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Jungle Fever: The Construct of Interracial Dating
"Shhh... Say It Louder" issue
By Marcus Scott & Regina Rivers
Guest Writer & Staff Writer
All people are socialized to create factors for their ideal soul-mate and live happily ever after through the approval and guidance of others.
Designing such features and characteristics of another is a challenging yet life-altering experience because one wants to be in completion with his or her counterpart. Whatever quality or attribute that doesn’t match, it takes on the role as the balance to the relationship. Hence, the construction of interracial dating has been perpetuated in a media circus through films such as Jungle Fever and Something New. This, of course, has challenged the visage of the romantic pedigree and stereotypes idolized in romantic-comedies that states love between two people are based on both gender and ethnicity.
Those who do not fit into archetypical bullet points, are systematically alienated by the pros and cons of society and therefore, are destined for failure, and become star-crossed lovers. In English, the pursuit of happiness in romantic relationships are limited because of the stigmas that surround interracial relationships and thus, the old-age prophecy of “you can’t help who you love” is thrown into the primordial subsistence that does not live up to its accurate significance.
A superficial question that plagues humankind is the theory that society feels the need to have input in someone’s collective love life. This can range from anecdotal opinions of a few close friends to an entire metropolis.
When one chooses to date outside of their race, there is always someone who makes it his/her duty to feign on the significant other of the opposite race. According to a study on interracial dating among college students conducted by Knox et al, studies showed that Blacks were twice as likely as Whites to remain open about interracial involvement. These researchers also felt that because of the idea of tolerance for diversity and more ethnic [minority] groups enrolling into universities, college students are viewing mixed race relationships from a positive perspective.
Additionally, 92% of the participants reported to have been involved in an interracial relationship and the 32% who were not involved remain open to the possibility of an interracial relationship. The irony of such statistics is that dating outside one’s race is a non-normative behavior.
In the media, Black celebrities like actress Whoopi Goldberg, athlete Dennis Rodman and fashion designer Anita Hawkins have dated
outside of their race and have had their fair share of backlash from society. In a Jet magazine interview, Goldberg stated that she has dating both inside and outside of her race,“A woman with power is a problem for any man, but particularly a Black man because it’s hard for them to get power. I understand that…”
Rodman, known for his romantic relations with Carmen Electra and Madonna, stated that Black women weren’t attracted to him when he was younger because of his lack of fashion and wealth. During his high profile basketball, Rodman states that this of course changed their perceptions of him.
Hawkins refers to herself as the ‘Rainbow Coalition of dating’ because of her experience dating with various races. Hawkins stated that she feels that a man of any race is not perfect, however, there is nothing wrong with people dating outside of their races.
In other words [or another interpretation], some critics believe that society should stop making one race of people above another with regards to perspective life partners because of the emotional aspects of love itself, because some believe that love is not based on ethnic tones. While some Black women feel that the concept of Black men dating White women is more tolerable and vice versa, others are yielding an opposite point of view.
Veronica Blakely makes this topic the focal point of her poetry in her novel, I Want What Most White Women Got: A Black Man. Blakely addresses how light-skinned Black women with White-like features are given a better portrayal in the media as opposed to the darker skinned Black women. Her book also includes a section on personal growth and improvement in dark-skinned women. In a like manner, some critics believe society should improve itself on allowing any person of any color to date whomever he/she wants. If some Blacks choose to be with Whites and, some Whites prefer to be with Blacks and so on, isn’t it possible that the feeling between the two people are legit for love and respect for one another without the complications and untidiness of discriminatory orthodox theories?
Of course some critics will disagree. In fact, according to “What's Love Got to Do With It?” by Kellina Craig-Henderson, author and professor of psychology at Howard University, Henderson found studies from a 1992 US census that shows an estimation of 246,000 interracial marriages with more than half between African-American men and White women. Craig-Henderson’s novel "Black Men in Interracial Relationships," denotes the possibility that the “color of love can be confusing” in interracial relationships stating that anger is an issue that consumes African American women possibly because of their skin tone. This can be immensely observed in music videos from Punk to Rhythm & Blues clips, with dark toned women seen as hypersexual and seductive vixens contrasting to lighter-skinned typecast angelic women used merely as girlfriends. In the music videos, these men wage wars between the racist status quo and ideological presentation of interracial relationships. Craig-Henderson states “I have seen stats that claim it's roughly 5%,” however with the increasing popularity of African American males and White women compared to the small percentage of African American women and White women, the numbers quake under the pressure to truly accept Black women as angelic and quixotic figures.
With the high-profile media on this current phenomena, there is an issue that has arisen over time and transcended through film and theatre: Interracial relationships are the perfect niche for star-crossed lovers.
"Shhh... Say It Louder" issue
By Marcus Scott & Regina Rivers
Guest Writer & Staff Writer
All people are socialized to create factors for their ideal soul-mate and live happily ever after through the approval and guidance of others.
Designing such features and characteristics of another is a challenging yet life-altering experience because one wants to be in completion with his or her counterpart. Whatever quality or attribute that doesn’t match, it takes on the role as the balance to the relationship. Hence, the construction of interracial dating has been perpetuated in a media circus through films such as Jungle Fever and Something New. This, of course, has challenged the visage of the romantic pedigree and stereotypes idolized in romantic-comedies that states love between two people are based on both gender and ethnicity.
Those who do not fit into archetypical bullet points, are systematically alienated by the pros and cons of society and therefore, are destined for failure, and become star-crossed lovers. In English, the pursuit of happiness in romantic relationships are limited because of the stigmas that surround interracial relationships and thus, the old-age prophecy of “you can’t help who you love” is thrown into the primordial subsistence that does not live up to its accurate significance.
A superficial question that plagues humankind is the theory that society feels the need to have input in someone’s collective love life. This can range from anecdotal opinions of a few close friends to an entire metropolis.
When one chooses to date outside of their race, there is always someone who makes it his/her duty to feign on the significant other of the opposite race. According to a study on interracial dating among college students conducted by Knox et al, studies showed that Blacks were twice as likely as Whites to remain open about interracial involvement. These researchers also felt that because of the idea of tolerance for diversity and more ethnic [minority] groups enrolling into universities, college students are viewing mixed race relationships from a positive perspective.
Additionally, 92% of the participants reported to have been involved in an interracial relationship and the 32% who were not involved remain open to the possibility of an interracial relationship. The irony of such statistics is that dating outside one’s race is a non-normative behavior.
In the media, Black celebrities like actress Whoopi Goldberg, athlete Dennis Rodman and fashion designer Anita Hawkins have dated
outside of their race and have had their fair share of backlash from society. In a Jet magazine interview, Goldberg stated that she has dating both inside and outside of her race,“A woman with power is a problem for any man, but particularly a Black man because it’s hard for them to get power. I understand that…”Rodman, known for his romantic relations with Carmen Electra and Madonna, stated that Black women weren’t attracted to him when he was younger because of his lack of fashion and wealth. During his high profile basketball, Rodman states that this of course changed their perceptions of him.
Hawkins refers to herself as the ‘Rainbow Coalition of dating’ because of her experience dating with various races. Hawkins stated that she feels that a man of any race is not perfect, however, there is nothing wrong with people dating outside of their races.
In other words [or another interpretation], some critics believe that society should stop making one race of people above another with regards to perspective life partners because of the emotional aspects of love itself, because some believe that love is not based on ethnic tones. While some Black women feel that the concept of Black men dating White women is more tolerable and vice versa, others are yielding an opposite point of view.
Veronica Blakely makes this topic the focal point of her poetry in her novel, I Want What Most White Women Got: A Black Man. Blakely addresses how light-skinned Black women with White-like features are given a better portrayal in the media as opposed to the darker skinned Black women. Her book also includes a section on personal growth and improvement in dark-skinned women. In a like manner, some critics believe society should improve itself on allowing any person of any color to date whomever he/she wants. If some Blacks choose to be with Whites and, some Whites prefer to be with Blacks and so on, isn’t it possible that the feeling between the two people are legit for love and respect for one another without the complications and untidiness of discriminatory orthodox theories?
Of course some critics will disagree. In fact, according to “What's Love Got to Do With It?” by Kellina Craig-Henderson, author and professor of psychology at Howard University, Henderson found studies from a 1992 US census that shows an estimation of 246,000 interracial marriages with more than half between African-American men and White women. Craig-Henderson’s novel "Black Men in Interracial Relationships," denotes the possibility that the “color of love can be confusing” in interracial relationships stating that anger is an issue that consumes African American women possibly because of their skin tone. This can be immensely observed in music videos from Punk to Rhythm & Blues clips, with dark toned women seen as hypersexual and seductive vixens contrasting to lighter-skinned typecast angelic women used merely as girlfriends. In the music videos, these men wage wars between the racist status quo and ideological presentation of interracial relationships. Craig-Henderson states “I have seen stats that claim it's roughly 5%,” however with the increasing popularity of African American males and White women compared to the small percentage of African American women and White women, the numbers quake under the pressure to truly accept Black women as angelic and quixotic figures.
With the high-profile media on this current phenomena, there is an issue that has arisen over time and transcended through film and theatre: Interracial relationships are the perfect niche for star-crossed lovers.
References:
Blakely, V. I Want What Most White Women Got: A Black Man. Infinity Publishing Company. 2007.
Buffington, C., Hemphill, G., Knox, D., and Zusman, M. E. “Interracial Dating Attitudes among College Students.” Polling and Statistical data included. College Student Journal. March 2000.
Why Some Blacks Choose to date Outside of Their Race by Jet Magazine Sept 17, 2001
http://blacknews.com/pr/ablackman101.html
http://www.vs-voice.com/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/discussion/2006/06/08/DI2006060800820.html
http://www.whitewomenblackmen.com/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2006/06/05/AR2006060501102.html
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