Nagel makes it clear that when she says sexuality she is referring to both sexes only through a social perspective and she goes on to say "genitally defined individuals with culturally defined appropriate sexual tastes, partners, and activities" (pg 8). This definitely goes to support the social constructionist approach which questions the authenticity of the way things exist socially and looks for the subliminal reasons behind the way human interactions are produced in the same way and then put into action (pg. 5). Nagel then makes a clear point about how these same ideologies about sexuality and sexual practices are repeated throughout history and presented as normative activities operating under the very nature of hegemony. Nagel directly states:
...There will be a dominant or hegemonic sexuality that will define socially approved men's and women sexualized bodies (fat or thin,strong or weak, black or white), approved kinds of sexual desires for approved numbers and types of sexual partners (e.g., a monogamous relationship with an opposite sexed, same raced partner), and approved sorts of sexual activities at appointed times and places (e.g., vaginal-penile intercourse in the bedroom, out of public view).(pg.8)
"Something New" is definitely a visual representation of how race and sex are intersected and played out. The fact that Kenya finds it very difficult to be with this man because he is white is due to social influences about what the dominant way sex should be practiced which includes (but not limited to) a monogamous relationship with a person of another race. This is very important when you consider the statement that she concludes her introduction with which is "sex is raced and race is sexed" (pg. 10). Sex is not excluded from the idea of race and there is constant debate over whether or not scholars should include sexuality with any mention of race or ethnicity. This gives birth to the term ethnosexual in which power is distributed within the involvement of people of different races and things are given meaning because of this intersection (pg. 10). Also, the sexuality of Sanaa Lathan is apparently limited due to the fact that she is under pressure from her friends and family (societal influences) because she over steps her boundaries, so to speak, because she chooses to have a romantic relationship with a man that is not of color. I know there are many things to take into consideration with this film, however, this is the one thing that sticks out the most to me in relation to Nagel's article.
When you see the clip from the movie, what other movies or visual representations come to mind that support the intersections mentioned previously? Would you say that this interracial relationship is commodified for the same reason it is given visibility? How is power distributed within this movie and how is hegemony being presented to us as consumers of this film? Do you think this film is a good example of eroticizing the "Other" or does it add a new layer of complexity that takes on a different perspective with respect to the social constructionist approach?
After watching the video clip for the film, I feel as though the commodification of interracial couples is and can be paralleled to the dominant ideologies of the hegemonic with regard to homosexuality and it’s new break out visibility on television. The framework is set up so that people essentially get the ability to fantasize about their lives being socially acceptable. In the case of the film “Something New”, the interracial couple is constantly being commodified for their presence at events, Simone’s sexual capabilities and also the fact that they exist as a couple. The seriousness of their relationship is almost null and void and not seriously contemplated until (according to the trailer), about ¾ into the film. Therefore, I definitely agree that the film is being commodified for the exact same reason that it’s given visibility.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Nagel “...[the] definitions of ethnicity are imbued with sexual meanings and expectations, how the construction of ethnic boundaries depends on the establishment and enforcement of rules and regulations governing sexual demeanor, partners, and reproduction… (10)” Here, Nagel is further explaining the contexts and reasons why the idea of an interracial relationship retains its social space of commodification in that it’s another method of establishing ruling over not only ethnic bodies, but also the bodies of those that nearly refuse to be defined by these dichotomies.
Power and hegemony are definitely distributed within the film through the perspective of the African-American, however, this is clearly a farce as through their laughter and seeming compliance, not only is the interracial couple dealt with through comedy, but most of the comedy regarding Simone’s whiteness. Lastly, with regard to eroticizing the other, I don’t think that this film does that well with race, but with social class, it commits the crime perfectly. Because Simone is below Kenya’s monetary and economic status, it’s eroticizing Simone’s intellect and personal individual versus his sexuality (which is typically not the case if he were the star instead of Kenya).
I don't know the film, but just taking the trailer as text what strikes me is the narrator. Clearly he (probably white male) provides the least transparent frame for the white consumer to "understand" the film. The less transparent frames involve the class status of the main character (upper-middle class?) and the "sex in the city"-like discussion over cocktails.
ReplyDeletePrecious says "After she and her friends decide to adapt a new lifestyle which is evident in the phrase "Let go,let flow" and "lower their standards" to being open to any and all forms of heterosexual relationships." This seems to play right to hegemony's conception of black women as being "loose." Perhaps sex in the city is actually more counter-hegemonic in that it portrays supposedly virginal white woman as a highly sexual creature.
The first film that comes to mind is "Save the Last Dance." The movie is about a white girl moving into a Black community to stay with her father because her mother died. She ended up in a public high school with majority of the students are considered minority. She dates the popular African American boy, who knows how to dance like her. He have a hard time dating her because of people think of dating outside the race. Yes, I believe that interracial relationships are already being commodified in the media. However, "Something New" shows power and hegemony because now it's African American women taking over in the middle or upper class rather in society African American women are double oppressed. What a fantasy? But as erotized "other", I don't this film show that rather it shows a different standpoint to bring in the future. It's a new conflict.
ReplyDeleteThis post reminded me of the Nagel article, where she says, "Ethnicity and sexuality join together to form a barrier to hold some people in and keep others out, to shape our view of ourselves and others, to fashion feelings of sexual desire and notions of sexual desirability, to provide us with seemingly "natural" sexual preferences for some partners and 'intuitive' aversions to others, to leave us with a taste for some ethnic sexual encounters and a distaste for others." I feel that in the case of this movie, Brian is experiencing a barrier because of his whiteness towards being with Kenya. It seems that no matter what he does or who he is, he is always seen as inferior to Kenya's friends just because of the color of his skin. I do not think that this is a commodification of the relationship, but that it is rather a discourse of a sensitive subject in the United States today. Even though we now have a president who is half white, half black, interracial love is still not a completely accepted thing. The message of the movie seems to be that color should not matter in regards to love, and this is something that I agree with.
ReplyDeleteThis discussion also reminds me of a 30 Rock episode from the previous week when one of the African American men on the staff, a Harvard graduate, decides to quit because he feels that he is simply a product of Affirmative Action. The show ends with everyone realizing that they fit some sort of niche and none of them fully 'deserved' to be in the role that they had - and it ended with the punch line that this is America and no one deserves or is 'supposed to' be here.
ReplyDeleteI think that this is an interesting counter to the typical mediated hegemony and that it is a really unique representation within our popular culture. Obviously there's still flaws within the representation but it made me question whether or not there are representations of interracial couples that are not ethnosexualized. As the Nagel article tries to understand the 'agendas behind difference claims made in social constructions of ethnicity, gender or sexuality' what do you think the agenda behind this film is? To question the norm or to show that the norm is wrong but in doing so does it not sort of reaffirm the existence of this norm?
I agree that interracial relationships are being commodified by television. These outlets want to promote idea that race doesn’t matter and everyone should be accepted for who they are. However the reality is these relationship are still not accepted and people face real danger when dating outside their race. Which the movie does poor job of highlighting.
ReplyDeleteThis is however one of the few black dominated films that will sexualize a white male and try to simultaneously deploy a female gaze...there is a scene where he is digging up a stump outside and she gazes at his muscles until she is startled by her brother (i think that's what startled her)...you don't see this type of thing condoned in black entertainment. This movie was as much as it was about race was about class...it is interclass dating that really makes this movie offering a rare look into the quirky social differentiators of the black middle class including Deputant balls etc. The problematic thing for a lot of brothers was how the lead character based all of the man's value and worth on money. Black women...particularly black middle class women are often told to find a man (and yes, it must be a man) who is evenly yoked (a christian phrase, by the way) but that often is translates into 'marrying well' or marrying into a status situation. A man with at least his bachelors or better...preferably the latter. Unfortunately education statistics set sistas up for failure...those same sistas bought into disney's happy ever after and their prince is no where to be found. These sistas want the relationship for various reasons...one is practical and financial, another is fantasy and romanticized. Unfortunately in our society, spiritual wealth (different from religious wealth) is undervalued. Men who are whole, healthy and balanced ...just perhaps not as educated are seen as ineligible bachelors thus forcing the black female to cross the racial divide. I think the movie has its strong points and I enjoied it at first blush, but it is the devaluing of certain types of contribution and the buying into a hegemonic ideal of what should be that sets the main character up...its what makes the black men necessarily unavailable. Only after she discovers the white male who appreciates 'who she is' does she feel free. Note, the only way this love was remotely possible is because he was exceptionally good at his craft. In that way she was isolated from some of the outside attack...he was not rich, but he wasn't 'Billy Bob' either. He was acceptable, but we should probably consider why (beyond the surface read) and why other black men (not the Ideal Black Man character) were not. If she would have brought a brother in there of the same class the movie still would have had tension because of the highly classed theme. You notice that the black upper class man or the white working class man are eligible subjects...lower class black men are not...there is something that might be said about that.
ReplyDeleteWhen I say this clip it reminded me of a conversation I had with my bf about interracial dating. He pointed out to me how visible interracial dating is in CU which is not normal to him from where he is from. This blog is very interesting. I like! This is an excellent discussion of Nagle's work on the social constructs of ethnicity and sexuality and I do understand and see how it is being played out in this film and through interracial dating in general. I would agree with you and Tichina that this interracial relationship is being commodified for the same reason it is being displayed. To show a level of difference, tolerance, and acceptance in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen the movie and the comments so far have been fairly informative because from the trailer I wouldn't have gathered that class was as much of an issue as race, or that she doesn't spend much time considering black men of a lower class. I think present a chance not just for one liners about getting her swirl on, but for open dialogue about an issue which as Nagel writes, is often not spoken of.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Bola that interracial couples are being commodified in the media, in my opinion I do think that its a way to stray away from the fact that race does exist and put a pretty coat on it. For some reason that takes me to a conversation I was having with a fellow student on how in Puerto Rico there isn't prejudice according to the people on the island and they ignore the fact that it actually does exist and affects many people, it excludes this whole group of people who have felt and experienced prejudice. The media commodifying interracial couples and families and putting a band-aid on the race issue for the sake of everything seeming better is prejudice in itself, that's what I think at least.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my favorite movies ever, for I have always found this movie interesting, and I use it in my own research. It is interesting that the white man is the one that does not make a lot of money, while Sanaa Lathan's character is supposedly "lowering her standards" in order to find a man. Especially for a Black woman like Kenya who is from a affluent upper-middle class African-American family (debutante), there are so many historical contexts about interracial love affairs between Black women and White men that Kenya's family is not afraid to say. Although I do not necessarily think that the media is commodifying interracial relationships, I do think they are commodifying the new phenomenon of the Single Black Female who is also Successful. I think this is the new way that sex and ethnicity is going to be intersected.
ReplyDeleteI will be putting this on my list of movies to watch...
ReplyDeleteLike most of our classmates, I tied this back to the Nagel reading. On the issue of interracial relationships or miscegination (as it is discussed in the reading) the fear is always about procreation - or sex. Nagel discusses how when she was a child her parents felt it urgent to move her out of the integrated school in Cleveland right as she was entering sexual maturity. There is the myth of white female purity that must be protected. This film seems to turn some dominant discourses on their head - seemingly putting the white male under the gaze of the black female.
After watching the trailer and reading Nagel's intro, I am reminded consistently of movies like Antionette said, "Save the Last Dance," "Avatar," "Pocahantas," that use race, ethnicity, and colonialism (or to a certain extent neo-colonial practices in today) to tell a story that is based around a forbidden sort of essentialist sexuality.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching this trailer I want to know more about what influences people in their views of "others" and their sexuality. The trailer also complicates past examples by being a story of a professional black woman who is paired with a landscaping white man, I can only recall it going the other way with powerful white people "crossing over" into more dangerous territories in other stories.
I feel like a movie is at once challenging ideas on inter-ethnic dating while also almost reinforcing what is assumed to be the "exotic" and "weird" nature of it.
I think this posting is excellent and helps to convey some of Nagel's points in his reading when it comes to sexual construct-ism and hegemony, in regards to race and sexuality. Now in regards to the movie and the clip that we were presented with, I am familiar with the movie and the issue. I believe it is a topic that is hardly ever discussed. Often at time when we think about interracial dating, I for one and I assume I am not alone, think primarily of the black men/white women, when it comes to interracial dating. But it is present on how society can have such a hude impact on you along with the way hegemony actually function when you are not aware that it is functioning. I think it is funny in this movie how the power is given to the woman in the woman, along with the black community here. And the guy is seen as the underdog, mixing with the minorities (in the movie he is very close to the Latino culture because of gardening [how ironic]). The only movie I can think of at this time that is similar is Save the Last Dance or maybe Obsessed. In Obsessed the power is given to the black couple and the viewers deal with the conflict of interracial dating and conflict, granted not thee same as Something New, the power in the minority is apparent in the movie.
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