INSECURE: BLACK FEMINISM, SERIAL NARRATIVES, AND THE TERRITORIALITY OF WOMEN'S VOICES IN SONGS
Name: DYONE ARRUDA CYPRIANO
Publication date: 13/08/2025
Examining board:
Name |
Role |
|---|---|
| DÉBORA OPOLSKI | Examinador Externo |
| GABRIELA SANTOS ALVES | Presidente |
| MARIA LUCIA DA SILVA | Examinador Interno |
Summary: The objective of this dissertation is to analyze and reflect on the protagonism of Black
women in the American fictional television series Insecure, focusing particularly on its
first season, released in 2016, and on the insertion of songs featuring female voices
throughout the episodes. The study examines not only the leading roles of Issa Dee,
played by Issa Rae, and Molly Carter, played by Yvonne Orji, but also the supporting
characters Kelli Prenny and Tiffany DuBois, analyzing their dramatic actions,
highlighting spoken/sung melodies (especially in rap style), and how songs are
integrated into the episodes or the season’s narrative arc. The theoretical framework
of this research is grounded in contemporary strands of Black feminism, drawing on
both American and Brazilian thinkers such as bell hooks and Lélia Gonzalez, among
others. The methodology, with a qualitative approach, employs film and sound analysis
of the Insecure series corpus. This analysis focuses on narrative elements that address
a range of themes and issues central to the experiences of Black women, including
loneliness, silencing, labor struggles, sexism, the search for care and belonging, and
the complexities of relationships. To that end, the research concentrates on sung
speech/voice-melody, the selection of frames, and the choice of songs featuring female
voices. The breakdown of these elements will help reveal the complex experience of
Black women and their representation in serial fiction.
