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Ethnic Pornography
Controversy in American Pornography
Some scholars claim that African American women are especially subject to racial fetishism within pornography. Mireille Miller-Young, professor of feminist studies at University of California in Santa-Barbara argues that while the porn industry hypersexualizes African American porn actresses, they are often paid less, hired less, and given less attention during health checks, than their white counterparts.[1] Some scholars also argue that white women are upheld as the most-prized commodity in the industry, while black women are often devalued for their sex work, regardless of their perceived erotic abilities.[1]
Interracial Pornography
Some scholars have written about porn actors’ interviews, in which the actors express their view that interracial pornography is a transgressive form of overcoming racism.[2] In Chapter 3 of her book Porn Studies, Linda Williams, professor at UC Berkeley, points to the porn film Crossing the Color Line starring Sean Michaels, a black actor, and Christi Lakes, a white actress.[2] In the interviews of this porn film, Michaels and Lakes express how being “color-blind” is a progressive approach to interracial porn.[2] However, scholars have identified a contradiction between these interviews and the subsequent performance, in which both actors make several references to the differences in skin color between them.[2] For example, Lakes refers to Michael’s private parts as “big and black”.[2] Scholars argue that by advertently pointing out racial differences, race is being made the main point of intrigue for the audience, which perpetuates the exotification of racial differences.[2] Some argue that this eroticized sexual tension in interracial pornography dates back to slavery during which white owners kept white women and black men separate.[2] Williams states that there is a tension between fear and sexual desire within interracial pornography.[2]
Gay Pornography
Bareback
Some scholars argue that while “barebacking” and “UAI” technically both mean the same thing, they have different undertones.[3] With the increased use of the term “barebacking”, the term has been adopted for marketing purposes.[3] This is because “Unprotected Anal Intercourse” makes a direct connection between unprotected sex and the risk of contracting diseases like HIV/AIDS.[3] However, although “bareback” seems to have become the favorable term, studies show that both terms ultimately have equally negative implications.[3] A sample size of 95 pornographic films was analyzed in a study, with a little under half of the sample featuring UAI.[3] In a study where participants were shown two different scenes featuring anal sex, the significance of the words “bareback” and “UAI” became apparent.[3] The first scene featured group sex in which several men were on top engaging in intercourse with one man on the bottom.[3] The men on top were in their mid-30’s and of varying ethnicities while the man on the bottom was around 18 years old.[3]. The second scene featured two men both in their 20’s in a living room setting.[3] During the interview, the participants were much more reluctant to classify the second scene as “bareback” or “UAI”, than they were for the first scene.[3] Participants readily used “bareback” to describe the first scene in which there were clear contrasts in race, age, and power.[3] The participants described the second scene as being more “meaningful and romantic” and hence more likely to use a condom to protect the other.[3] The implication of this study is that the term “bareback” ultimately does have a dark meaning as it relates to HIV/AIDS, regardless if it does not mention protection in its name.[3] Thus, studies have shown that barebacking is decreasing in popularity within the gay subculture.[3] Bareback pornography does not necessarily encourage more unprotected anal sex in reality, nor do all men who participate in anal sex necessarily want to have unprotected sex.[3] What is clear is that there is still a sense of risk among participants who engage in anal sex.[3]
References
- ^ a b Miller-Young, Mireille (2010). "Putting Hypersexuality to Work: Black Women and Illicit Eroticism in Pornography" (PDF). Sexualities.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Williams, Linda (2004). "Pornography, Race, and Class: Skin Flicks on the Racial Border: Pornography, Exploitation, and Interracial Lust". Porn Studies. Cite error: The named reference "Williams" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Mowlabocus, Sharif; Harbottle, Justin; Witzel, Charlie (2014). "What We Can't See? Understanding the Representations and Meanings of UAI, Barebacking, and Semen Exchange in Gay Male Pornography". Journal of Homosexuality. 61 (10): 1462–1480. Cite error: The named reference "Mowlabocus" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).