About the Author
This website represents the culmination of my time at the University of Texas at Austin receiving my Masters in Media Studies.
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I first began to take an interest in machine-human interactions and relationships in Dr. Sharon Strover's "Communication, Technology, and Culture" class, where I was first introduced to the digital influencer Lil Miquela. Miquela was the start of my thinking about the ways that we integrate machines and technology into our daily lives. In following this line of enquiry, I found myself contemplating the way that in taking a recuperative stance toward technology, and in looking at our images of machines and tech through a queer lens, can reveal new modes of being in the world. I found myself transfixed by the ways that these creations are frequently the backdrop that allow humans a way to imagine a different world and a different self. More often than not, these imaginings take on a distinctly counter-hegemonic sensibility.
Halfway through “Communication, Technology, and Culture” (Spring 2020), the COVID-19 pandemic forced us into remote online courses. I’m writing this section on the one-year anniversary of the World Health Organization declaring a worldwide pandemic. Since then, I’ve completed the majority of my Masters remotely.
Representing Beyond the Human
In our exceedingly digital and virtual world we are increasingly met with images and reflections of ourselves that have been created by machines and technology. This section attempts to grapple with such a creation; the virtual influencer Lil Miquela. Lil Miquela acts as a text by which users can think about technology, its effect on reality, and how it can be utilized for capitalistic gain while uncannily resembling the human.
Miquela Sousa, better known as Lil Miquela (@lilmiquela) on Instagram, is in a word, cool. She's an influencer, musician, and model living in LA. She's queer and supports the Black Lives Matter movement. Her feed is replete with sunny photos on the beach, or stopping by Fairfax market for some thrifted clothing. She hangs out with up-and-coming musicians and artists. She jet sets to New York City for Fashion Week and São Paolo for Carnaval. She's verified by Instagram and has over 2.2 million followers. Miquela is like the dozens of other influencers that have made their mark on the social networking site, except for one difference:
She is a completely virtual construction.
Created by LA-based media company Brud, Miquela's first post on Instagram was in April of 2016. Since then she has posted over 900 posts documenting her life. She has received endorsements from Calvin Klein, Samsung, and Prada. Joining the ranks of models, Adriana Lima and Rosie Huntington-Whitley, in May of 2020 Miquela signed a contract with modeling agency CAA who will be representing her in TV, film, and branding. The prospect of a TV show or a movie featuring her was also raised.
Miquela is included in this project because she confuses the boundaries between representations of human and machine. Separating her from Brud and taking her narrative of a sentient robot living in this world seriously, she presents an engaging case study as to what a banal future between machines and humans could look like. This mundanity is further emphasized in the way that she is so thoroughly integrated into a market economy. Miquela exists to be seen and referenced , both visually and hypertextually within the social media network of Instagram.
Click here to begin exploring Lil Miquela's network.