“The California Review of Images and Mark Zuckerberg”: Volume II

A new call for papers exploring the visual culture of Mark Zuckerberg.

via Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Associated Press

Since the publication of the inaugural California Review of Images and Mark Zuckerberg in late 2017, much has occurred: a virtual reality tour of Puerto Rico, an iconic depiction of a bruised Zuck, and, of course, the ever sprawling scope of the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

Throughout all this, a crucial dimension has been the visual. Zuckerberg and his company continue to navigate — sometimes successfully, sometimes not — the performance and depiction of the platform and its CEO in media.

Responding to popular demand and the many fascinating threads of discussion emerging within the community of Zuckerberg observers, the Editorial Board of the Review has decided to launch a new call for proposals.

The central aim of the Review remains the same: we are seeking pieces which unpack specific visual depictions of Mark Zuckerberg in mass media, and link them to broader academic and critical discourse. An ideal piece is a 2,000–3,000 word scholarly essay which will select a single image or series of images of Mark Zuckerberg, and focus on deconstructing their meaning, analyzing their visual composition, and/or delving into historical context.

Potential themes of interest to the Editorial Board include:

• Attire and Context: The iconic hoodie was considered an act of rebellion when Mark Zuckerberg wore it during investor meetings surrounding Facebook’s 2012 IPO. How have the sartorial strategies of Zuckerberg evolved over time? How does this past history inform the symbology of his attire at his imminent Congressional testimony?
• Absences: The public persona of Mark Zuckerberg is sometimes marked by its absences as much as it is marked by its presence. The delay of Zuckerberg in commenting on the Cambridge Analytica scandal was widely covered, and a recent Wired piece recounted the belief of a Facebook employee that Zuckerberg was like Lennie from Of Mice and Men. What do these absences suggest? How do they fit into the history of absences on the part of celebrities and tech celebrities in particular?
• Corporate Leadership, Civic Leadership: Zuckerberg has frequently mixed corporate leadership with civic leadership. This has sometimes led to strange and problematic results, such as his Oct 2017 virtual reality tour of a devastated Puerto Rico. How do themes of corporate and public leadership mesh in the public persona of Mark Zuckerberg? How do these rest with the broader ambitions of the company as a “public square”?
• Fan Art: Beyond the swirling scandals of the day, a dedicated community continues to produce a range of fan art focused on Mark Zuckerberg. What does the emergence of a folk practice around Zuckerberg mean? Is this consonant with the history of celebrity fandom? In what ways is it distinct?

We have launched a short form for submitting abstracts, which will be open until midnight PST April 27. Authors selected for this second volume will be notified shortly thereafter.

Final drafts are due in late June, with the full collection being released online in July 2018. Authors will receive a $300 stipend on completion of their piece.

Pitches can be submitted here. Please contact Submissions Editor Tim Hwang (tim@timhwang.org) with any questions.