Janelle Monáe’s Queer Afrofuturism in “Dirty Computer”
Being a student at UCLA has granted me the greatest privilege of being enrolled in Tananarive Due’s Wakanda Bound: Introduction to Afrofuturism class this spring quarter. Yes, that is actually what the course is titled and yes, Black Panther is undoubtedly the best and most accessible gateway into afrofuturism that we have to date.
I can’t lie; my interest in afrofuturism was largely sparked by Black Panther itself. Although I was already familiar with afrofuturist themes through music artists such as Beyoncé, Rihanna, FKA Twigs, and Janelle Monáe, I didn’t fully recognize the deeper cultural context and history behind it, nor did I even delve further into afrofuturism as a whole.
Moving through this class week by week has really broadened my perspective about how important afrofuturism can be as a tool to empower. From watching the short film Pumzi to reading Octavia Butler’s Dawn, I was presented with such vivid examples of a future that places and prioritizes the black identity --front and center. Still, me being me had to wonder about the intersectionality, the place that queer folx had.
Especially while reading Dawn, questions about gender, reproduction, and sex arose. On one hand, I was hollering at the fact that aliens did not have to confirm to strict gender binaries (here for the sexless and morally ambiguous Ooloi), but it had me wondering about the queer humans we have yet to really encounter in material for the class. Thankfully Janelle Monáe’s return with “Dirty Computer” and her associated emotion picture allowed a glimpse into one vision of queer afrofuturism.
In this past Thursday’s class, we were able to have a discussion about Janelle Monáe’s Android Activism in Afrofuturism. We watched the music video for “Many Moons”, paying particular attention to the parallels to slavery and Cindy Mayweather’s ending quote: “I imagined many moons in the sky lighting the way to freedom”. We even talked about Janelle’s worldbuilding in this future. “Dirty Computer”, however, leaves the android narrative and spotlights a tale of identity and individuality.
“They started calling us computers. People began vanishing and the cleaning began. You were dirty if you looked different. You were dirty if you refused to live the way they dictated. You were dirty if you showed any form of opposition.” This is how Janelle begins her emotion picture through the eyes of Jane, where she must be “cleansed” and have her memories erased. “Crazy, Classic, Life” really sets the tone and overarching theme of the emotion picture, that these are individuals living free without fear or suppression. The emotion picture expands Monáe’s typical themes of revolution and self-love into an entirely new landscape - a landscape where love and acceptance of yourself (quirks, and all) is the key to freedom.
Song Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyrZ6RxceEE
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The Sacramento-based experimental hip-hop group, Death Grips consists of members: Stefan Burnett (aka MC Ride), Zach Hill, and Andy Morin. Death Grips’ 2015 track, On GP comes from the trio’s 2015 two-disc album The Powers That B.
The track opens with a wailing lead guitar, reminiscent of sounds heard from early rock. Soon after, we hear Zach Hill on the drums producing short, quick beats with the similar sounds of guitar wailing layered beneath. MC Ride shouts aggressive, seemingly out of breath lyrics with fast tempo drumming backing him. The instruments frequently clash together within these 6 minutes to create noise in an exaggerated way. Approaching 1:30 mark, MC Ride’s abrasive rapping style fades out with the use of an echoing effect. We then hear a haunting organ piece which cuts into the former guitar and drum beat at a slower tempo. Parallel to the slower tempo, the vocal delivery is clearer and it becomes easier to decipher the lyrics.
MC Ride’s vocal delivery is equally as abrasive and loud as all the other material that Death Grips has released, however On GP can be considered one of their more depressing songs, with regards to its lyrical content. On this track, there are” …lyrics—about ropes and hangings, boredom and psychosis, annoyance and exits—are more grim than usual…” (Currin, “On GP”). Drawing towards the end of the track, MC Ride’s rapping morphs into a robotic chant via pitched down vocals, which adds more distortion to the vocals. The track ends off abruptly which serves as an interesting transition into the last song of the album, Death Grips 2.0, an instrumental track which opens with static and heavy thumping beats.
The style of experimental hip-hop is relatively new. Williams describes it as “… a broad range of electronic dance music styles, not tied down to a single geographic origin, and – as the variety of names suggests – always changing.” (281) The origin of this style of hip-hop is thought of to be “…during hip hop's "golden age",which is usually cited as between the mid 1980s and the mid 1990s and said to be characterized by its diversity, quality, innovation and influence. This was a time during which everything was experimental and new. “ (World Heritage Encyclopedia, “Experimental Hip Hop) Experimental hip hop can sound extremely different and it can be hard to define a song as belonging to the style. Although, the common core element is hip-hop the rest of the elements of the song may be sampled from reggae, rock, jazz, etc. Within experimental hip hop there are a few subgenres such as “avanthop, left-field hip hop, cloud rap, and psychedelic hip hop” (World Heritage Encyclopedia, “Experimental Hip Hop).
Death Grips usually performs in more intimate venues and for an audience that is made up of older teens to young adults. The smaller venues create a more intimate and packed environment that matches with the angry, loud music that Death Grips performs. The atmosphere of one of their shows could be compared to one of a punk show where moshing and head banging are often observed.
Following in the steps of their previous work, On GP and the whole Jenny Death album “… nods to Death Grips’ more conventional rock influences, but it’s in no way trying to pander to a rock audience.” (O’Connor, “Jenny Death”) Due to the eclectic nature of the style of experimental hip hop, Death Grips can appeal to any audience. Their presence is rather polarizing due to their sensitive lyrical content and graphic content in music videos and album artwork. On GP, specifically is associated with hints of experimental hip hop and punk rock. The most important element of hip-hop is the rapping and melodic beats that accompanies it. The style of experimental hip-hop has incorporated elements such as synths, an emphasis on more energetic, sometimes sporadic drumming, and the addition of a melodic guitar riff.
With their past albums being described as a “corrosive, cyber-grinding, electroshock scream-therapy sesh…” (Weingarten, “Artist of the Year: Death Grips”), there is no doubt that Death Grips’ intense and vociferous music creates an affective overdrive within its audience. The aggressive lyrical content often influences listeners to use their music as a form of catharsis. Their audience during their concerts can often be seen aggressively moshing and pumping their hands into the air to the erratic beats. Members of the audience often contort their bodies to dance in time to their carnivalesque performance.
Hip-hop has been a used as a platform for many artists to bring awareness to the issues of society such as economic inequality, racism, religion, and violence. In the 80s, many artists used hip-hip to bring light to the violence towards blacks. Hip-hop artist, Public Enemy ”… coined the term ‘political hip-hop’” (Barrett, “Hip Hop: A Hipstory”). To make the issues more accessible to others, hip-hop artists began to mix melodic beats with black history to reach a wider audience.
Hardcore hip-hop fans may not readily accept Death Grips’ approach to the musical style. With the emergence of experimental hip-hop, the sound began to change and the traditional fast rapping and booming beats of hip-hop has been distorted with synths, loud, pulsing drums, and the messy clash of sounds reminiscent of noise music. Hip-hop’s affective overdrive is about expressing emotions one’s life, struggles, and relationships. The unique thing about hip-hop is that its core element (rapping) is extremely accessible, which is partly what makes it so popular. As hip-hop continues to transform and different styles are created, the core of hip-hop will always be maintained and the values are associated with the style will continue to exist.
God is Change in Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower
For my college admissions essay, I answered that my capacity for empathy is my “greatest talent or skill”. Enrolling as a transfer student at UCLA did not come without Imposter Syndrome; I’d be lying if I said I still don’t question why or how I made it here every day. But if I had to consider what aspect about my admissions package helped me get here, I would largely attribute it to that answer. Because of this, I found that I could relate empathize with the main character in Octavia E. Butler’s science fiction novel Parable of the Sower.
The year is 2024 and the world... isn’t doing too hot. Well, the problem is actually that the world is too hot. Global warming, economic disparities, raging violence, and drug overuse are just a few reasons why Parable’s future is in turmoil. Due to the amount of drugs her mother took while she was pregnant, Lauren ended up being born with the ability of hyperempathy - the ability to feel and experience the pain and other sensations she sees. I think I was born an empath... or at least, that’s the best word I have to describe the ease in which I sense others’ emotions, the pull I have toward listening and helping others. Throughout the novel, I could only imagine how difficult life would be through Lauren’s shoes. In Lauren’s world, that “gift” is more like a curse considering the amount of violence and pain she has to witness. Still, this can be a case where her hyperempathy is both a blessing and a curse. It is her empathy that partially fuels her spirituality and eventual creation of her own religion.
The Destiny of Earthseed
Is to take root among the stars.
--EARTHSEED: THE BOOKS OF THE LIVING
One of the pillars of Lauren’s religion - Earthseed - is a major component of afrofuturism. The whole point of afrofuturism is to strive for something better. A better world, better representation for black people, a better future. Imagining an escape out of the hell of her reality is how Lauren ends up coping in the same way that black artists wanted to escape out of the reality where they lacked equal rights and freedom. The fact that Lauren creates this religion as a teenager is also interesting. We talked in class how this isn’t any different from the millions of teens sparking change and holding strong leadership today (like the Parkland students). Earthseed has a belief system and origin that makes a lot of sense; in fact, all excerpts from Lauren’s scripture are easy to believe.
Embrace diversity.
Unite--
Or be divided,
robbed,
ruled,
killed
By those who see you as prey.
Embrace diversity
Or be destroyed.
--EARTHSEED: THE BOOKS OF THE LIVING
I grew up in the Catholic church. Over the years, my faith has been shaky and is now more often than not in the “agnostic zone”. I can’t discredit belief in a God, but I’m not placing my entire faith in one specific vision of a God either. I think that’s why I feel more drawn to the God that Lauren presents. God is Change. God shapes the universe. The universe shapes God. Lauren presents a God that isn’t rigid, but is malleable. It’s ironic, too, that I am what the Biblical story of “Parable and the Sower” talks about.
Admittedly, this week was a busy one and I actually fell behind in keeping up with assignments for my Intro to Afrofuturism class. Still, with all of the things that needed to be done this week I was glad that I was still able to delve into Lion’s Blood, written by Steven Barnes, in time for the viewing of Professor Due’s video interview with him on Thursday. I really appreciated that time to get a better understanding of the amount of research and worldbuilding that was put into this novel.
But let’s backtrack this for a bit. Lion’s Blood is an incredibly ambitious work - or as easily put: a simple premise with a complicated outcome. Lion’s Blood poses a scenario where history was reversed and Africa became a dominant world power that advances rapidly and views Europeans as superior (even taking them as slaves). I was already blown away by how complicated this project was when Professor Due briefly mentioned what it was about. It was for that reason that I appreciated the time to view their interview that gave a closer look into the creative process Barnes went through in order to make this believable.
Something that Barnes said in the interview really caught my attention to the point where I had to write it down. “I had to rewrite twenty four hundred years of history[...] I did a bunch of things to speed Africa up, slow Europe down, change history so that Africa was able to flip the switch and have the kind of advantage culturally, technologically, militarily, etc to harvest the children of Europe.” By reading the text alone, I was able to understand how methodically every aspect of this world was planned out. So for that reason it was intriguing to get this confirmation from Barnes himself.
With all this being said and the midterm essay questions still on my mind, I couldn’t help but think that this played exactly into the theme of hierarchy that we’ve been discussing all quarter. Every work we’ve read and seen had aspects to do with hierarchy so Lion’s Blood would definitely not have been an exception. As I read through the novel I kept on wondering why this concept was so intriguing to me (and perhaps even most people). We live in a world of constant power struggle; everything we do and every aspect of our lives has its foundation in which place we have on some sort of hierarchy. Therefore, the premise of Lion’s Blood alone plays into hierarchy.
Week 9 Fandom: Do toxic fans in some online spaces (e.g. Twitter) make it difficult to become or identify as a fan?
Toxic Fans: The Unwanted Side Effect of Fandom
Being a fan should be about appreciating what you love—whether that’s music, movies, TV, or even a perfectly baked sourdough bread recipe. However, with the rise of platforms like Twitter, Reddit, and other fan networks, the term “fan” has become somewhat muddled. While it’s easier than ever to share your interests with like-minded people, it also means navigating the minefield of toxic fandom, gatekeepers, and those who think their opinion is the only one that matters. When toxic fans get involved, it makes it hard to enjoy being a fan, let alone claim the title. Let’s balance this out with a bit of comedy, reality, and a healthy dose of perspective.
Fandom's Dark Side
We’ve all been there—diving deep into heated character debates after joining a new online forum for our favorite show. Or worse, finding yourself accused of not “truly understanding” the fandom. Yes, the dreaded “real fan” test. Like an exclusive club, being part of the fan community often requires knowing obscure facts, having an in-depth understanding, or proving you’ve invested a certain amount of time and energy. If you haven't watched every director's cut or read every comic, heaven forbid, you’re not a “true” fan. Enter the world of gatekeeping.
Gatekeeping: The Unasked Fan Police
Gatekeeping happens when people try to limit who can be a fan and to what extent. It’s like attending a play, only to be told that you can’t fully enjoy the performance unless you’ve memorized every line. It’s frustrating. New fans often find themselves bombarded with “How do you even like this?” or “You haven’t read the books?” Or worse: “You’re not a fan if you don’t agree with me.” Fandoms can sometimes feel like that grouchy neighbor who constantly complains about your home parties. Fans should be inclusive, not exclusive!
PERIOD!
Toxic Positivity Power
On the flip side, fan spaces can also harbor toxic positivity. Sometimes, if you voice any criticism, you’re met with a flood of responses like “just enjoy it” or “stop being negative.” It can be hard to maintain a perfect fanbase, but guess what? It’s okay to express your dislikes. After all, just because you love something doesn’t mean you have to love every little thing about it. Fans shouldn’t have to fear “cancellation” by other fans for voicing an unpopular opinion. It’s like getting criticized at a dinner party for not liking the dessert—chill out, Karen, some of us are here for the appetizers.
The Identity Challenge
How can you even consider identifying as a fan when you’re constantly being told you’re not “real enough” by toxic people? This kind of behavior discourages people from engaging with the fandom at all. Some even decide to disconnect from online spaces entirely, choosing to enjoy their passion solo. But here’s the thing—being a fan should be simple. All it takes is appreciating something and connecting with others who share that enthusiasm. Instead, we’ve built a culture where fans police each other’s fandoms, leaving no room for people to just enjoy things. The irony? Being a fan is supposed to bring people together, not drive them apart.
So, What Can We Do About It?
The good news is that not all fan communities are like this. There are many out there that are inclusive, welcoming, and ready to embrace a wide range of opinions. These are the communities where you can disagree without fear of being kicked out. After all, fandoms are more fun when everyone can talk about what they love without judgment. You don’t need to memorize every fact or attend every conference to be a fan. Being a fan is about passion and enthusiasm, not membership in the “fan police.”
Next time you run into toxic fans, just remember—your love for something is all you need to be a fan. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise just because you haven’t watched every YouTube video or read every book on the subject. Keep it positive and keep it fun!
Last Thought
Ultimately, the goal of fandom should be fun, not gatekeeping. Let’s agree to stop policing each other’s fandoms and accept that there’s room for all kinds of fans. Arguing about which superhero movie is the best is a lot more enjoyable than arguing about who’s a real fan. Save the drama for the plotlines, folks.
BYE BYE !!
726 words
Cavender, E. (2024, October 30). Social media drives toxic fandom. is there a solution? Mashable. https://mashable.com/article/chappell-roan-platforms-fandom
Michael, J. K. (2022, June 12). I remember back in the early to mid 2010s, twitter was a social media platform that was treated as a royal platform in tanzania, only suitable for the special few who felt superior to the rest of the population by owning a twitter account, not even a bank account with 6 figures of USD, just a twitte. Linkedin.com. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-twitter-most-toxic-social-media-platform-tanzania-michael/
NoStupidQuestions. (2024). Reddit - dive into anything. Reddit.com. https://www.reddit.com/r/NoStupidQuestions/comments/1eht2zh/what_has_made_twitter_a_toxic_space_to_be_on/?rdt=62232
Oliveira, E., Sparrow, L., & Butt, M.-A. (2024, September 30). Online spaces are rife with toxicity. well-designed AI tools can help clean them up. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/online-spaces-are-rife-with-toxicity-well-designed-ai-tools-can-help-clean-them-up-239590
The current status of my project is going well as planned. I have define my design brief starting with my defined, how might we statement:
"How might we overcome age stereotypes (demographics of 50-80 years of age) in the workplace and recognise it's impacts on employee experiences and organisational culture"
my design vision is to create an inclusive and diverse workplace environment that challenges and overcomes age stereotypes, fostering a culture where individuals of all ages are valued for their unique experiences, skills and contributions...
The tools that I am using for this project is the triple diamond methodology as I am familiar with it through the three years of study. I am familiar with how to use it, which I find very helpful because I think it can take time to understand how frameworks works. The triple diamond method is for systemic design of services, in which I think my project will be heading to a solution relating to service design. The toolkit I will be using is the Human Centred Design.
The strengths of using this tool is that toolkit as it focuses on serving people in this project which requires us to centre human needs. It can be valuable for addressing stereotypes in the workplace, which is the centre and main focus for my project. The toolkit's iterative process allows for continuous feedback and improvement, as this is an important aspect of increasing the likelihood of creating a successful product or services. The flexibility that it can be adapted to different context and projects, making it applicable for wide range of challenges I might encounter during the project.
The weakness of using this tool is that, it can be time-consuming especially during the research and user-testing phase as it might not be suitable for project with tight timelines. While also involving human and their needs, balancing the user needs can sometimes lead to competing interest and design compromises.
The current challenges that I am facing is having enough preliminary research to support my statements. This is the current challenge that I am trying to solve and I will resolve this by using my time wisely as background research is very important to show that we understand the problem and brief that we are trying to solve. I will also seek my fellow students for help and feedback.
The part of the project that has made me happy is creating the mood board, the theme of my miro board as well as filling out the online worksheets of the diversity works awareness spectrum, intersectionality, and wheel of privilege and power worksheet, as these tasks does not require much thinking and it involves colours.
The part of the project that has made me sad is the concept of my project that either young or old employees are facing stereotype biases in the workplace. It is saddening to see the 62% of employees are experiencing this and 90-95% of workers age 50-80 reported having personally seen or experienced age discrimination. It Is sad that people who have witness this ca possibly be bystanders to these occurrences.
The reason I want to become a Chef is because it allows me to express myself in many different ways. Being a Chef to me means that I am an artist and a creator of delicious food that can express certain feelings that other people can enjoy.
Min, Angela (Photographer). (2018, June). Family [digital image]
Are you working in the industry?
I am currently working as a cook for Plaza Premium Lounge located in both Terminals at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
Your personal philosophy of cooking.
My personal philosophy on cooking is that no matter how much you know, there is always something new to learn each day
What you hope to gain from your Blogging experience.
What I hope to gain from my blogging experience is not only to get familiar with creating them but using them as ways to express my passion
A culinary quote with citation
“Anybody can make you enjoy the first bite of a dish, but only a real chef can make you enjoy the last.“- Francois Minot
An original picture AND an image from the internet with a citation
Gajilomo, Eric (Photographer). (2018, April). Salmon fillet with celery root mash [digital image]. Retrieved from https://ericcgaj.tumblr.com/post/178654503931/salmon-fillet-with-celery-root-mash
Banse, Lily (Photographer). (2017, September 6). Retrieved from https://unsplash.com/photos/-YHSwy6uqvk/info
Reference to a Great Culinary Blog you have found and would like to emulate. Include reasons why you like this Blog, what they do well and what could be done better.
Gayne, Greg (Photographer). (2015, December 5). Retrieved from https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/graham-elliot-exiting-masterchef-masterchef-850282
Graham Elliot
The reason I like this blog is because it is not only very informative but it gave me a real sense of the personal life of the personal lives of Chefs. Graham Elliot is a Chef that I enjoy watching cook, I first watched him as a judge on Masterchef and followed is cooking through his youtube videos I enjoy his simplicity and the ways he approaches something as tough as cooking. I don’t feel that this blog could have been done much better as this I believe it was very well put and organized.
And here we are at last; my final blog post for my Introduction to Afrofuturism class that I’ve been taking this quarter at UCLA. This past week I did not have a blog post because we had final projects due. For me, I decided to write a short story using Afrofuturism themes. Maybe one day I’ll be able to refine it enough to post on here, but for now let’s just say that short story is still very much a work in progress…
Anyway, among the final projects we still had a few more assignments and lectures left in the quarter. To be honest, it was a bit hard to keep track of on top of other assignments for classes, but we were assigned to read Nalo Hopkinson’s short story “Left Foot, Right”, which was a great example of how to write a complete and impactful short story in the week when I was struggling with my own Afrofuturist short story. In class, we talked about how Hopkinson’s sprinkles in details about what is going on in the narrative without information being spoonfed at the audience. In comparison to other short stories read in this class, I felt that it was different because it dealt with the very human and relatable topic of grief and loss.
On top of reading short stories, we were also given the assignment of watching Daughters of the Dust. I have actually encountered this movie in the past because I took a class about Queer Literature and Film and this was one of the films that was mentioned. In class with Professor Due, one thing really stuck with me about afrofuturism. That the quality in Daughters of the Dust that made it afrofuturistic was also the use of technology. This prompted me to think back to all the works we encountered in the class and the role that technology played in each of them. Anyway, it goes without saying that Daughters of the Dust was a cinematic masterpiece. Stunning visuals paired with a powerful story combines to make a film that is worthy of all the accolades it has received. It’s no wonder why Beyonce drew inspiration from this.
Overall, I was glad I decided to take this class that was completely outside of my major and wasn’t required at all. I followed my hunch that this would be an amazing class for me and I was right. Coming from the class, I now have a greater appreciation for afrofuturism - and that’s beyond just knowing about it through Black Panther. What will stick with me from this class, however, is that the representation of characters of color in fiction (ESPECIALLY science fiction) is paramount.
