Oh, is it?
Cooper started off as a casting director for major porn studio Raging Stallion and went on to perform in front of the camera too – but his time working in the industry was cut short.That's a quote from Race Cooper, who until recently worked in porn. It's one of the many examples we've had lately of porn stars opening about the state of the porn industry in regards to racism and how that has affected the performers. I'm also kind of glad that Davey Wavey actually does ask the question. Because it's a conversation that needs to take place. And it's good that it is a white guy the one who starts the conversation
Looking back, Cooper says he was paid less than his white co-stars and regularly had his work ethic and intelligence called into question.
Damningly, he now believes he was only hired in the first place so his porn studio could “appear less racist“.
Because apparently, it is not a one-off thing. This is something that is endemic in every profession. It's not particular to one situation, it's systemic and systematic but in porn it is usually overlooked because we all go for our 'preference'. Am I right? Just like in Grindr. At least that's what I keep hearing. But people brings their biases with them (I won't say racism but that's in their baggage, too) when they jerk off or when they fuck.
And Andre mentions it: every man who looks like him is going to have to fit a mold that has been expected him to fill, and that's not real life. It's like there's no room for anything else. Black performers are constrained by the roles we put them in in our heads because we fetishize them and let our biases take over the fantasy. We don't expect every white performer to be a construction worker or a gym instructor or a nurse or a lawyer or whatever idea we would have of what white men do. But by expecting the Mandingo or the Thug to always be Black we put Black performers in box.
Stereotypes do have a grain of truth to them but they are not the truth. Andre mentions that Black performers have depth and are multifaceted, and that's not something that is explored, leaving them without much room to be more than what we expect them to be. There's more to a Black porn actor than the BBC. More than the Alpha Thug. But that's an expectation they are supposed to fill. You have seen it. And that's not something we see only in porn.
There needs to be an evolution in porn. Really. That's why we go for 'amateur' porn these days, because we are kind of tired of the same stories, the same archetypes, the same biases. Porn is indeed designed to get us off, but that does not mean that it cannot change. The powers that be (usually white and/or straight) in mainstream gay porn may not want to change things because they really don't care about the final product. They just care about what they think people want and just add a token Black performer here and there to their niche brands. People are most times set in their ways and do not want to change them. For some men, a BBC is a BBC is a BBC and that's all they want to see.
Why not just have porn that looks more like real life? Unless we live in an isolated village in the Northernmost part of Sweden, we are going to see more than one BIPOC person during our comings and goings. We don't have a 'Latinx Friend Day' or a 'Caucasian Friend Day' or an 'Asian Friend Day'. 'Interracial Porn' or 'Black Gay Porn' should not be a just category or a niche industry, but part of the whole array of possibilities we see. Once the scene is set up, all that's left is two men enjoying each other (or five men enjoying each other, if that's what you want to watch that day). Once the clothes come all off (or partially off, natch) it's just two men enjoying each other. The color of their skin should not be relevant.
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Six, you have me so gun shy about using the wrong terminology to make a comment on this post. However, no matter what the race, arched eyebrows on a guy is a turnoff .
ReplyDeleteHahaha
DeleteOh, Jimmy. Well, overplucking is not a good look.
XOXO
First off ... Jimmy! YASSSSSS on the brows!
ReplyDeleteSecondly, racism exists everywhere, and some people hire People of Color to make themselves appears less racist--look at the current Administration.
Thirdly, people, well, a lot of people, from the looks of things, must enjoy the stereotypes because they're paying for the shows.
Lastly, good on Cooper for taking a stand though, because that's when change happens.
Oh yes.
DeleteThe tokenism runs rampant. And I think that people do enjoy stereotypes. It's confirmation bias. It's comforting.
Cooper let them have it. And I'm here for it. Somebody has to call them on their bullshit.
XOXO
You're correct...bias exists in everything, everywhere. Racism exists in every industry. That it happens within the porn industry shouldn't surprise anyone. But, I wonder: If we go for what we like, and what we like happens to be those that look like us (or a reasonable facsimile), then that isn't necessarily evil racism - that's plain old preference bias. "Someone who looks like me" is all the Black community has been asking for - and there is nothing wrong with that. But producers need to be paying those actors equally.
ReplyDeleteThe Black and Latinx communities have taken longer than the White community to accept that LGBTQ happens and to understand it is normal. Let's hope they all catch up! XOXO
Oh, bias and racism do exist everywhere.
DeleteBut it should not impact a person's salary or work opportunities. It's not acceptable in corporate America....
And we sometimes go with what we are told we like. Media influences people and so does porn. And even if what you say it's true, then gay porn should have more than just white dudes fucking.
XOXO
This was a good post and yes it exits. I had a friend who did three porns with Chi Chi LaRue. He said it was common knowledge she preferred white boys first and foremost , and always got the "to billing first. I also remember a guy at the woods once. He had this HUGE rv. Made a tour bus look small. I remember commenting on it. He over heard and invited us in. Turns out he directed many amateur porns. He told us we all would be perfect to use and should consider it. We did show him our junk and he wanted us back for a shoot right in the rv. Thats a whole other story. And it was evident he wanted us three white guys first... never my my black friend.
ReplyDeleteIt's something that bothers me.
DeleteAnd ChiChi has some stories... GURRRLL.... She directed for Noir Male and it was not pretty. Neither in terms of casting, billing or salary. It got ugly.
And I can totally believe the RV story. Totally.
You should tell us more about it!!
XOXO
Should we be surprised that an industry that objectifies people based on their physical attributes also serves as a breeding ground for racism, sexism, ageism, etc? When you are valued only based on your physical attributes you become a 'thing' and things can be bought, used and discarded at will. That product is then put on the market and selected or not selected by the viewing public - who, again, objectifies the people in the product. But those who do purchase something then reinforce the need for a certain thing-type over another thing-type. So the industry adopts what the market will bear and the whole thing is just a vicious cycle of treating people like objects. Sad.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree.
DeleteBut one thing is to have the Gaystapo telling us how we must look and another not having people being paid fairly for the same job or only giving some people some jobs just because of their skin color.
We are all commodities, after all, but as I mentioned above, we don't see in corporate America what we see in porn. HR would have a fit!
The porn industry does cater to consumers, but when the porn industry kind of directs the public towards a certain kind of product with exclusion of other, that's not acceptable.
XOXO
As everyone above has said: racism exists. It exists in society and in just about every industry. That POC are making a stand and demanding equality is admirable. But it shouldn’t have to happen. Obviously you’re going to see headliners get the bigger paycheck. But once a POC, or anyone, rises to that level they should be similarly compensated. If their attributes are what brings in the eyeballs, give them the money.
ReplyDeleteXOXO 👨❤️💋👨
There has got to be equality!
DeleteThey would not hire someone at work and pay them less because they're black. Or only hire some people for some jobs based on their skin color. Can you imagine?
XOXO
The porn industry doesn't just have rampant racism., it has rampant ageism, and weightism. Getting into porn is not a good career move.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely.
DeletePorn is hard. People only think about the pretty, glossy surface but it's cutthroat and merciless.
XOXO