39:34

Ep. 03 Jun 12, 2025

Nu-genics

In the third episode of Thinking Face Emoji, Margarita Osipian from The Hmm and researcher Mita Medri, are joined by writer and cultural commentator Ana Sumbo, to discuss the online phenomenon of looksmaxxing. Hunter vs prey eyes, the canthal tilt, siren vs. doe eyes, angel vs witch skull, or a FYP filled with Gigachad jawlines. This is the landscape, or some might say cesspool, of looksmaxxing. With its incel-verse undertones and radical history, we discuss whether this phenomenon is just another glow-up trend or is it signaling a resurgence in eugenics? Mentioned in this episode: “men used to go to war” | TikTok clip from Kareem Shami The Slow Burn Back to Eugenics by Ana Sumbo The Digital Legacy of Eugenics project by Lila Brustad Rage against the machine: how incel culture went mainstream in 2023 by Günseli Yalcinkaya Predatory Data: Eugenics in Big Tech and Our Fight for an Independent Future by Anita Chan I tried all of the most popular looksmaxxing glowup tips! | TikTok clip from Michael Hoover Deathnics thread on looksmax.org Yassified Eugenics by Abha Ahad POV: How the SS officers pulled up to the Nuremberg trials | TikTok clip from Kareem Shafti Are you the hunter or the hunted? | Instagram video from @rawreturned Lard of estrogen | Instagram video from @nickfraserrrrr Find The Hmm at: thehmm.nl linkin.bio Find Ana at: Substack Thinking Face Emoji is a podcast by The Hmm, in collaboration with The Institute of Network Cultures, and financially supported by the Creative Industries Fund NL. Jingle and sound design by Jochem van der Hoek. Editing by Salome Berdzenishvili. Cover art by Aspirin.

43:48

Ep. 02 May 28, 2025

Sigma Male, or How Incel Terms Went Mainstream

In this episode Salome Berdzenishvili, from the Institute of Network Cultures, and Sjef van Beers, from The Hmm, talk to Dr. Daniël de Zeeuw, from the University of Amsterdam’s department of Mediastudies, about how terms originally associated with incel and femcel communities seem to have reached the mainstream. Mentioned in this episode: “‘Teh Internet is Serious Business’: On the Deep Vernacular Web Imaginary and its Discontents“ Based and confused: Tracing the political connotations of a memetic phrase across the web Find The Hmm at: thehmm.nl link in bio Find Daniël at: bluesky uva.nl Thinking Face Emoji is a podcast by The Hmm, in collaboration with The Institute of Network Cultures, and financially supported by the Creative Industries Fund NL. Jingle and sound design by Jochem van der Hoek. Editing by Salome Berdzenishvili. Cover art by Aspirin.

47:16

Ep. 01 May 13, 2025

Girlboss, Through the Years

In this inaugural episode of Thinking Face Emoji, Margarita Osipian and Sjef van Beers from The Hmm, are joined by Sam Cummins, of Nymphet Alumni, to discuss the girlboss. Overly familiar with the many critiques this online stereotype has gotten over the years, we shift our focus to look at the cultural and aesthetic environment that led to the girlboss, her inception, and the impact she made on our (online) culture today. Mentioned in this episode: What is a Girlboss? | Netflix Ban Bossy — I’m Not Bossy. I’m the Boss. Beyoncé at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards That Feeling You Recognize? Obamacore. What Do Students at Elite Colleges Really Want? Nymphet Alumni Ep. 113: Information Age Grindset w/ Ezra Marcus All-woman Blue Origin crew floats in space In Space, No One Can Hear You Girlboss Find The Hmm at: thehmm.nl linkin.bio Find Sam and Nymphet Alumni at: Instagram Nymphetalumni Instagram - Nymphet Alumni Thinking Face Emoji is a podcast by The Hmm, in collaboration with The Institute of Network Cultures, and financially supported by the Creative Industries Fund NL. Jingle and sound design by Jochem van der Hoek. Editing by Salome Berdzenishvili. Cover art by Aspirin