Male Gaze Representation In 200 Pounds Beauty Film (Semiotic Analysis Of Roland Barthes)
Abstract
200 Pounds Beauty (2018) is a film by Kim Yong Hwa with a beauty theme.
This musical romantic comedy genre film tells the story of an overweight woman
called Kang Hanna who has a beautiful voice. Hanna is the actual singer for Ammy's
voice. She has been used and become an object of gaze. Until then, she undergoes
plastic surgery and gets the opportunity to be a singer. In addition, researchers want
to know how the male gaze influences Kim Yong Hwa’s perspective of beauty concept
issues.
To analyze further, this study uses Roland Barthes’ semiotic analysis method.
Barthes’ method defines symbols by connecting denotations and connotations and
associating them with myths. Male gaze theory is used to reveal the myths of beauty
and women objectification that spread in society.
Based on the results of this study, the male gaze assessed in the film is divided
into three parts: Women as sexual objects, Standardization of women’s beauty, and
Women as commercial object. Women become sexual objects as man thinks a woman
is something to be owned and controlled. Standardization of women's beauty
generates women incapable of maintaining their self-esteem. Moreover, women's
bodies are exploited by men and cause the body parts of women shifting from private
space to public space.
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