Event

Katherine Sender
Associate Professor, Communication, University of Pennsylvania

New media, queer self-representation, and the limits of reflexivity

New media have opened up unprecedented opportunities for queer self-representation. This shift from being spoken for by mainstream media to increasing possibilities to speak for oneself has been heralded as a moment of queer self-reflexivity. Reflexivity suggests being able to free oneself from structure and history, to recast self-narratives within new political contexts. Drawing from ethnographically informed research with audiences of makeover television, I consider how reflexivity is a helpful frame for understanding new audiences’ engagements with contemporary media. I also outline what the limits of reflexivity may be for both mainstream and GLBT audiences.