metropolis zine by melissa kelley

METROPOLIS

FROM JANELLE MONAE TO FRITZ LANG TO JOICE HETH TO ME

A ZINE BY MELISSA KELLEY Professor Gabrielle Printz Situated Technology Seminar ARC 625 SEM 14 May 2024 University at Buffalo

INTRODUCING NEWEST CYBORG CELESTE # 6683

AS HER OWNER HAS ABANDONED HER SHE STRIKES OUT TO THE LIBRARY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HERSELF AND HER HISTORY SHE PULLS OUT A SELECTION AT RANDOM FROM THE “ROBOTS” SECTION OF THE LIBRARY A SHINY BOX TITLED METROPOLIS AND IN IT- ONE MOVIE BY FRITZ LANG AND ONE ALBUM BY JANELLE MONAE FINALLY A SMALL PAMPHLET SLIPS OUT OF THE BOX “THE HISTORY OF AUTOMATA IN AMERICA” AS CELESTE SETTLES INTO HER CHAIR TO READ THE PAMPHLET, AFTER A FEW MINUTES, TO HER HORROR, SHE CAN FEEL HERSELF BEING SUCKED INTO THE PAMPHLET EVERYTHING GOES BLACK AND SHE WAKES UP IN A NEW WORLD

CELESTE WAS MADE BY A BORED ARCHITECTURE STUDENT THEN ABANDONED SHE SPENDS HER TIME LOUNGING...

PUTTING ON MAKE UP...

SHOPPING...

GOING TO THE GYM...

READING...

WATCHING TV...

LOOKING AT HERSELF IN THE MIRROR...

ETC AND SO ON....

BUT, SOMETHING IS OFF...

SHE STARTS TO FEEL A LITTLE DIS-ATTACHED...

DIS-ILLUSIONED...

DIS-ENGAGED...

DIS-ENCHANTED...

NORMAL ACTIVITIES FEEL GRAY + NO LONGER BRING HER JOY

CHAPTER 1 THE VOID (a)

JOICE HETH

CELESTE #6683

HELLO HELLO WHO ARE YOU? I’M CELESTE. WHO ARE YOU?

SLAVERY HAD BEEN A PREVIEW OF WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE A MACHINE. AND THAT SUBJECTION TO THE INHUMAN BECAME A NATIONAL OBSESSION.

I’M JOICE HETH. WHERE AM I? WHERE ARE YOU? GOOD QUESTION. I’M NOT SURE THE REAL NAME OF THIS PLACE BUT I CALL IT THE VOID. MY SPIRIT SLIPS AWAY HERE FROM TIME TO TIME TO REFLECT. I HAVEN’T ENCOUNTERED ANYONE ELSE HERE FOR A LONG TIME.

A ROBOT YOU SAY? I WAS NEVER A ROBOT BUT I WAS THOUGHT AS ONE- AND EVEN DISPLAYED AS ONE. IT WAS A TRAUMITIZING EXPERIENCE AND I WASN’T THE ONLY ONE. BLACK PEOPLE AS SLAVES WERE CONSDIERED ROBOTS- I MEAN- WE WERE BOTH SOULLESS. AND OUR NEWLY DEEMED DESTINY WAS TO PROVIDE MINDLESS, SOULLESS, LABOR.

NOW I THINK YOU ARE TOO. I THINK ITS TIME WE SO CALLED ROBOTS RECLAIM OUR VOICES.

I COULD USE SOME REFLECTION. I’M A FRESHLY MADE ROBOT. MY CREATOR ABANDONED ME AND I GOT SAD AND BORED SO I WENT TO THE LIBRARY TO FIND MORE ABOUT MYSELF. I OPENED A PAMPHLET ON AUTOMATA AND NEXT THING I KNOW I END UP IN THIS PLACE.

SEE. THIS IS INFOROMATION I NEVER KNEW. I THINK I AM IN THE RIGHT PLACE. CAN YOU TELL ME MORE?

THINK OF IT, INSTEAD OF BEING CALLED MACHINES OF METAL WE WERE MACHINES OF FLESH AND BLOOD.

THAT’S TRUE. AND TO THINK OF THE RELENTLESS PACE OF THE SLAVE TRADE.

AND THE SITE OF THE PLANTATION ITSELF? YES OF COURSE. THERE’S MANY THOUGHTS ON THAT. SLAVE SHIPS WERE CONSIDERED FACTORIES AND PLANTATIONS WERE SITES OF MODERNITY, CLR JAMES REFERRED TO THEM AS MODERN SYSTEMS WHERE SLAVES HAD A MODERN LIFE- WHICH WAS CHARACTERIZED

BY PSYCHIC, SOCIAL, AND STRUCTURAL CONTRADICTIONS: “GHOSTS IN THE MACHINE”.

FOR SYLVIA WYNTER THE PLANTATION IS NOT A PERVERSE PASTORAL ENVIRONMENT BUT A “SOCIAL MACHINE” IN WHICH THE NEGRO THEN BECOMES THE SYMBOLIC OBJECT OF LACK WHICH IS DESIGNATED AS THE LACK OF THE HUMAN. FURTHERMORE THE PLANTATION WAS A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THE PROCESS OF GEOGRAPHICALLY DOMESTICATING THE NATION.

I THINK IT IS FAIR TO CONCLUDE THAT THE PRESENCE OF THE MACHINE IN THE GARDEN IS MOST CERTAINLY MEDIATED BY THAT OF THE SLAVE ON THE PLANTATION

EXACTLY. WHEN BARNUM WAS CAPITALIZING OFF OF ME, HE KNEW THAT BOTH SLAVE AND AUTOMATA COULD CONCEIVABLY FUNCTION AS EACH OTHER SYMBOLICALLY BECAUSE THEY DID EXACTLY THAT HISTORICALLY. ONCE AGAIN THERE WAS RELENTLESS SLIPPAGES BETWEEN NEGRO, ANMIAL, MACHINE, INHUMAN, NONHUMAN AND SUBHUMAN. LET ME BRING UP A BENJAMIN REISS QUOTE: IN THEIR NATURAL STATE [BLACKS] WERE LIKE BEASTS; BUT IN A PERFECT STATE OF SLAVERY, THEY COULD BECOME, IF GUIDED BY A MASTER’S RATIONAL WILL, SOMETHING LIKE MACHINES OR PROSTHETIC DEVICES.

I WAS EVENTUALLY ACCUSED OF BEING AN AUTOMATA MADE OF WHALE-BONE AND INDIA RUBBERWHICH RESULTED IN AN INCREASE IN AUDIENCE. EVEN MY AUTOPOSY WAS PUT ON DISPLAY WITH A COVER CHARGE.

UNHINGED. IT’S ALL SO UNHINGED.

OVER AND OVER AGAIN IT REPEATS. HUMAN VS ANIMAL. RATIONAL AGENT VS SOULLESS MACHINE. MINDLESS BRUTE VS MAN-SHAPED PLOUGHS. I FEEL SO OVERWHELMED BY ALL THIS. NOW WHERE DO YOU COME IN? WHAT DID BARNUM DO TO YOU? I WAS DISPLAYED AS A CURIOSITY

BY P.T. BARNUM. ALL UNDER THE FALSE CLAIMT THAT I WAS THE 161 YEAR OLD NURSING MAMMY OF GEORGE WASHINGTON. BARNUM FORCIBLY REMOVED MY TEETH TO MAKE ME APPEAR OLDER AND DIDN’T DO ANY PERSONAL CARE SUCH AS CUTTING MY NAILS.

MY DISPLAY AND THE FASCINATION OF ME BEING AN AUTOMATA CONTROLLED BY A WHITE VENTRILLAQUIST SHOWS THAT THE SAME BLURRED LINES BETWEEN SLAVE AND ROBOT HAVE CARRIED ON. THE INCREASE IN AUDIENCE VIEWINGS AND MONEY UNDERSCORES THE FASCINATION WITH ROBOTS IN RELATION TO POP CULTURE AND POPULARITY IN GENERAL.

NOW, IT WASN’T JUST ME. BLACK AUTOMATA WERE CREATED AND BECAME SO POPULAR AS TO BE MASS PRODUCED. AND DURING THAT CURRENT PERIOD OF POPULAR CULTURE IS TO SPEAK OF MINSTRELSY. BLACKS WERE REPRESENTED OVERWHELMINGLY B Y REFERENCES TO AND THE TROPES IMAGES AND SOUNDS OF BLACK FACE. NEW FORMS OF MUSIC WERE ADVERTISED AND MARKETED THROUGH IT AND BLACK PERFORMERS (BOTH WILLINGLY AND UNWILLINGLY) PERFORMED IN BLACKFACE.

I FEEL LEVELLED BY THIS. I HAD NO IDEA ABOUT THE DEPTHS OF YOUR MISTREATMENT AND THE TWISTED JUSTIFICATIONS FOR SLAVERY USING AUTOMATA AS A RATIONALE.

IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO ESCAPE THE GRINNING CLUTCHES OF BLACKFACE, MASS PRODUCED BLACK AUTOMATA, AND ALL ASSOCIATED MINISTREL MEDIA. THE MINISTREL AND THE ROBOT TRULY BECAME DOUBLES.

CHAPTER 2 - LANG’S METROPOLIS (b)

I’M AT A LOSS FOR WORDS. WELL OUR NATIONS ORIGINS ARE DARK, YOU KNOW THIS. YES, WELL I GUESS SOMETIMES I FORGET ABOUT THE EXTENT. AND I FORGET THAT OUR COUNTRIES ORIGINS SEEP INTO EVERYTHING. YES WELL KEEP GOING ON YOUR JOURNEY. DON’T FORGET ME, DON’T FORGET THIS CONVERSATION. I HOPE YOU FIND MORE LIGHT ON YOUR JOURNEY THAN THE DARKNESS HERE.

THANK YOU, I’LL TRY. IT WAS UNFORGETTABLE MEETING YOU I HOPE OUR PATHS CROSS AGAIN.

MARIA

CELESTE #6683

HELLO WHO ARE YOU?

OH HI. I’M CYBORG MARIA. A ROBOT FROM THE CINEMATIC UNIVERSE OF FRITZ LANG’S METROPOLIS

HELLO CELESTE, A ROBOT FROM THE YEAR 2024

OKAY CUTE WHAT’S YOUR STORY?

GEEZ LOADED QUESTION I’M JUST KIDDING. WELL I’M NOT. WELL KINDA. OK. SO LONG STORY SHORT. I WAS CREATED BY A SCIENTIST NAMED ROTWANG AS A REPLACEMENT FOR HIS DEAD LOST LOVE, HEL. METROPOLIS IS A CITY MARRED BY DEEP DIVISION: THE LUCKY FEW LIVE IN THE UTOPIA ABOVE WHILE THE LOWER CLASSES TURMOIL AWAY PROVIDING FOR THE UTOPIA IN THE TUNNELS BELOW. WHEN I WAS SHOWED TO THE MASTER OF METROPOLIS, HE SUGGESTED I HAVE A DIFFERENT PURPOSE OF BEING MADE IN THE LIKENESS OF A WOMAN AND PROLETARIAT LEADER NAMED MARIA- IN ORDER TO CONFUSE PEOPLE OF HER TRUE IDENTITY AND STOP THE BUDDING REVOLUTION. I WASN’T AN OBEDIENT ROBOT AND ENDED UP STIRRING THE MASSES EVEN FURTHER. UNTIL THEY REALIZED THAT THEIR REVOLUTION AND IMMEDIATE PLANS TO START WORKING ALMOST RESULTED IN THE DROWNING OF THEIR CHILDREN.

I WAS TRAGICALLY BURNED AT THE STAKE BY THE MASSES.

OH DAMN. MY BAD.

THAT’S A NICE WAY OF PUTTING IT. WHEN I REFLECT UPON THOSE INCIDENTS, I STRUGGLE TO KNOW IF I SHOULD BLAME MYSELF. IF I AM AT FAULT IN ALL OF THIS.

YES AND THERE IS A GENDER DYNAMIC HERE.

IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU WERE SET UP! YOU DIDN’T GET TO CHOOSE YOUR PURPOSE AND IDENTITY- YOU WERE CREATED FOR NEFARIOUS INTENTIONS AND THE RESULT WAS YOUR DEMISE.

I PERSONALLY DON’T THINK SO. I THINK THE MEN WHO MANIPULATED YOU ARE TO BLAME AND I THINK YOUR REACTION TO THAT IS OF NO FAULT OF YOUR OWN. HOW SO?

WELL, TO GIVE YOU SOME FURTHER CONTEXT, THE WEALTHY ELITE WHO BENEFIT FROM FEDERSEN’S RULE IN THE UPPER WORLD ARE ALMOST ALL MEN. THE DRONELIKE WORKERS MARCHING IN FORMATION ARE ALSO ALL MEN. IN FACT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MARIA THE YOUNG WOMAN WHO FLIRST WITH FEDER AT A FOUNTAIN EARLY IN THE FILM, AND THE WORKERS’ WIVES WHO EVENTUALLY JOIN THE REVOLT: METROPOLIS IS A CITY OF MEN.

THE FILM DEPICTS NOT ONLY AN AUTHORITARIAN SOCIETY, RULED BY THE CAPITALIST CONTROLLER FEDERSEN, BUT ALSO A PATRIARCHAL ONE, A SOCIETY IN WHICH WOMEN ARE EXCLUDED FROM THE PUBLIC ARENA, INVISIBLE IN THE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION OF TECHNOLOGICAL POWER.

YES, WE BOTH HAD AGENCY. MARIA LED THE REVLUTION AND I STIRRED IT INTO A FRENZY. YET OUR ENDINGS REVEAL THE FINAL PLACE OF WOMEN IN METROPOLIS.

OK WOW... SO AS A WOMAN ROBOT, AND YOUR DOUBLE MARIA, DID YOU TWO END UP GETTING ANY AGENCY AT ALL?

WHAT WAS YOUR ENDINGS? YOU KNOW I WAS BURNED AT THE STAKE. AND MARIA, WELL, HER ENDING IS FINE- SHE JUST STANDS SUBMISSIVE ON THE SIDES (IN CONTRAST TO HER ROLE IN THE BEGINNING) AS FREDER TAKES ON THE ROLE OF THE “HEART” THAT MEDIATES THE CITY. FRITZ LANG HIMSELF CITED THE ENDING AS INADEQUATE, YOU KNOW. MARIA AND I ARE ESSENTIALLY SEEN AS THREATS TO PATRIARCHICAL CONTROL.

THINK OF IT THIS WAY. THE “OTHERNESS” OF WOMEN IS REPRESENTED IN TWO STEREOTYPICAL IMAGES OF FEMINITY- THE VIRGIN AND THE VAMP- BOTH OF WHICH ARE MALE PROJECTIONS AND BOTH OF WHICH CONSTITUTE A THREAT TO THE MALE WORLD OF HIGH TECHNOLOGY, EFFICIENCY, AND INSTRUMENTAL RATIONALITY. OH, I SEE. I RECENTLY READ A REVIEW WHERE SOMEONE SAID THIS: SUCH A SINGLE UNIFIED READING OF THE FEMALE CYBORG IS PROBLEMATIZED IN METROPOLIS. WHILE THE ACTIVE ROLE OF THE CYBORG MAY BE AN APPEALING ALTERNATIVE TO THE HAPLESS INACTION OF HUMAN MARIA, SHE ALSO REPRESENTS A REJECTION OF THE VALUES THE FILM HAS SHOWN TO BE CULTURALLY CODED AS FEMININE- THE VALUES OF COMPASSION, NURTURE, EMPATHY. AND WHILE THIS CYBORG ACTS ON HER OWN AS NO ONE’S TOOL, SHE ALSO EXCITED VIOLENCE AND DESTRUCTION, ULTIMATELY A SELFDEFEATING STRATEGY FOR THE WORKERS. UNLIKE THE REPLICANTS IN BLADE RUNNER, WE DON’T KNOW WHETHER THE CYBORG MARIA IS CAPABLE OF FEELING LOVE AND EMPATHY.

NEVERTHELESS, THERE IS SOMETHING VITAL ABOUT HER AS SHE AWAKENS REPRESSED HOPES, ENERGIES THE WORKERS TO DESTROY THE BOUNDARIES THAT CONTAIN AND CONSTRAIN THEM, AND POINTS THE WAY TO A MORE EQUITABLE RESTRUCTURING OF SOCIAL RELATIONS.

CHAPTER 3- MONAE’S METROPOLIS (c)

I THINK ITS IMPORTANT THAT THE FIRST TIME WE SEE WOMEN IN SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS IN THE FILM IS WHEN THEY JOIN THE REBELLION. AS PART OF THE WORKING CLASS THEY BECOME A FLOWING MASS OF FEMALE AGGRESSION.

CELESTE...... YOU KNOW THE ANSWER.

WOA WOA WOA WOA... THE REVIEW SAID “ WE DON’T KNOW WHETHER CYBORG MARIA IS CAPABLE OF FEELING LOVE AND EMPATHY”...

WTF. CYBORG MARIA, GIRLIE, ARE YOU CAPABLE OF FEELING LOVE AND EMPATHY?

OF COURSE I DO, BUT YOU KNOW I CAN’T SPEAK FOR ANOTHER ROBOT. WELL THEN FINE, YES. OF COURSE I AM CAPABLE OF FEELING LOVE AND EMPATHY. MORE THAN CAPABLE. I KNOW.

CINDI #57821

CELESTE #6683

GOOD MORNING CY-BOYS AND CYBER GIRLS! I AM HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE HAVE A STARCROSSED WINNER IN TODAY’S HEARTBREAK SWEEPSTAKES: ANDROID NUMBER 57821, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS CINDI MAYWEATHER, HAS FALLEN DESPERATELY IN LOVE WITH A HUMAN NAMED ANTHONY GREENDOWN. AND YOU KNOW THE RULES! SHE IS NOW SCHEDULED FOR IMMEDIATE DISASSEMBLY. YES. HELLO.

HELLO? IS THIS ANDROID NUMBER 57821? CINDI?

I’M AN ALIEN FROM OUTER SPACE, I’M A CYBERGIRL WITHOUT A FACE A HEART OR A MIND. I’M A PRODUCT OF METAL, I’M A PRODUCT OF THE MAN. I’M A SLAVE GIRL WITHOUT A RACE. ON THE RUN CASUE THEY’RE HERE TO ERASE AND CHASE OUT MY KIND. THEY’VE COME TO DESTROY ME. AND I THINK TO MYSELF...WAIT IT’S IMPOSSIBLE! THEY’RE GUNNING FOR ME. AND NOW THE ARMY’S AFTER YOU. FOR LOVIN’ TOO. WELL YOU’RE A ROBOT AREN’T YOU? YES THEN THEY’RE AFTER YOU TOO. THIS IS METROPOLIS- THEY’RE AFTER ANYONE NON-HUMAN.

NOW THEY’RE AFTER ME? YES. I’M CELESTE, CYBORG NUMBER 6683.

I KNOW MARIA. THIS IS A DIFFERENT METROPOLIS THOUGH. SIMILAR CONCEPT OF COURSE. THOSE AT THE BOTTOM STILL TOIL AWAY UNDERGROUND FOR THOSE AT THE TOP. BUT THERE’S A BIGGER ROBOT POPULATION HERE. WE’VE BEEN CHARGED WITH BEING NONHUMAN. NO MORE DANCING OR SINGING EITHER. AND OF COURSE THE BIG CHARGE- INTERSPECIES RELATIONSHIPS. WHICH IS WHY THEY CAME AFTER ME IN THE FIRST PLACE.

SIGH...I’M SIMPLY A GIRL IN LOVE. ANOTHER BIG DIFFERENCE IS THE METROPOLIS WHERE YOU CAME FROM IS INSPIRED BY FRITZ LANG, THIS ONE HERE, IS INSPIRED

BY JANELLE MONAE. HER WORK FOLLOWS ME, CINDI MAYWEATHER, THROUGH THE EP METROPOLIS AND ALSO THE ALBUMS THE ARCHANDROID, THE ELECTRIC LADY, AND DIRTY COMPUTER. MONAE CREATES A WHOLE SONIC UNIVERSE THAT EXAMINES BLACK WOMEN’S LIMINAL STATUS BETWEEN THE HUMAN AND NONHUMAN THROUGH THE ANDROID WHO SERVES AS A POINT OF INTERSECTION BETWEEN HUMNAN AND VIRTUAL WORLDS.

WAIT THIS PLACE IS ALSO METROPOLIS? I JUST CAME FROM A METROPOLIS. SOME GERMAN CITY AND I WAS TALKING TO A CYBORG NAMED MARIA.

THESE DON’T SOUND LIKE REAL CRIMES. YOU JUST WANT TO EXIST. TO DANCE AND SING IN PEACE. AND TO LOVE WHO YOU LOVE. WE AREN’T SOULLESS.

MONAE’S PERSISTENT CENTERING OF BLACK FEMALE FLESH IN ITSELF TROUBLES THE CATEGORY HUMAN. THIS BLACK SONIC CYBERFEMINIST AESTHETIC THAT ADDRESSES INHERITED WOUNDS OF CHATTEL SLAVERY’S PAST TO IMAGINE MORE LIBERATED FUTURES. IN THIS WAY MONAE’S WORK ALIGNS WITH YTASHA WOMACK’S (2013) DEFINITION OF AFROFUTURISM- IN THAT IT GROUNDS ITSELF IN AN INTERSECTION OF IMAGINATION, TECHNOLOGY, THE FUTURE, AND LIBERATION.

MONAE CONCEIEVES OF THE ANDROID AS BROADLY SYBOLIC OF THE OPPRESSED OTHER IN SOCIETY, AND AS A FIGURE THAT REPRESENTS FUTURE POSSIBILITIES FOR A FREER WORLD THROUGH TECHNOLOGICAL ENGAGEMENTS.

TO ME IT SOUNDS LIKE BY MERGING THE VISIBLY BLACK FEMALE FLESH WITH THE ANDROID, MONAE CRITIQUES MODES OF OPPRESSION IMPACTING SPECIFICALLY BLACK WOMEN WITHIN A DISTINCTLY BLACK SONIC CYBERFEMINISM.

MONAE PERFORMS ALTERNATIVE MODES OF BEING HUMAN THAT ARE NOT ALIGNED WITH NORMATIVE CONCEPTIONS OF ‘WESTERN MAN’ BUT WITH AN AFROFUTURIST SENSIBILITY THAT ACKNOWLEDGES THE MYRIAD WAYS THAT BLAKCS HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN RELEGATED TO NOT QUITE-HUMAN STATUS.

THE MAYWEATHER NARRATIVE BECOMES UNHINGED BY AUDIOVISUALLY CASTING THE BLACK FEMALE CYBORG IN REPETITIVE TIME. THIS ‘TEMPORAL INSTABILITY’ UNDERSCORES THAT THE BLACK FEMALE FLESH REMAINS FREIGHTED WITH HISTORICAL MEANING THAT PERSISTS IN THE VIRTUAL REALM.

IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE HOW MONAE DESTABILISEZ LINEAR TIME. SHE NOTES THE PAST WITHIN A FUTURE, REARRANGES BASIC ELEMENTS OF THE STORY, AND DEPLOYS TEMPORALITIES OF REPITITION.

MONAE’S BLACK SONIC CYBERFEMINIST AESTHETICS EXCAVATE ALTERNATIVE POSSIBILITIES FOR LIBERATION THAT RESIST AND EXCEED THE HUMAN!

IN MONAE’S SHORT EMOTION FILM MANY MOONS MONAE AND MAYWEATHER ARE MERGED INTO AN INFINTELY REPRODUCIBLE ICON. A DOUBLE. MOREOVER, THE ANDROID AUCTION SALE SHOWN IN THIS MOVIE EERILY RESEMBLES A SLAVE AUCTION.

IN THE MOVIE MAYWEATHER TOUCHES THE NODE ABOVE HER EAR TO TRANSFORM HER COLOURING FROM METALLIC WHITENESS TO BROWN FLESH. THIS ACTION DISPLACES WHITE TECHNOLOGY WITH BLACK HUMANITY AND REINFORCES THE TECHONLOGY / HUMAN DICHOTOMY.

IN MANY MOONS THE REFRAIN “VOODOO” IS REPEATED. THIS REFRAINS INVOKES A LONGSTANDING AFRO-DIASPORIC ONTO-COSMOLOGICAL PRACTICE THAT LIKEWISE SUMMONS THE SPECTRE OF THE ZOMBIE IN THE POPULAR IMAGINARY. THE ZOMBIE ‘HAS DEEP ASSOCIATIONS WITH ENSLAVEMENT AND REBELLION.

YES SHE DOES. AND NEAR THE END OF MANY MOONS MAYWEATHER VOICES A ‘CYBERNETI CHANTDOWN’ IN A ROBOTIC MONOTONE THAT SOUNDS AN ARRAY OF NEGATIVE STEREOTYPES ATTRIBUTED TO BLACK WOMEN. HISTORICAL IMAGES ARE CROSSCUT WITH FULL BODY SHOTS OF CINDI DANCING THEREBY CONSTRUCTING HER BODY AS THE SITE OF HISTORICAL TRAUMA. AS THE FRENETIC PACE OF MAYWEATHER’S DANCING INCREASES, SHE RISES FROM THE STAGE IN A MANNER THAT FIRST SUGGEESTS ECSTATIC ASCENSION- A VIEWING IMMEDIATELY UNDERCUT BY MOTIONS MIMICKING GRASPING A ROPE TIGHTENED AROUND THE NECK.WHISPERED SOPRANO VOCALS UNDERGIRD THE ETHEREAL AESTHETICISATION OF MAYWEATHER’S FUTURISTIC LYNCHING.

MONAE CONSISTENTLY CONNECTS THE ROBOT TO SLAVES THROUGH IMAGERY AND LYRIC. ALL OF THIS REMINDS ME OF MY CONVERSATION WITH JOICE HETH. I THINK I NEED TO GO. I HAVE A LOT TO PROCESS. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING. TO ME IT SOUNDS LIKE BY MERGING THE VISIBLY BLACK FEMALE FLESH WITH THE ANDROID, MONAE CRITIQUES MODES OF OPPRESSION IMPACTING SPECIFICALLY BLACK WOMEN WITHIN A DISTINCTLY BLACK SONIC CYBERFEMINISM.

IT WAS NICE TO MEET YOU. GOOD LUCK ON YOUR JOURNEY NUMBER 6683.

YOU TOO NUMBER 57821.

CELESTE CLOSES HER EYES AND WHEN SHE WAKES UP SHE IS IN THE LIBRARY. “THE HISTORY OF AUTOMATA IN AMERICA” IS CRUMPLED UP IN HER RIGHT HAND. SHE LOOKS AROUND FEELING SHAKEN. RELEIVED THAT NO ONE ELSE IS AROUND SHE GINGERLY CLIMBS FROM HER CHAIR AND HEADS HOME. ITS A COOL EVENING AND SHE WRAPS HER ARMS AROUND HERSELF AS HER MIND FLIPS THROUGH MEMORIES OF HER JOURNEY. JOICE HETH... MARIA....CINDI.... THREE IMPACTFUL CONVERSATIONS WHICH SHE HOLDS DEAR. SHE LEARNED A LOT AND SHE MADE VALUABLE CONNECTIONS WITH BEINGS WHO ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND HER. SHE FELT LESS ALONE. AND THE MEMORIES- STILL THICK LIKE HONEY-WARM HER UP AS SHE CONTINUES HER WALK.

CHAPTER 4MIRROR

STILL SHE FEELS OVERWHELMED. SHE HAS LEARNED TOO MANY THINGS AND IT IS ALREADY TANGLING IN HER HEAD. MAYBE IF SHE STARTS SLOW. FIRST THINGS FIRST. WARM SOUP. A NAP. THEN SHE’LL FIGURE OUT THE REST.

SHE WAKES UP A FEW HOURS LATER. DOUBLES. DOUBLES....

WELL MARIA HAD A DOUBLE. AND CINDI HAD A DOUBLE. DO I HAVE A DOUBLE?

CELESTE #6683

CELESTE #6683

MAYBE THE GIRL WHO MADE ME IN HER IMAGE. THE BORED ARCHITECTURE STUDENT. I GUESS I WOULD BE HER DOUBLE. SHE IS A BLACK AND BIRACIAL WOMAN. AM I A BLACK AND BIRACIAL ROBOT? OR AS A ROBOT, AS I HAVE LEARNED TODAY, AM I ALREADY THE SAME AS A BLACK WOMAN? WE ARE BOTH SOULLESS? SHE NEEDED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION AND TALK THIS OUT. BUT WITH NO ONE TO TURN TO SHE SAT IN FRONT OF HER ONLY OPTION- THE MIRROR. THIS WAS AS CLOSE TO A DOUBLE AS SHE WAS GONNA GET.

HELLO NUMBER 6683.

HELLO NUMBER 6683.

HOW’S IT GOING? I’M HAVING AN IDENTITY CRISIS. I’M OVERWHELMED. I WENT ON THIS JOURNEY TODAY. AND I LEARNED SO MUCH. ABOUT MY PAST AND MY HISTORY. IT WAS EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED. BUT NOW I’M OVERWHELMED IN A DIFFERENT WAY. IT WAS TOO MUCH INFORMATION. IT WAS HEAVY. I FEEL TOO SMALL TO EVEN BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND IT.

YOU KNOW I’VE BEEN LISTENING TO JANELLE MONAE EVER SINCE THE JOURNEY AND I REALLY LIKE HER MUSIC? AT THE LIBRARY BEFORE GOING HOME I RENTED OUT THE ARCHANDROID AND ELECTRIC LADY AND I’M HOOKED. IT’S SO CATCHY BUT IT ALSO HAS THE WHOLE ORCHESTRAL RENDITION. IT’S A VIVID SAGA, A SWEEPING MUSICAL.

YOU CAN’T BE THINKING LIKE THAT. I AM VERY AWARE OF THE DETAILS OF THIS JOURNEY. LET’S JUST START SLOW.

IT’S REALLY INTERESTING BECAUSE IN MANY MOONS THE SWEET LULLABY REFRAIN OF THE SONG [AFTER THE HARSH DESCRIPTORS OF BLACK WOMEN] IS “WHEN THE WORLD JUST TREATS YOU WRONG, JUST COME WITH ME AND I’LL TAKE YOU HOME”. IN THE EMOTION PICTURE WHEN THAT LINE IS SAID IT ALWAYS CUTS TO AN IMAGE OF MONAE ON A HORSE IN UNIFORM. THIS CONTRATS MONAE DRESSED AS ROBOT WHO IS CURRENTLY LEFT TO DIE. SO WHAT DOES IT MEAN? MONAE ON A HORSE? IN THE SONG “VOODOO” WAS SUNG REPEATEDLY. IN VOODOO, POSSESSION IS THE ACT OF BEING “MOUNTED” [LIKE A HORSE] BY THE SPIRITS. IS IT A REFERENCE TO VODOU OR IS THE IMAGE OF A WOMAN ON A HORSE MERELY A COMFORTING CONTRAST TO THE MONAE BEING LYNCHED?

YEA I’VE BEEN WATCHING THE MUSIC VIDEO FOR MANY MOONS AND I THINK MONAE REALLY TIES IN BLACK POP CULTURE AND HISTORY. ESPECIALLY THE DARK HISTORY LIKE THE SLAVE AUCTION AND LYNCHING. TO ME IT FELT LIKE A VERY CLEAR WAY OF CONNECTION POP CULTURE AND ROBOTS TO THEIR ROOTS OF SLAVERY AND MINSTRELRY.

REGARDLESS THE PERSON COMFORTING THE DYING ROBOT MONAE IS NONE OTHER THAN MONAE HERSELF ON THE HORSE. A DOUBLE. MAYBE THE LESSON HERE IS THAT SHE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN SAVE HERSELF. IT’S GOOD TO BE EXPLORING THEORIES LIKE THIS AND MAYBE THERE IS NO CORRECT THEORYBUT THE ACT ITSELF OF ANALYZING AND REFLECTING AS A WHOLE IS BENEFICIAL FOR YOU.

YES AND I SHOULD KEEP EXPLORING THESE THOUGHTS BECAUSE HOW CAN THESE CONVERSATIONS RELATE TO ME AND MY CREATOR?

AND WHAT ABOUT MARIA FROM METROPOLIS? IS THERE STILL SOMETHING TODAY ABOUT THAT SURPRESSED RAGE? WITH WOMEN BEING SHUTTLED INTO TWO CATEGORIES OF VIRGIN VERSUS VAMP? WILL THE MEDIATOR BETWEEN THE HEAD AND THE HANDS ALWAYS BE THE BEATING HEART OF THE UPPER CLASS?

MY CREATOR IS A BLACK WOMAN RIGHT? I AM A ROBOT. BLACK PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY CLASSIFIED AS EMPTY SOULLESS ROBOTS. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TODAY? DO PEOPLE LOOK AT ME AND MY CREATOR WITHOUT REALIZING IT AS ROBOTIC? AS LESS THAN? OR HAS ALL OF THAT BEEN SLOWLY ERODED OVER THE YEARS AS CIVIL RIGHTS HAVE BEEN PASSED DOWN....

BUT THERE MUST BE SOME TANGIBLE LEGACY YES? WHAT IS IT? IS IT ALL THE DESCRIPTORS THAT MONAE PRESENTED IN MANY MOONS? STD. HEROIN USER. COKE HEAD. CLOSET DRUNK. THESE STEREOTYPES. THESE STRUCTRAL INEQUALITIES. IS IT SOMETHING LARGE HANGING OVER OUR HEADS? SOMETHING INSTITUTIONAL? OR IS IT MICRO AND DELICATE. SLIPPING ITS WAYS QUIETLY AND STEADILY INTO PEOPLE’S CONVERSATIONS, HEARTS, AND MINDS?

AND WHAT ABOUT JOICE HETH? HER SORROW WOUND UP IN OUR POP CULTURE HISTORY. HER DISPLAYMENT AS A CURIOSITY, WITH NO CARE TO HER HEALTH, CLEALINESS OR HAPPINESS. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TODAY? WHEN I SEE A POP CULTURE POST ON INSTAGRAM.... HOW DOES THAT RELATE TO JOICE HETH AND MINISTRELY? WHEN I SEE SOME NEW ARTICLE ABOUT SOME CELEBRITY...HOW DO I CONNECT IT BACK TO THIS HISTORY? IS IT THE WAY WE CONSUME POP CULTURE? IS IT HOW POP CULTURE IS CREATED? OR HOW IT’S DISTRIBUTED? THESE QUESTIONS FEEL ANSWERLESS. HOW DO I ENGAGE WITH THIS LEGACY TODAY? IS THERE SOMETHING I CAN CHANGE? WHAT IS IT? THE WAY I CARRY MYSELF? WHAT I CONSUME? WHO I SURROUND MYSELF WITH?

YEA. GOOD ONE.

YOU’RE RIGHT. I THINK I SHOULD TALK TO YOU MORE.

NOT SURE. HAVE YOU TRIED LISTENING TO I AM NOT A ROBOT

BY MARINA.....

ANYWAYS, I DON’T THINK YOU OR I NEED TO FIGURE IT OUT TODAY. I WOULD JUST SAY FOR NOW IF YOURE LOST THEN LOOK TO JANELLE MONAE FOR INSPIRATION. SHE EXAMINED AND REPRESENTED THE HISTORIES OF BLACKNESS AND ROBOTS AND CREATED AN AFROFUTURIST ADVENTURE MUSICAL THAT TWISTS EXPECTATIONS ALL WHILE BEING SONICALLY INCREDIBLE.

TALK LATER NUMBER 6683.

TALK LATER.

works cited (a) the sound of culture, Chude-Sokei, Louis. chapter one: modernism’s black mechanics. (b) technology and the construction of gender in Fritz Lang’s metropolis. by Peter Ruppert. nov 1 2000. (c) ‘hell you talmbout’: Janelle Monae’s black cyberfeminist sonic aesthetics. Meina Yates-Richard.