The Male Gaze Advertisement

This advertisement fits in with Laura Mulvey's theory of 'The Male Gaze', as the woman, Megan Fox, is seen as the image with the picture being aimed towards men who are the 'bearer of the look' and could also influence them to buy it for their partners when they see the advert. However, it could also appeal to women who see this advert and they may think that if they buy the underwear then they can look like Megan Fox.

The Gaze

Marjorie Ferguson identified four types of facial expressions -

Chocolate Box

• Half or full smile
• Lips are together or slightly parted
• The teeth are barely visible
• Whole or three quarters of the face towards the camera

Invitational

• Emphasis is put on the eyes
• The mouth is shut with a hint of a smile
• The head is to one side or looking back to the camera

Super-Smiler

• Whole of the face
• Wide open, toothy smile
• The head is thrusted forward or the chin is thrown back
• The hair is often blown by a wind effect

Romantic Or Sexual

• Includes male/female "two-somes"
• A dreamy look
• Heavy lidded
• It is overtly sexual/sensual

Trevor Millum identified five different types of facial expression-

Seductive

• It is similar to cool/level
• The eyes are less wide
• The expression is less reserved but still shows self confidence
• It's milder

Carefree

• It's nymph like
• It is active and healthy
• It's vibrant
• Outdoors
• They are often smiling/grinning

Practical

• A concentrating look
• They are engaged in a business in hand
• The mouth is closed
• The eyes are directed to the object
• There is sometimes a slight frown
• The hair is often tight back or shot style

Comic

• It's deliberately ridiculous
• Exaggerated
• They are acting the fool
• They're pulling faces

Catalogue

• It's a neutral look, like a dummy or artificial
• Usually, the eyes are open and the smile is wide but the features can be in any position
• The looks are empty/vacant and show no signs of personality