Exhibitionist?

As I was reading Victor Burgin's "Critical Inquiry " about the JenniCam, I was actually quite fascinated by the fact that people thought of her as an exhibitionist. I personally never would have thought of that, simply because I think the exhibitionist would have to know the people that s/he is exposing her/himself to. This doesn't mean that there has to be a solid friendship or even acquaintance but when exposing the body, I think, unless the experience is also visceral and not virtual, it would not constitute true exposure. Without the acknowledgement of this carnal connection, the exhibition would not happen. However, if we look at "the Rape in Cyberspace" piece and the idea that "you have to have cybersex to fully open up to MOO" we see that it might be a sort of an initiation to another place/time/era in her life. Seeing as she is doing this in her college room and that it is a transition between her childnhood and adulthood, this idea seems to fit.

I also found the fact that she found it "lonely" without the camera after she graduates and places another one in her apartment really intriguing. I would have expected the camera to be a nonjudgmental observer, something that doesn't influence her actions or daily life, (although the fact that she "will put on shows occasionally" shows us that this is not entirely true,) and something that she could easily remove from her life; something that she wouldn't get attached to. I guess this shows us the argument that Burgin makes about how Jenni imbibes the webcam with her mother's approving look; by imagining that there is someone there who is constantly standing by her actions, Jenni had the strength to go through this rite of passage of becoming an adult but in the process got attached to an inanimate being she blessed with humane qualities.

Interesting all around.