In the sixth and last episode of the season we delve into the future of girlhood in online culture. Since 2023, the so-called “year of the girl” with trends like girl math, girl dinner, and the Barbie movie’s influence, girlhood has become a widely discussed cultural and theoretical concept. We’ve learned that the figure of the girl has evolved into a digital strategy rather than a fixed identity, one that is shaped by algorithms, aesthetics, and performance. Together with one of the initiators of @everyoneisagirl Ester Freider, Lilian Stolk from The Hmm and Mela Miekus from the Institute of Network Cultures explore how femininity is performed online and the end of identity.
Mentioned in this episode:
Pinkydoll’s NPC TikTok live
“Everyone is a Girl” by Alex Quicho
@everyoneisagirl on Instagram
Ghosted 1996 on Instagram
Sighswoon on Instagram
“Networks and Their Discontents“ by William Kherbek referenced in “I’m Like a Pdf But a Girl“ by Ester Freider
“Side-eyeing the cyberbaroque“ by Ester Freider
“Hallucinating sense in the era of infinity-content“ by Carolina Busta
Princess Substack highlights
Find The Hmm at: thehmm.nl linkin.bio
Find Ester at: Instagram Linktree
Thinking Face Emoji is a podcast by The Hmm, in collaboration with The Institute of Network Cultures, and financially supported by the Creative Industries Fund NL.
Jingle and sound design by Jochem van der Hoek
Editing by Salome Berdzenishvili
Cover art by Aspirin
Image dossier @pinkydoll on TikTok