Reading Time: 2 minutes

Donna Haraway’s Cyborg Manifesto (1985) imagines a future where traditional identity categories—like gender and race—break down, allowing for fluidity and freedom. Haraway’s cyborg transcends binaries, existing outside the confines of societal norms. Janelle Monáe’s 2018 album Dirty Computer builds on this vision, using the “dirty computer” as a metaphor for individuals who refuse to conform to strict, limiting identities. Both works challenge us to rethink what it means to be human in a world that punishes non-conformity.

In Dirty Computer, Monáe presents a dystopian world where “dirty computers” are persecuted for their difference, echoing Haraway’s cyborg—a figure that rejects being neatly categorized. Tracks like “Pynk” and “I Like That” celebrate the fluidity of identity, particularly around gender and sexuality, which resonates with Haraway’s vision of a post-gender world. In Haraway’s theory, the cyborg is free from biological and social limitations. Similarly, Monáe’s music encourages a celebration of self-definition outside of societal constraints.

Monáe’s approach, however, also explores the darker side of technology. In her world, technology is a tool of control, used to erase memories and force individuals into conformity. This duality—where technology can both liberate and oppress—is central to both Haraway’s and Monáe’s work. While Haraway’s cyborg uses technology to break free from old systems of power, Monáe shows how those same tools can be used to reinforce them.

Monáe’s album, and its accompanying “Emotion Picture,” presents a clear parallel to Haraway’s vision. The “cleaning” process in Dirty Computer is symbolic of society’s attempts to erase non-conforming identities—whether through social exclusion, legal restrictions, or outright violence. In this world, technology doesn’t just control bodies, it controls minds, erasing the very memories that make individuals unique. Monáe’s character, Jane 57821, resists this process, reflecting Haraway’s idea of the cyborg as inherently rebellious, existing outside societal boundaries and resisting erasure.

Ultimately, both Haraway and Monáe envision futures where identities are fluid, boundaries are broken, and the binaries that define us begin to dissolve. Their work invites us to consider a world where non-conformity is celebrated, and where the future is shaped by those willing to resist being boxed in. They push us to embrace the complexity of identity and challenge systems that seek to define and limit who we are.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

In 1985, Donna Haraway released her Cyborg Manifesto, which displayed her vision on identity that is beyond traditional boundaries of gender, class, and biology. For Haraway, the cyborg was a symbol of resistance to social structures that have the purpose of defining who we are based on categories. Fast forward to 2018, Janelle Monáe’s Dirty Computer explores similar themes. Janelle Monáe’s song paints a picture of a future where people who don’t conform to societal norms are persecuted. In Dirty Computer, Monáe creates an image where individual expression is a form of rebellion. Together, Haraway’s manifesto and Monáe’s album imagine a future where identity isn’t structured and where standing up to conformity is seen a survival.

Cyborgs: Breaking Down Boundaries

The cyborg described by Haraway does not fit perfectly into categories like: human, machine, male or female. For Haraway, the cyborg is a metaphor for how identity is not easily boxed into one thing. Identity is something that exists in a fluid space, always shifting, and doesn’t stick to the binaries of society. This same concept is exactly what Janelle Monáe explores in Dirty Computer. In song like “PYNK,” Monáe celebrates womanhood but does so in a way that doesn’t confine it to biology or societal definitions. The lyric “Pink, as we all go insane” suggests shared experiences among women that no woman will perfectly fit societies standards and that it is fine to reject rigid labels. Similarly, in “I Like That,” Monáe embraces her multifaceted identity, showing us that it’s okay to exist outside the lines society draws for us.

Post-Gender Dreams and Dystopian Realities

A major concept in Cyborg Manifesto is the rejection of essentialism—the idea that who we are is defined by our biology. Haraway imagines a post-gender world where identity is not bound to traditional categories. The dream of fluidity is also central to Dirty Computer. Monáe’s album is a reflection of the real world, where gender norms and expectations can be suffocating. Those who don’t conform are labeled as “dirty,” but rather than run from that label, Monáe’s embraces it. The album becomes a celebration of self-expression and defiance against a system that tries to erase non-conforming individuals. Both Haraway and Monáe suggest that embracing our complex, hybrid identities is where true change lies.

Surveillance, Control, and the Fight for Autonomy

In both of these works, there’s a focus on how society uses surveillance and control to police bodies. Haraway’s cyborg exists outside of these systems and resists the forces of patriarch, capitalism, and colonialism that try to categorize and exploit people. Similarly, Monáe’s “dirty computers” are under constant surveillance, their identities erased unless they submit to societal expectations. However, both Haraway and Monáe see hope in resistance. Haraway’s cyborg resists being placed into any category while Monáe refuses to be “cleaned,” ultimately fighting back against a system that seeks to erase individuality. Claiming the parts of ourselves that don’t fit neatly into society’s boxes, is a form of defiance that both Haraway and Monáe see as something needed for the possibility of a better future.

Conclusion: Embracing the Hybrid

At first glance, Cyborg Manifesto and Dirty Computer might seem worlds apart—one is an academic essay from the 80s, and the other is a modern concept album. Both of these works are connected by their explorations of identity, fluidity, and resistance. Haraway’s cyborg represents the breaking down of boundaries between categories like human and machine, male and female, while Monáe’s album embodies the same fight for individuality in a world that demands for conformity. Together, they show us that the future does not belong to those who fit neatly into categories, but to those who resist and embrace the complexity of who they are.

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Supplemental Media:

• Music Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaYvlVR_BEc
• Link to Haraway’s Cyborg Manifesto: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiF9SBrzWoU
• Timeline Graphic: https://medium.com/@opaka/the-history-of-cyborgs-in-pop-culture-and-how-theyve-been-represented-over-the-years-d1467e929cf3

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Janelle Monáe’s 2018 album “Dirty Computer” serves as a powerful exploration of themes first introduced in Donna Haraway’s seminal 1985 essay “A Cyborg Manifesto.” Both works grapple with identity, technology, and the blurring of boundaries in a world increasingly shaped by digital systems. Haraway envisioned a post-gender world where identity is fluid and not constrained by traditional categories, a concept that resonates strongly throughout “Dirty Computer.” In songs like “Crazy, Classic, Life,” Monáe celebrates freedom of expression and rejects societal limitations. The album’s overarching narrative of “dirty computers”—individuals deemed non-conforming by an oppressive system—directly challenges rigid identity constructs.

The cyborg, as Haraway conceptualized it, represents a fusion of human and machine. Monáe’s album title itself evokes this merging of the organic and technological. Throughout the album, she uses computer and technological metaphors to explore human experiences, as seen in the opening track where she compares feelings of love to computer hardware. Haraway saw the cyborg as a powerful symbol for resistance against oppressive systems, a theme central to “Dirty Computer.” In tracks like “Django Jane,” Monáe employs her art as a form of empowerment and defiance. The album’s accompanying “emotion picture” further reinforces this narrative of resistance in a dystopian world.

Both Haraway and Monáe challenge traditional categorizations. “Dirty Computer” seamlessly blends genres, refusing to be neatly classified, just as Haraway’s cyborg defies simple categorization. Songs like “Pynk” and “Make Me Feel” explore fluid sexuality and gender expression, echoing Haraway’s post-gender vision. Furthermore, Haraway emphasized the importance of rewriting dominant narratives, a principle that Monáe embodies in her work. By celebrating marginalized identities and challenging societal norms, she creates a form of “myth-making” that Haraway would likely appreciate.

While separated by decades, Haraway’s “Cyborg Manifesto” and Monáe’s “Dirty Computer” share a revolutionary spirit. Both works imagine new possibilities for identity and resistance in technologically mediated worlds. Monáe’s album brings Haraway’s theoretical concepts to life through powerful music and visuals, demonstrating the enduring relevance of these ideas in our increasingly digital age.

References

Dirty computer by Janelle Monáe. Genius. (n.d.). https://genius.com/albums/Janelle-monae/Dirty-computer

Reading Time: 2 minutes

In Dirty Computer, Janelle Monáe constructs a dystopian world where individuals who defy societal norms are hunted down and “cleaned,” their non-conformity erased. This vision ties directly to Donna Haraway’s Cyborg Manifesto, where she imagines a future where identity is fluid, post-gender, and unfixed—a direct challenge to the rigid boundaries of race, gender, and sexuality that shape our current world. Monáe’s work taps into Haraway’s radical ideas by using the metaphor of the “dirty computer” as a stand-in for the marginalized body, one that doesn’t fit cleanly into pre-assigned boxes.

In songs like “PYNK” and “I Like That,” Monáe embraces this fluidity, celebrating identities that move beyond binary constraints. The body and the self are portrayed as ever-evolving, a concept that Haraway explores through her cyborg figure—neither fully human nor machine, embodying multiplicity. Both Monáe and Haraway reject the traditional idea of purity or fixed identity, instead advocating for a world where hybridity is a source of strength.

Monáe also shares Haraway’s critical lens on the systems of power that attempt to control and erase non-conforming bodies. Tracks like “Django Jane” and “Crazy, Classic, Life” serve as declarations of resistance, much like Haraway’s insistence that cyborgs are political, standing against the patriarchal structures that seek to categorize and dominate. Through Monáe’s music, the cyborg becomes an empowering figure—one that reclaims autonomy in a world that tries to deny it.

Dirty Computer doesn’t just depict a dystopia; it imagines a path forward, a post-gender future where non-conforming identities are celebrated rather than erased. Like Haraway’s Cyborg Manifesto, Monáe’s album pushes us to envision a world that transcends the rigid boundaries of race, gender, and sexuality, offering a new, fluid way of being.

To dive deeper into this connection, you might explore Haraway’s Cyborg Manifesto. For a visual supplement, check out Monáe’s Dirty Computer short film, which expands on the album’s themes of liberation and identity fluidity.

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Janelle Monae’s “Dirty Computer” album and Donna Haraway’s “A Cyborg Manifesto” both explore a fluidity of identity, critique of control, and resistance. Fluidity of identity is embraced in the album through the celebration of sexual and gender diversity, where traditional boundaries are blurred. Binary classification is rejected as love and attraction are explored across the broad spectrum of both sexuality and gender. In comparison, Haraway promotes a fluid understanding of self, specifically gender and sexuality. As far a critiquing control, both Haraway and Monae critique how society monitors and regulates identity, creating a struggle for autonomy. Lastly, there is the resistance against oppressive societal norms. “Dirty Computer” has a theme of rebellion and empowerment, challenging society exceptions. This theme is similar to Haraway’s call for liberation from traditional roles of gender and sexuality.

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Identity

Community

In Donna Haraway’s “Cyborg Manifesto” community was a big aspect in the book. Haraway talks about how building a community was important because it could be used to challenged power structures. The community becomes really important especially within the marginalized groups. Monáe’s album Dirty Compute talks about the important of community too. In the songs I Like That and Americans she talks about how communities should embrace unique identity. She also mentions in the songs that the community should fight against systemic oppression. In Monáe’s album Dirty Compute she talks more about celebrating and embracing the different communities.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Donna Haraway’s A Cyborg Manifesto imagines a future where identity is no longer defined by categories like gender or race, allowing for a fluid self. In a similar way, Janelle Monáe’s album The ArchAndroid introduces the character of Cindi Mayweather, an android who defies societal expectations and fights for her right to be free. Both Haraway’s cyborg and Monáe’s android question the limits society places on individuals and push for a more inclusive vision of identity.

Haraway’s cyborg isn’t confined to the usual labels of human or machine, male or female. Instead, the cyborg represents the ability to exist beyond traditional categories. Monáe picks up this theme where her android character rebels against control and breaks out of the boxes society tries to put her in. In songs like “Cold War” and “Locked Inside,” Monáe explores the struggle against oppression, similar to Haraway’s cyborg vision of resisting systems of power. Both works ask important questions about how technology and society interact—sometimes limiting us, but also offering new ways to break free.

Monáe goes deeper by exploring the idea of what it means to be “real” or human. Cindi Mayweather’s story mirrors Haraway’s idea that identity can’t be fixed or easily defined. The android represents the freedom to be complex, shifting between different roles and identities, rather than being trapped in one version of the self. This connects to Haraway’s message that we should embrace hybrid identities and reject the pressure to fit into categories.

Both Haraway and Monáe challenge us to think beyond the boundaries that society sets for us. They remind us that identity is complex and that true freedom comes from embracing that complexity instead of conforming. Haraway and Monáe push us to imagine a future where we can exist as part human, part machine, part something entirely new.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Image of cyborg in a ruffled pink apron in a kitchen. This image was generated with the help of Artifical Intelligence using NightCafe Creator.

By Kaitlyn Murray

In Cyborg Manifesto, Donna Haraway imagines cyborgs as an entity transcending traditional human, animal, and machine boundaries. The cyborg is not locked down to societial pressures of gender and race, yielding a fluid and flexible identity. In Dirty Computer, Janelle Monáe tells the story of Jane 57821 a “dirty computer” that struggles as she attempts to break free from societal norms and expectations.

In the song, “So Afraid,” a song on the Dirty Computer album, Monáe switches all the traditional roles of animal, male, female, and child. She begins the song by saying:

“all the kids run around

playing free and fun

While the dogs lap around the can

Falling down, climbing trees, swiming in the river”

Monáe gives imagery to this radical posthumanism idea, where the cyborg exists in this state of hybridity where the conventional boundaries of human and animal, nautral and artifical are challenged. She embraces the intersectionality of technology, human, and animal, giving way to this idea of the advancement of technology creating a space of liberty for new forms of existence that transcends society’s label. This aligns with Haraway’s cyborg—a symbol of fluidity and hybridity, where binaries and boundaries are dismantled to yield to expansive forms of being.

Monáe then says:

“Daughters sharpen their knives

and they hunt for food

Others watch their children grow”

Much like Haraway’s cyborg, Monáe’s characters use their non-conformity as a tool of liberation. She switches the gender roles as usually the man hunt for food and the women take care of the children. However, in this new world Monáe created, they are rejecting this patriarchal structure as they refuse to abide by the norms. Additionally, her word usage for those of a male gender as “other” illustrates Monáe’s characters reclaiming their own power and embracing their “dirtiness,” as percieved by those who give power to predetermined categories. This is similar to how Haraway’s cyborg challenges the systems that seek to control them.

In conclusion, Donna Haraway’s Cyborg Manifesto envisions a world where the rejection of binaries and the embracing of complexity can lead to a reconstruction of society’s systems. Janelle Monáe’s Dirty Computer deeply resonates with Haraway’s themes, particularly in the exploration of fluid identities and the resistance to oppressive societal norms. Both works challenge traditional notions of identity, embracing the power of non-conformity, and envision technology as both a site of control and a space for liberation. As robot useage increases, with MIT enginners replacing chefs with robots and house-cleaning-robots, the distinction between “men’s jobs” and “women’s jobs” begins to fade. In a world where machines hold no gender, could this spark a new wave of feminism and liberation for women? How might the future of gender roles shift as technology continues to reshape the workforce? In the future, could we see ourselves living out Haraway’s Cyborg Manifesto and witnessing the imagery Monáe evokes in “So Afraid”?

Works Cited:

Hitti, N. (2018, May 22). MIT engineers replace chefs with machines at “world’s first” robotic kitchen [Review of MIT engineers replace chefs with machines at “world’s first” robotic kitchen]. Dezeen.com; Dezeen. https://www.dezeen.com/2018/05/22/mit-engineers-replace-chefs-with-machines-in-worlds-first-robotic-kitchen/

Donna Haraway. (1985). 1985. Haraway, A Cyborg Manifesto. Science, Technology, And Socialist Feminism. In Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/1985.-haraway-a-cyborg-manifesto.-science-technology-and-socialist-feminism

D’Souza, A. (2021, April 15). Cleaning Robots Helps in Cleaning the Floor and Lawn. KBV Research Blog; KBV Research. https://www.kbvresearch.com/blog/cleaning-robots-helps-cleaning-floor-and-lawn/

Janelle Monáe. (2018). So Afraid [Song]. On Dirty Computer. Atlantic Records.

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