• Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
Homebodies: Performance and Intimacy in the Age of New Media

Homebodies: Performance and Intimacy in the Age of New Media

Hardcover

DanceGeneral Sociology

Currently unavailable to order

ISBN10: 0472077848
ISBN13: 9780472077847
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
Published: Feb 3 2026
Pages: 258
Weight: 1.20
Height: 0.88 Width: 5.92 Depth: 9.14
Language: English

Homebodies: Performance and Intimacy in the Age of New Media sheds light on a fascinating yet often overlooked phenomenon: how ordinary people transform their private lives into captivating performances for the digital stage. Focusing on home dance videos shared on Instagram from 2010 to 2020, the book explores the delicate art of intimaesthetics--the aestheticization of intimacy through the interplay of body, space, and media--and the paradox of the homebody. These seemingly spontaneous performances reveal how users craft images of closeness and authenticity, drawing audiences into a curated version of their domestic lives. Yet, Porter argues, these intimate portrayals exist within a larger system of platform control, algorithmic surveillance, and the commodification of personal expression.

Porter utilizes hand-drawn illustrations in place of screenshots, which reflects their commitment to critiquing the exploitative dynamics of digital visibility while respecting the personal nature of the media studied. By examining the intersection of personal agency, algorithmic control, and the commodification of authenticity, Homebodies provides a nuanced understanding of how technology redefines intimacy, identity, and creativity in the twenty-first century.

1 different editions

Also available

Also from

Porter, L. Archer

Also in

Dance