Ann Hirsch (born 1985) is a contemporary American video and performance artist.
Her work addresses women's sexual self-expression and identity online and in popular culture.
Early life
Hirsch received a BFA in sculpture from the
Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts
The Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts is a part of Washington University in St. Louis. The Sam Fox School was founded in 2006 by uniting the academic units of Architecture and Art with the University's Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum to create ...
at
Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis (WashU or WUSTL) is a private research university with its main campus in St. Louis County, and Clayton, Missouri. Founded in 1853, the university is named after George Washington. Washington University is r ...
in 2007, and an MFA in Video Art from
Syracuse University
Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...
in 2010.
Work
In 2008, Hirsch initiated the "Scandalishious" project, a series of videos posted to her YouTube account, "Caroline's fun fun channel." Using her computer to record herself, Hirsch performed as Caroline Benton, a
SUNY freshman. Many of the clips show Caroline dancing to music ranging from
MGMT
MGMT () is an American indie rock band formed in 2002 in Middletown, Connecticut. It was founded by multi-instrumentalists Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser. Alongside VanWyngarden and Goldwasser, MGMT's live lineup currently consists of ...
to
Katy Perry
Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Known for her influence on modern pop music and her Camp (style), campy style, she has been ...
to
Meat Loaf
Michael Lee Aday (born Marvin Lee Aday; September 27, 1947 – January 20, 2022), known professionally as Meat Loaf, was an American rock singer and actor. He was noted for his powerful, wide-ranging voice and theatrical live shows. He is on t ...
. In other videos, Caroline reads poetry or confides to her viewers about her personal life. The channel has reached over one million views.
Of her motivation in creating "Scandalishious," Hirsch has said,
While I was growing up and becoming a woman, I hated myself. I knew I was smart but other than that I thought I was just a disgusting girl that no one could be sexually interested in. I started performing as "Scandalishious" because I was tired of feeling that way. Or at least, I was tired of appearing as though I felt that way. So I started pretending I thought I was sexy and I quickly learned that if I pretended to be confident, people would believe it. And then I actually became mor