Full Description
Homebodies: Performance and Intimacy in the Age of New Media sheds light on a fascinating yet often overlooked phenomenon: how ordinary people transform their private lives into captivating performances for the digital stage. Focusing on home dance videos shared on Instagram from 2010 to 2020, the book explores the delicate art of "intimaesthetics"—the aestheticization of intimacy through the interplay of body, space, and media and the paradox of the homebody. These seemingly spontaneous performances reveal how users craft images of closeness and authenticity, drawing audiences into a curated version of their domestic lives. Yet, Porter argues, these intimate portrayals exist within a larger system of platform control, algorithmic surveillance, and the commodification of personal expression.
Porter utilizes hand-drawn illustrations in place of screenshots, which reflects their commitment to critiquing the exploitative dynamics of digital visibility while respecting the personal nature of the media studied. By examining the intersection of personal agency, algorithmic control, and the commodification of authenticity, Homebodies provides a nuanced understanding of how technology redefines intimacy, identity, and creativity in the twenty-first century.
Contents
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgements
Preface
Introduction
Chapter One. Candid Dancing Introduction
Part One. Defining Candid Dancing
Genealogy of the Candid
Choreography of Abandon
Aesthetics and Semiotics of the Candid Dancing Body
Part Two. Catching Candor, Imaging Abandon
Catching Domestic Masculinity
Laboring Domesticity
Part Three. Circulating Candor
Conclusion
Chapter Two. Moving Selfie Introduction
Part One. Defining the Moving Selfie
Anatomy of the Selfie
Genealogy of the Selfie
Autochoreography: Aesthetics and Semiotics
Part Two. Choreographing the Moving Selfie
Mar's Exposure
Donté Bufferings
Part Three. Circulating the Moving Selfie
The Feed
The Personal Profile
The Hashtag and the Mention
Conclusion
Chapter Three. Nonchalant Gestures Introduction
Part One. Defining Nonchalant Gestures
Genealogy of Nonchalant Gestures
The Aesthetics and Semiotics of Nonchalant Gestures
The Choreography of Oblivion
Part Two. Screening Nonchalant Gestures
Whose Celebrity? Danko's Celebrity
Living with Liv
Part Three. Circulating Nonchalant Gestures
Forgetting to Remember
The Marginalities of Marginality
The Other Side of Rogue
Conclusion
Chapter Four. Modeling Kids Introduction
Part One. Defining Modeling Kids
Genealogy of Home Concerts
Minor Choreography
Aesthetics and Semiotics of Home Concerts
Part Two. Choreographing Childhood, Logging Gender
Declan's Transgressions
Gemma's Reiterations
Part Three. Circulations and Orchestrations of Minors
Conclusion
Conclusion
Bibliography
