Digital Masquerade

"Highlighting the often-neglected queer presence in Chinese feminist movements, Digital Masquerade charts the formation of a new wave of rights feminism and queer activism in post-millennial China and the co-constitutive role of digital technology as assemblage and entanglement in the articulation of feminism, queerness, and rights"--

In its conventional meaning, masquerade refers to a festive gathering of people wearing masks and elegant costumes. But traditional forms of masquerade have evolved over the past century to include the representation of alternate identities in the media and venues of popular culture, including television, film, the internet, theater, museums, sports arenas, popular magazines and a range of community celebrations, reenactments and conventions. This collection of fresh essays examines the art and function of masquerade from a broad range of perspectives. From African slave masquerade in New World iconography, to the familiar Guy Fawkes masks of the Occupy Wall Street movement, to the branded identities created by celebrities like Madonna, Beyonce and Lady Gaga, the essays show how masquerade permeates modern life.

A cultural history of the face in Western art, ranging from portraiture in painting and photography to film, theater, and mass media This fascinating book presents the first cultural history and anthropology of the face across centuries, continents, and media. Ranging from funerary masks and masks in drama to the figural work of contemporary artists including Cindy Sherman and Nam June Paik, renowned art historian Hans Belting emphasizes that while the face plays a critical role in human communication, it defies attempts at visual representation. Belting divides his book into three parts: faces as masks of the self, portraiture as a constantly evolving mask in Western culture, and the fate of the face in the age of mass media. Referencing a vast array of sources, Belting's insights draw on art history, philosophy, theories of visual culture, and cognitive science. He demonstrates that Western efforts to portray the face have repeatedly failed, even with the developments of new media such as photography and film, which promise ever-greater degrees of verisimilitude. In spite of sitting at the heart of human expression, the face resists possession, and creative endeavors to capture it inevitably result in masks—hollow signifiers of the humanity they're meant to embody. From creations by Van Eyck and August Sander to works by Francis Bacon, Ingmar Bergman, and Chuck Close, Face and Mask takes a remarkable look at how, through the centuries, the physical visage has inspired and evaded artistic interpretation.

What does it mean to be queer in a Confucian society in which kinship roles, ties, and ideologies are of such great importance? This book makes sense of queer cultures in China—a country with one of the largest queer populations in the world—and offers an alternative to Euro-American blueprints of queer individual identity. This book contends that kinship relations must be understood as central to any expression of queer selfhood and culture in contemporary cultural production in China. Using a critical approach—“queering Chinese kinship”—Lin Song scrutinizes the relationship between queerness and family relations, and questions Eurocentric queer culture’s frequent assumption of the separation of queerness from blood family. Offering five case studies of queer representations across a range of media genres, this book also challenges the tendency in current scholarship on Chinese and East Asian queerness to understand queer cultures as predominantly counter-mainstream, marginal, and underground. Shedding light on the representations of queerness and kinship in independent and subcultural as well as commercial and popular cultural products, the book presents a more comprehensive picture of queerness and kinship in flux and highlights queer politics as an integral part of contemporary Chinese public culture. “The book makes a strong contribution to Asian queer studies through an in-depth theorization of queer kinship in the Chinese context, a comprehensive coverage of different types of queer media and popular culture, and an innovative discussion of homonormativity in the context of contemporary China. In a fast-developing and very competitive academic field, this book stands out as an important contribution.” —Hongwei Bao, University of Nottingham “Queering Chinese Kinship represents the cutting edge of Chinese queer studies. Its sophisticated media analyses and provocative theoretical contentions reveal two central paradoxes: the interdependence of queerness and kinship despite China’s notoriously homophobic patriarchal familism, and the flourishing of queer public culture in spite of its infamously restrictive media environment. Brilliantly demonstrating how queer possibility emerges through a confluence of familial, media, state, and market forces, this book is a joy to read and a major contribution to the field.” —Fran Martin, University of Melbourne

Providing a comprehensive introduction to next-generation networks, this book strikes a balance between how and why things work and making them work. It examines Internet architectures and protocols, network management and traffic engineering, embedded systems and sensor networks, web services, cloud technologies, and next-generation wireless networking. Containing the contributions of top industry experts and academics, the book investigates new technologies such as IPv6 over Low Power Wireless Personal Area Networks (6LoWPAN) architectures and standards, mobility, and security.

In a remarkably short period of time the Internet and associated digital communication technologies have deeply changed the way millions of people around the globe live their lives. But what is the nature of that impact? In chapters examining a broad range of issues—including sexuality, politics, education, race, gender relations, the environment, and social protest movements—Digitized Lives seeks answers to these central questions: What is truly new about so-called "new media," and what is just hype? How have our lives been made better or worse by digital communication technologies? In what ways can these devices and practices contribute to a richer cultural landscape and a more sustainable society? Cutting through the vast—and often contradictory—literature on these topics, Reed avoids both techno-hype and techno-pessimism, offering instead succinct, witty and insightful discussions of how digital communication is impacting our lives and reshaping the major social issues of our era. The book argues that making sense of digitized culture means looking past the glossy surface of techno gear to ask deeper questions about how we can utilize technology to create a more socially, politically, and economically just world. Companion website available at: culturalpolitics.net/digital_cultures

In the shadowy depths of the cyber world, Alex, a hacker and virtuoso of the gaming universe, stumbled upon "CyberQuest," a realm that promised more mysteries than the eye could see. From the get-go, this discovery wasn't merely an invitation but a plunge into a whirlwind of virtual reality that was as complex as it was exhilarating. Amidst this digital labyrinth, Alex's path intersected with Eve's, a fellow adventurer whose enigmatic presence immediately sparked an electrifying connection. With her mysterious origins and obscure motives, Eve became a puzzle he was eager to solve, weaving a thread of tension and allure through their burgeoning relationship. As they delved deeper into "CyberQuest," the duo unearthed cryptic clues alluding to a menacing conspiracy, a shadow looming over the cyber world with the intent to engulf it whole. Each revelation they uncovered heightened the stakes of their quest and set a timer ticking, transforming their adventure into a race against a ticking clock that threatened to reset the world as they knew it. Challenges abounded as Alex and Eve navigated treacherous virtual landscapes, their journey fraught with perils that tested their will, wit, and bond strength. They dodged the schemes of rival hackers and battled digital demons, each obstacle a testament to their growing resolve and the depth of their connection. The crescendo of their quest culminated in a heart-pounding standoff against the conspiracy's architect, a battle of minds and wills. It demanded everything of Alex and Eve, a fusion of their skills, courage, and the unbreakable bond they had forged. Together, they faced the ultimate test, emerging victorious yet forever altered by the ordeal, with the lines between their digital and physical realities blurred. Through the lens of their entwined journeys, "Cyber Love" peels back the layers of trust and deception, challenging the essence of what it means to connect in a world where the delineation between virtual and tangible is ever-fading. At its heart, this tale is a homage to the enduring power of human connection, a beacon of light in the vast expanse of the digital frontier. Alex and Eve's odyssey is a mirror reflecting the intricate dance of virtual and real-world dilemmas, weaving a narrative that is as thought-provoking as it is captivating.

In an era where screens dominate, and digital connection is a lifeline, teenagers are uniquely positioned at the crossroads of innovation and vulnerability. "Screened In" delves into the multifaceted realm of online risks and rewards for today’s youth. This essential guide unpacks why teenagers, despite their tech-savviness, are prime targets for online threats and how they can navigate this landscape safely. From the intense battlegrounds of gaming platforms to the high-pressure world of social media, the book provides actionable advice, insights, and tools to equip the next generation. Whether you're a concerned parent, an educator, or a teenager striving for a safer digital life, "Screened In" is your compass for navigating the modern digital world. Dive in to cultivate an informed approach to cyber safety, understand the nuances of online behavior, and empower teens to set boundaries and make informed decisions online.

In this ground-breaking study, Hongwei Bao analyses queer theatre and performance in contemporary China. This book documents various forms of queer performance – including music, film, theatre, and political activism – in the first two decades of the twenty first century. In doing so, Bao argues for the importance of performance for queer identity and community formation. This trailblazing work uses queer performance as an analytical lens to challenge heteronormative modes of social relations and hegemonic narratives of historiography. It will be of great interest to students and scholars of theatre and performance studies, gender and sexuality studies and Asian studies.