Refusal, Jamming, and Absurdity: Feminist Tactics in Social Media

On a stage of ubiquitous online sexism, this contribution explores feminist tactics of resistance with a focus on refusal. We move from feminist memes trading in vintage imageries steeped in heterosexual parody to jamming in social media, such as when pornographic deepfakes of Taylor Swift were buried by alternative content by her fans. We land on absurdity as a tactic not confined by such reactivity but allowing for turning things around and eschewing the logic on offer instead. From genderqueer comedy to the X/Twitter account “Men Write Women,” absurdity helps craft spaces for affective relief and shared hilarity.