Glo video critique using Laura mulveys lens
The Glo Nigeria "Feliz Navidad" video is a festive ad that celebrates Christmas in Nigeria. It's colorful and fun, showcasing Nigerian culture and music. However, even cheerful ads like this can have underlying messages that affect how we think about gender and power.
According to Laura Mulvey's theory, mainstream media often presents women as objects to be looked at, reinforcing patriarchal views. This ad might unintentionally do the same thing through its visuals and representation.
Mulvey' s main points: are
1. Camera's gaze: How the camera captures scenes and directs our attention.
2. Audience's gaze: How we're positioned to view and interpret the visuals.
3. Characters' gaze: How characters interact and look at each other within the story.
Mulvey argues that these gazes often reflect a male perspective, where:
- Men are the ones doing the looking.
- Women are the ones being looked at, often as objects of desire or visual pleasure.
- Women are often portrayed without control or agency in the story.
The video uses camera techniques that make the performers, especially women, look appealing and attention grabbing. According to Laura Mulvey's theory, this kind of visual presentation can turn women into objects for viewers to look at, rather than showcasing their actions or stories.
In this video, women are shown dancing and smiling, with the camera focusing on their bodies and faces. The slow-motion shots and careful camera movements make them seem like a visual spectacle. Since the video doesn't have a real story or dialogue, the meaning comes from how the women look, which fits with Mulvey's idea that women are often presented as objects to be looked at.
According to Laura Mulvey, women in media are often shown as passive objects rather than active participants. In the Glo Christmas video, women are mainly shown performing and dancing for the camera, without any real role in driving the story or message.
In contrast, when men appear, they're shown doing more active things like drumming or leading. This difference in portrayal reflects a common pattern in media, where women are often used for visual appeal, while men are shown as more powerful and in control.
It is important to note that Mulvey’s theory does not claim that all female appearances are automatically objectifying. She calls for counter-cinema forms of media that disrupt the male gaze, create new visual languages, and empower women as active agents rather than visual tokens.
The Feliz Navidad Nigeria! video seems like a fun holiday greeting, but when looked at closely, it shows some deeper issues. According to Laura Mulvey's ideas, the video:
- Shows women mainly for how they look, rather than as important parts of the story.
- Uses camera techniques that focus on making them look good, rather than showing what they're thinking or doing.
- Uses women's images to make the brand look good, rather than valuing them as individuals.
- Fits into a bigger pattern of media that uses gender in a way that's meant to sell things.
Even though the video seems to celebrate women and culture, it actually shows them in a way that's controlled and limited. Mulvey's ideas help us see beyond the surface and ask important questions about what the video is really about and who it's for.
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