Presentation Schedule
From Tradition to Transaction: The Commercialization of Trans Identity in Online Lô Tô Performances (93798)
Session Chair: Krittaphol Viphaveekul
Thursday, 15 May 2025 09:25
Session: Session 1
Room: Room 705 (7F)
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation
As Lô Tô (Vietnamese lotto games) moves from traditional performance spaces to digital platforms like TikTok and YouTube, transgender performers face new opportunities and constraints. This paper argues that rather than serving as a space of empowerment, social media commodifies trans identity, turning Lô Tô into a marketable product shaped by platform incentives. Through an analysis of viral performances, monetization strategies, and algorithmic visibility, the paper examines how Lô Tô performers navigate the pressures of branding, sponsorships, and aesthetic conformity. While online platforms expand trans visibility, they also reinforce precarious digital labor, forcing performers to balance queer authenticity with commercial viability. Drawing on theories of branding authenticity and cruel optimism, this study critiques the digital economy’s role in shaping contemporary queer representation in Vietnam. Ultimately, Lô Tô’s online transformation reveals the contradictions of trans visibility in the attention economy, where empowerment is entangled with exploitation.
Authors:
Tan Gia Bao Huynh, Waseda University, Japan
Connect on ResearchGate
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Huynh-Tan-Gia-Bao
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