Catties and T-Selfies

On the “I” and the “We” in Trans-Animal Cute Aesthetics

Bibliographic Data

ID3773971
AuthorsEliza Steinbock (0000-0001-5531-7142, Leiden University Centre for the Arts in Society, PO Box 9515, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands, corresponding author)
Year2017
Volume22
Issue2
Pages159-178
Publication date2017-04-03
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAngelaki (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0969-725X • E-ISSN: 1469-2899
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/0969725x.2017.1322835
OpenAlexW2616089952
LanguageEN
Citations received8
References cited21

This article responds to the phenomenon of Internet cats becoming pervasive in Web 2.0, while at the same time digitally shared self-portraits, commonly called “selfies,” also circulate with extremely high frequency. The author tracks the efficacy of sharing selfies for trans/Two Spirit individuals such as artist Kiley May and in trans-centric hashtag campaigns. It shows that trans-animality in digital life can offer sovereign forms of subjectivity and engages response patterns that locate a trans point of regard. Further, it seeks to explain why so many different kinds of cuteness are shared in the intimate superpublics of online trans* communities. Building on classic texts in philosophical cat studies, such as from Jacques Derrida, the concept of the “inappropriate/d other,” and contemporary cuteness theories, the article argues that cute aesthetics provide a sentimental shield, can counter sexual indifference, and often enact a mode of resilience crucial for surviving in cultures that erase the existence of trans people of color

Aesthetics · Art · Epistemology · Human–computer interaction · Mode (computer interface · Phenomenon · Point (geometry · Sociology · Subjectivity · Computer Science · Gender, Feminism, and Media · Gothic Literature and Media Analysis · Philosophy · Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology

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Open DOISci-HubOpen Access