Abstract
Abstract: In this article I analyze the 2011 German indie film Lollipop Monster as a contemporary model for what Lauren Berlant calls "intimate publics." This film twists the genre of the teen girl film by portraying female friendship as a catalyst for unleashing suppressed emotions and subverting oppression. Instead of directing their aggression internally as self-harm, the protagonists of Lollipop Monster use violence against others to reinforce their strong social bond. By employing cinematic techniques from the popular multimedia genre of the music video, Lollipop Monster harkens back to the imagined sisterhoods of Riot Grrrl culture. In its nostalgic celebration, the film fails to address the racism of this movement, ultimately remaining focused on whiteness and failing to fully explore possibilities for solidarity between Black and white women. Overall, Lollipop Monster updates Berlant's cautionary theory, illustrating how gendered intimate publics co-create neoliberal landscapes of digital, multimedia music and social media stardom.
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