Beauty Within Faulty Programming

 Week 12 response:

In the Vox article "Beyond Dirty Computer" Aja Romano uncovers how Janelle Monáe's 2018 studio album Dirty Computer is a "masterpiece of modern science fiction." Romano discusses how combines themes of science fiction and technology through an afrofuturist lens in the creation of her narrative musical albums in order to challenge detrimental racial and gender stereotypes ingrained in our society. Monáe's music is distinguished by a narrative that follows her cyborg alter ego, Cindi Mayweather, a fictional android who becomes a powerful symbol of hope and rebellion against a dystopian society called "the Metropolis," which has a rigid social hierarchy that essentially oppresses all who are different. Mayweather is depicted as a righteous and almost divine character who leads a revolution against the Metropolis that seeks to eradicate androids and other marginalized groups. What Aja Romano uncovers in her article, is that Dirty Computer is an extremely powerful addition to Monáe's series of albums because it finally uncovers that Monáe created Cindi Mayweather's character as a metaphor for herself, a pansexual black woman. Romano explains how this has allowed Monáe to fully express her personal identity through her art for the first time, and also harness themes of identity, race, gender, and sexuality in an even more impactful way. 

Janelle Monáe's series of narrative album releases has been a 15 year musical journey that started with a depiction of a dystopian society that mirrors oppressive and othering social hierarchies, and has evolved into a "jubilant, queer, and Afrofuturist" vision of what both Metropolis and our world could become, celebrating the beauty of individuality and self-expression. Throughout the narrative, freedom and individuality is portrayed as a "glitch" in the cyborg programming, and by opening up about her nonfictional identity with Dirty Computer, Monáe finalizes the metaphor in her story that we will only be able to celebrate our individuality or "faulty programming" when we truly break down oppressive social hierarchies.