Though it sounds far-fetched, Jenelle Monáe’s album Dirty Computer resonates with the ideas framed in Donna Haraway’s essay Cyborg Manifesto especially as it pertains to the themes of gender identity, its fluidity and the push to resist oppression. For Haraway’s Cyborg Manifesto, Harraway offers a vision of a post-gender world in which identity is fluid. Haraway champions for the breakdown of the rigid boxes that categorize the human idea of identity and emphasizing fluidity beyond traditional binaries of gender, race, and species, which is what Monáe brings to life with her album Dirty Computer. Monáe’s album is a celebration of black queer feminist resistance against the oppression, racism, and misogyny in modern society. It’s important to note that Monáe herself is a queer woman who identifies as pansexual and is non-binary, opting to use pronouns of they/them or she/her. In an interview on the American talk show Red Table Talk. Monáe stated, “I’m non-binary, so I just don’t see myself as a woman, solely,” She added, “I feel all of my energy. I feel like God is so much bigger than the ‘he’ or the ‘she.’ If I am from God, I am everything. I am everything, but I will always, always stand with women.” In addition to that, Monáe explained that she’s attracted to people based on their energy, rather than their gender or sex. Dirty Computer uses many of her real life experiences as a queer woman to pull first hand inspiration for the album. In Janelle Monáe’s Dirty Computer: An Experience Immersed In Musical Activism written by Lucas Cava. Cava details the core details of Monáe’s album as it represents a love letter to black queer America, it shows them support in a society where they’re often the marginalized and demonized group. The dystopian world depicted in Dirty Computer mirrors Haraway’s concept showcasing a society where non-conforming individuals face persecution and fight with different forms of resistance. Overall, Monáe’s Dirty Computer not only aligns with Haraway’s vision but also provides a strong viewpoint on the realities of those who are often marginalized identities within society.
Published by