characters, or actors, might be icons already. Enhances the effect.
• Screen-surrogates. 

Voyeurism

Deriving sexual gratification from observing others in secret. Often the object of voyeurism is semi-naked or undressed. The key factor in voyeurism is that the voyeur does not interact personally with the person being observed.

Objectification

The person being 'gazed' at is objectified. They are treated as an object whose sole value is to be enjoyed or possessed by the voyeur. It devalues the humanity of the person.