Research Investigation 6 - Mulvey/Ferguson/Millum

You will look at the quality of written communication which is required at A2 level including:

Clear and coherent organisation of information; use of specialist terminology where appropriate.

Submission of first draft is required this week, by Friday 26.9.2014
This can be a list of bullet points based around a loose structure.

Task 2: Create a Mind Map of ideas for your Research Investigation.
This should include:
Main texts to be investigated.
Any other comparable texts.
Primary research you will do.
Secondary research you will do.
Narrative theory you will apply.
Audience theory you will apply.
Representation theory you will apply.
Ideas about the conclusions you think you might reach.

Task 3: Develop the mind map to create a loose structure for your R. I. 

Key Words: Scopophilia; from Greek "love of looking", is deriving pleasure from looking. As an expression of sexuality, it refers to sexual pleasure derived from looking at erotic objects: erotic photographs, pornography, naked bodies, etc.

Categorizing facial expressions

Marjorie Ferguson 1980

 Identified four types of facial expression in the cover of women’s magazines:

Chocolate Box: half or full-smile, lips together or slightly parted, teeth barely visible, full or three-quarter face to camera. Projected mood: blandly pleasing, warm bath warmth, where uniformity of features in their smooth perfection is devoid of uniqueness or of individuality.

Invitational: emphasis on the eyes, mouth shut or with only a hint of a smile, head to one side or looking back to camera. Projected mood: suggestive of mischief or mystery, the hint of contact potential rather than sexual promise, the cover equivalent of advertising’s soft sell.

Super-smiler: full face, wide open toothy smile, head thrust forward or chin thrown back, hair often wind-blown. Projected mood: aggressive, ‘look-at-me’ demanding, the hard sell, ‘big come-on’ approach.

Romantic or Sexual: a fourth and more general classification devised to include male and female ‘two-somes’; or the dreamy, heavy-lidded, unsmiling big-heads, or the overtly sensual or sexual. Projected moods: possible ‘available’ and definitely ‘available’.

Trevor Millum

In a study of advertisements in women’s magazines, Trevor Millum offers these categories of female expressions:

• Soft/introverted: eyes often shut or half-closed, the mouth slightly open/pouting, rarely smiling; an inward-looking trance-like reverie, removed from earthly things.
• Cool/level: indifferent, self-sufficient, arrogant, slightly insolent, haughty, aloof, confident, reserved; wide eyes, full lips straight or slightly parted, and obtrusive hair, often blonde. The eyes usually look the reader in the eye, as perhaps the woman regards herself in the mirror.
• Seductive: similar to the cool/level look in many respects - the eyes are less wide, perhaps shaded, the expression is less reserved but still self-sufficient and confident; milder versions may include a slight smile.
• Narcissistic: similarities to the cool/level and soft/introverted looks, rather closer to the latter: a satisfied smile, closed or half-closed eyes, self-enclosed, oblivious, content - ‘activity directed inward’.
• Carefree: nymphlike, active, healthy, gay, vibrant, outdoor girl; long unrestrained outward-flowing hair, more outward-going than the above, often smiling or grinning.
• Kittenlike: coy, naïve (perhaps in a deliberate, studied way), a friendlier and more girlish version of the cool/level look, sometimes almost twee.
• Maternal: motherly, matronly, mature, wise, experienced and kind, carrying a sort of authority; shorter hair, slight smile and gentle eyes - mouth may sometimes be stern, but eyes twinkle.
• Practical: concentrating, engaged on the business in hand, mouth closed, eyes object-directed, sometimes a slight frown; hair often short or tied back.

• Comic: deliberately ridiculous, exaggerated, acting the fool, pulling faces for the benefit of a real or imaginary audience, sometimes close to a sort of archness.

Task 1: Watch the clip below from Disney's 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' (1989) with consideration given to Mulvey's Male Gaze...What kind of character have the film makers created?

This is a scene from the film 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit', it introduces Roger's wife, Jessica Rabbit. Even though the majority of the characters in this film are cartoon, in this instance especially they have really exaggerated the features of certain characters so we get a general idea of who they are and what they are about. In Jessica Rabbit's case we can plainly see that the animators of the film have tried to create an 'ideal' woman possibly in the eyes of men, especially in this first scene with her in because of the fact that she is in quite a revealing dress and singing a slow and seductive song. At points in the scene it does focus on her and fixates upon points of her body, such as the exaggerated hips. However she also has a very sultry and seductive facial expression which is also an example of trying to attract the male gaze. The thing with this character though is that she is meant to be looked and gazed at because she is the 'sex object' of the film and pretty much the majority of the rest of the characters are either jealous or attracted to her. Even though she is a cartoon I think the effect of the male gaze is definitely still there and the animators creating the character would have intended to create an invitational kind of character.