More than a half-century beyond the civil rights movement and America is still fighting to end racism. How does this connect to the conversation of pornography? Think about it. Porn thrives on exploitation. Racism included. But it’s something most people don’t consider. Why is that? What are the consequences of leaving racism in pornography unchecked?
Dr. Carolyn West is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Washington, Tacoma. In that capacity, she’s been investigating domestic violence and sexual assault for more than two decades. Recently, she began to look more closely at racism in pornography. What she found was deeply disturbing. In an effort to raise public awareness and help college students recognize blatant racism in the media they consume, she created the documentary film, “Let Me Tell Ya’ll ‘Bout Black Chicks: Images of Black Women in Pornography.”
Racism in pornography
It was never her intention to get involved in researching pornography, Dr. West admits. Rather, the work chose her. It’s a tough, tough subject matter. But if culture is to change the research must be done. It’s simply unacceptable to give porn a free pass against racism.
In this episode:
- First experiences shape attitudes. Early exposure to racism in pornography can shape a young man’s sense of humanity, sexuality, and masculinity.
- Boldly raising public awareness. Producing the film exposed Dr. West to some of the most difficult and challenging content she’s had to process in her career. But she continues forward inspired by the poet Audra Lorde: “What is most important must be spoken, made verbal and shared.”
- Pornography encourages extremes. Pornography allows for extreme political incorrectness. It draws on this history of America’s racism and sexualizes it. It is both racism and classism.
- Stereotypes put black girls at risk. Studies show that adults perceive black girls as needing less nurturing, less protection, less support and less comfort. When black girls are sexually victimized they are more likely to be seen participatory than vulnerable.
- Call out racism in popular culture. Help children and teens understand the media messages they are consuming. Strive for open communication. Is there fair representation of race? What attributes are given to people of color? Always ask why.
Episode challenge
Stand with your child and have a look at some of their favorite media. It could be a music video, a TV program, or a video game. Talk to them about racial impact—and how people of color are depicted in the media that they are consuming and what that means to them. If there is no diversity, why is that? Ask, who’s missing?
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More about today’s guest
Dr. Carolyn West is Professor of Clinical Psychology at UWT where she teaches courses on the Psychology of Black Women and Sex Crimes and Sexual Violence. Dr. West also has written extensively on racism in sexualized media. In 2018 she produced the documentary Let Me Tell Ya’ll ‘Bout Black Chicks: Images of Black Women in Pornography, which has been screened at international conferences. She also has worked as an expert witness in domestic violence/sexual assault cases, delivered keynote addresses, conducted workshops, and created innovative training materials to educate and equip professionals with the skills to provide culturally sensitive services to domestic violence and sexual assault survivors of color. She can be reached at www.DrCarolynWest.com
Links/Resources
West, C. M. (2020, April). Sexual assault awareness month: Why racist pornography is a form of sexual violence. https://fightthenewdrug.org/how-mainstream-porn-normalizes-violence-against-black-women/
West, C. M. (2020, June) “Who’s Your Daddy?” Exploring the Images of Black Men in Pornography https://fightthenewdrug.org/how-mainstream-porn-perpetuates-racist-stereotypes-of-black-men/
Dines, G. & West, C. M. (2020, July 9). Pornhubs #Black Lives Matter genre and the industry’s brash racism. Slate.com https://slate.com/human-interest/2020/07/pornhub-black-lives-matter-genre-racism.html
Racism in Porn: A Powerful Way to Teach Kids to Reject XXX | Protect Young Minds
Ep. #2-25, Dear Savvy: How do I address racism in the media with my kids?
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