On the 14^th of July 1798, heads rolled in the streets of Paris as the Bastille was stormed; and on the 14^th of July 1999, I was born – two equally significant events! The spirit of rebellion and a drive for freedom percolates through every fibre of my being, inspiring me to push back against any threats to freedom I see! And, as a good-looking, straight, cis man, my freedom is, of course, threatened constantly. Granted, I have way more freedom than anyone who is anything other than a good-looking, straight, cis man… but I still have something to say about the fight for freedom! So, if you’ll permit me, dear reader, let’s talk about freedom! And rebellion…

There’s a famous quote by French philosopher Albert Camus about how “the only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” I’ve not read the book the quote is from – and I believe anyone who says they have is lying, and probably just watched a YouTube video about it – but it is a great quote. Camus has this incredible ability to find triumph in bleak circumstances – to present you with an unfree, volatile world, and show you how just existing can be something awesome. Our world can be incredibly bleak, and it’s easy to get swept away in the seemingly endless slurry of bad news and dizzying discourse that saturates our social media feeds. Camus teaches us that we can’t ignore the state of the world, or downplay society’s issues – instead, we need to acknowledge reality for what it is, and choose rebellion.

So, how do you actually choose rebellion or become as absolutely free as Camus wants you to be? Well, I think you do so by embracing empathy, and love. I know, it’s very clichéd, but maybe it’s a cliché because it’s right! Not everyone shares the same level of freedom, and a lack of freedom often stems from societal apathy, bigotry, and greed – all of which are the antithesis of empathy. By choosing to be an empathetic, caring person in a world that profits off bigotry and sustained apathy, your very existence becomes an act of rebellion. Our world has never been this liberated and accepting of diverse identities before! The struggles of the LGBTQIA+ community, people of colour, and differently abled people have never before been acknowledged at the levels they are today. It feels like people are starting to take notice and speak up against these inequities – and that should be celebrated! But we can’t ignore the fact that the freedom these communities have earned – the freedom they are currently fighting for – is still under threat.

At this point in the blog, you’re probably wondering how I’m so young yet so wise. The truth is, I got really lucky in the parent department. Both of my parents embody the values of love, empathy and freedom perfectly. My father’s charity, Waja Ka Meno, provides free oral and optometric care to differently abled children and adults in South Africa, and my mother… where do I even start? There does not exist a more caring lady than my mother! I know you probably think your mother is better or more caring, but you’re wrong, and that’s okay. Growing up, my parents stressed the importance of actively practicing empathy, encouraging me to get involved in food drives and volunteer work – and I will always be grateful for that. Because of them, I’m not just a good-looking, straight, cis man… because of them, I’m a good-looking, charitable, straight, cis man!

It’s scary how persistent hate is. It’s scary how easily our culture can regress. We can’t ignore the reality of the situation, but we can fight to change it. It’s our responsibility to fight to change it – a responsibility born out of our shared humanity. It’s what Camus would have wanted… at least I think it is; I don’t know, I’ve not read his books. I just watched a YouTube video about him.

A group of people has emerged as a hot topic in contemporary media discourse in South Africa in recent years: slay queens. Slay queens, according to the number one pub quiz aficionado Wikipedia, is the following:

The term ‘slay queen’ was initially a term of positive empowerment used amongst women and queer communities – a person was ‘slaying’ (someone doing an amazing job or that they ‘killed it’, whether in life or performance), whilst being a ‘queen’ (referred to someone who looks good, someone who exudes excellence). The term slay queen came up in that people would question how these young women obtained their high-maintenance luxury lifestyle without having a blesser. Over time and through inter-cultural exchanges from the Global North to the Global South, the term has become a notorious archetype in the broader African context, where ‘slay queen’ no longer refers to its original definition, but is used to negatively describe the behaviours, attitudes and looks of certain black women. Therefore, what I’m hoping to do in my research is unpack what is unseen, the covert factors influenced by historical narratives that impact how we see black women in South Africa today. And so, my research is looking at:

• What is the definition of a Slay Queen in post-Apartheid South Africa?
• What contestations are there surrounding black femme archetypes and subjectivities in the South African context?
• What forms the basis of slay queens’ existence within postfeminist discourse in the South African context?

The theory that will tie my analysis together, is postfeminist theory. Postfeminism is the idea that since we have made socio-economic strides in gender equality, women’s empowerment is found through achieving some or all of the following: a good job, dressing well, a successful career, good looks, and/or a family. These factors would fall under what are called neoliberal markers of success. Another colloquial term for postfeminism is ‘girl boss feminism’, which focuses on the achievements of individual women in their careers and lives, not necessarily on collective empowerment.

Lebogang Masango, a South African anthropologist, published critical work in this area of study called ‘The Soft Life: Love, Choice and Modern Dating”, which uses a qualitative approach to study the dating lives of black women in South Africa. 

Additionally, a plethora of novel research has been done on the experiences of slay queens in the South African context. Lebogang Maphelela (2019)’s masters looked at how young black women studying at the University of Johannesburg were using their Instagram accounts to mobilise their social and economic capital by creating an audience and building a network.  Zawu (2020)’s thesis further studied the rise and normalisation of the blessee/blesser relationship in South Africa. So, it’s safe to say that there is growing literature on the topic, with space to explore it from new angles, including my own that specifically wants to look at slay queens through the lens of postfeminist theory.

As mentioned in my first blog, the political is personal, and the personal is political. Studying gender within my work has been something that has made the most sense to me as a self-defined feminist. When I tell people I’m studying slay queens, there is a range of reactions from different people. I’m in the second year of my research, so much still needs to be done before the thesis is completed. After getting my proposal approved, I am now in the process of obtaining ethical clearance, along with designing what my data collection will look like. Because this is a new area of exploration from a South African perspective, I hope to contribute to the growing literature on understanding black postfeminist ideals through a gendered lens in South Africa, Africa and within the diaspora.