I have posted previously on the exoticization of the Other through tourism (see especially this post on hula girls in Hawaii). This is part of an exoticization of the Other that occurs within state borders as well as across. bell hooks talks about about how some white people see having sex with a person of color as an exciting adventure, like a trip to an exotic location, in her essay “Eating the Other.” See also Race, Ethnicity and Sexuality by Joane Nagel and Black Sexual Politics by Patricia Hill Collins. You can see visual representations of it here and here.
Jacob G. sent us this amazing ad suggesting that dating a person of another race is like going to an exotic location.
Text:
he wanted to show me exotic places.
Um. Wow.
NEW! From Postsecret:
Comments 8
Breck — July 15, 2008
What's interracial marriage, then? Emigration?
Mike — July 15, 2008
I recently had a chance to watch this on Youtube. I think it is a master-piece in showing 'negative sterotypes' about foreigners in Germany. It perfectly illustates the racism that still exists to this day while people happen to be communting via public transportation. These racist and negative stereotypes about foreigners in Germany are usually stronger among the older generation in Germany.The film is called 'Schwarzfahrer' transalted into Black-rider:
fred — August 20, 2008
well when things like diversity for its own sake are pushed for things like college admission you see where this kind of stuff comes from.
Sociological Images » WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO BEHIND YOUR BACK (JANUARY 2009) — February 1, 2009
[...] and cross-national sex as cultural tourism came up at PostSecret. We added a postcard to an earlier post on the [...]
altairian — February 1, 2009
I'm curious about what folks smarter than I am have to say about the second one. I feel like there could be more to it than the "tourism" of the initial ad (or, say, dudes who go to Thailand just to buy very young prostitutes).
Because masculinity, sexuality, love, and sex is viewed so differently from culture to culture, I can see how -- especially coming from an extreme rape culture like the US -- having sexual experiences with people who do *not* view sex in the horrific way we do here could be a real "eye opening" experience.
I mean, when I found out that sex could be *pleasurable*, it completely changed my view of my body and what everyone else had been telling me about it. I can see the possibility that actually *experiencing* someone else's view of sex (masculinity, sexuality, femininity, love, etc) could open one up to a more personally authentic view of all of those things (and more).
Not that I'm saying it's a good idea to go traveling just to have sex with people -- but I don't feel like that's what the card writer did, either. Things just happened and they turned out to be far more valuable than whatever the official place of education was spouting at her.
(Note: I automatically assumed the card writer was female from the handwriting before I'd even read it, but none of what I said is gender specific.)
More Fetishization of Black Bodies as Fashion Props (Mildly NSFW) » Sociological Images — May 15, 2010
[...] other examples, see the porn producer with a heart of gold, interracial dating as tourism, Indian people as props, Africans as props, and Africa is wild. var addthis_language = 'en'; [...]