The first thing I should say at the start of this post is that I have major personal lust for women who look like Temeca Freeman. I found the blog Indochine’s Top Shelf in my wanderings looking for hot images of girls like Freeman, and found a gold mine, as seen in the video of her above and the image in this post.
What I didn’t expect and was excited to find was the beginning of a conversation about the stereotypes that accompany sexualizing women of color. I think about this a lot, and have for a long time. I’ve also basically been told to go die in a gutter for criticizing racism in porn, so I’m in a no-man’s-land in many, many ways.
Indochine’s post Panel Discussion: “Bling, Booty, Bullets – Materialism, Misogyny and Violence Portrayed in Hip Hop” is very worth reading. Sex-positive, Indochine posts a heated panel discussion on this very topic, and writes,
So, again, in my opinion, the problem is not that there are sexy images of ethnic women out there, and anyone criticizing the visual celebration of the feminine form is headed down a dangerous path that will envitably lead to hypocrisy. The problem is that there is a lack of dimsionality and substance associated with women of color in this context. For example, Pam Anderson and Kim Kardashian have both taken a plethora of sexy images in Maxim, FHM, etc. but they are also respected as business women.
Where is the African American analogue of these women? Melyssa Ford is has made significant headway for urban eye candy and single-handedly created that genre, yet she is constantly berated as a “video ho.” Last I checked, Ms. Ford didn’t have a sex tape out there like Pam Anderson or Kim Kardashian, and yet neither of those woman have suffered this negative stigma. (…read more, indosplace.com)
Visuals in this post via Indochine’s Top Shelf.
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Thank you Violet for having the bravery to challenge the racism that is ever present in society, and porn in this case. We need more people like you willing to be honest. As well as more people that are willing to support people like you.
-LaMont
Wow, even more types, lol.
Please post this comment instead:
Wow, I can’t believe you found my blog! :) This made my day! I am adding a link to your blog on my website as I type this (and correcting all those egregious typos in that article, lol) Thanks again for the write up.
–Indo
OMG ! Great post.
I’ve always wondered where to find such eye candy :P
I personally think that the human body is so beautiful, so perfect and that variety is the biggest gift nature has given us.
I just love it when you post these sites that promote sexy variety.
BTW georgette’s tumblr link rocks!!
Funk
Great, great, great essay.
After reading this post and the bits on racism at AVN and the Nikki Blue virginity kerfluffle, I’m left wondering how (if?) porn can represent and market fantasies that are not PC in a way that is. Sometimes it’s the very presence of misogyny and racism in these scenarios and their taboo nature that turns people on, and misogyny and racism are, unfortunately, very common in mainstream media, let alone a type of media that thrives on exploring the sexual excitement of taboos.
Is it possible to create an atmosphere in which having these fantasies is okay but creating media and marketing that caters to them is not? IS having and embracing those fantasies okay? Does deciding that’s they’re not contribute to sex negativism? In the case of racism, should creators of adult media be responsible for providing balance by creating less marginalizing material featuring women of color even if it doesn’t sell? Or interracial porn where the interracial factor is ignored instead of highlighted? Are they possibly contributing to a market where it doesn’t sell or where racist fetishes are tacitly enabled by NOT creating a balance of less marginalizing material?
I’m having a lot of trouble answering any of those questions for myself, but I’d love to see you feature more posts about this, particularly from people of color in the porn industry.
Wow, Violet, I somehow totally missed the crazy you stirred up in 2009 on this. And I thought I was getting people annoyed with my willful colorblindness schtick of refusing to slap a racial label on every non-WASP porn model I mention on my blog…
oh those photos are so YUMMY!
I’m so there with you sharing the lust! I really enjoy this tumblr :)
http://fuckyeahthickbitches.tumblr.com/
we have been reaching out and patiently waiting to connect with more ethnic participants for our photo shoots. patience, patience, patience….
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