Addicted to Race 101: Michelle Obama, Homophobia Among Blacks
by Carmen Van Kerckhove
Addicted to Race is New Demographic’s podcast about America’s obsession with race. Here’s a rundown of what you’ll find in this episode:
What’s wrong with Salon running an article about Michelle Obama’s ass? Why do we either obsess over the Obamas’ sexuality or pretend it doesn’t exist? Is Prince a homophobe? What happens when religion, homophobia, and race intersect?
Got feedback for us? Call 917-720-6348 or email info@addictedtorace.com.
Andrea (AJ) Plaid runs The Cruel Secretary, where she blogs about race, gender, and sex. Andrea has been quoted in the Washington Post and Chicago Tribune regarding the decline of the NAACP, African Americans’ protectiveness toward Senator Barack Obama, and the rift between white feminists and feminists of color in defending Michelle Obama against racist and sexist media attacks. She lives in Brooklyn, NY.
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Carmen Van Kerckhove is co-founder and president of
BWBlowTheTrumpet! wrote:
Great job AJ!!
Posted 30 Nov 2008 at 6:04 am ¶
octogalore wrote:
Both AJ and Carmen did a fantastic job!
Totally agree about match (lack thereof) between Salon and the EAK article. It’s a confusing message for a white liberal publication. I was also unsure of whether EAK effectively pinpointed what was groundbreaking, as well — but that’s a different topic.
Re the dildo — I saw Bill Clinton ones in 99-00, in Vegas. I think it’s probably par for the course for any young-ish, attractive President. Still don’t really get the concept of putting something shaped like an entire human being up there…
Posted 30 Nov 2008 at 4:10 pm ¶
The Cruel Secretary wrote:
@BWBlowTheTrumpet and Octogalore–
Thanks sooooo much for the kind words, luvies! As I told Carmen, I felt like I was making no sense–honestly, I lost my train of thought during the Michelle Obama article segment. Carmen assured me that I did fine, and I trust her since I *know* she’d make me re-do the segment if she thought it was atrocious. But I do thank you both for the extra encouragement !;-)
Octogalore, ya know I do vaguely remember the Clinton dildo, and I dig your assessment of why the Obama dildo would be created. I also understand why some folks got highly indignant over , too–namely, degrading this history-making Black man and his presidency into the commodified stereotype of the available Black phallus. As I pointed out to one of those folks who had such a reaction, the Obama dildo, though it’s a novelty as far as such toys go, it’s the latest in a long line of racialized sex toys. Now, we can get into all sorts of arguments about the rightness and wrongness of this line of sex toys (i.e. who uses them and why, fetishization and pleasure, etc.)….and that’s another post.
Honestly, I think it would be really cool if President-elect Obama–being a professor and all–took the toy and used it for a World AIDS Day “teaching moment” to fully explain his vision for sex-ed in the US, safer sex in general for US citizens, and how properly used sex toys can become an integral part of safer sex for everyone. And what would be the icing on that? Re-instating Dr. Jocelyn Elders as US Surgeon General. I mean, he’s bringing every other ex-Clinton staffer, right?
Posted 30 Nov 2008 at 7:05 pm ¶
intellectualharlot wrote:
You used a word in the podcast that I had never heard before, though the concept was kind of familiar. It sounded like “keer-iarchy” – how do you spell that?
Thanks!
Posted 01 Dec 2008 at 9:49 pm ¶
Latoya Peterson wrote:
Kyriarchy.
See Sudy:
http://myecdysis.blogspot.com/2008/04/accepting-kyriarchy-not-apologies.html
Posted 01 Dec 2008 at 9:57 pm ¶
browne wrote:
I listened to that podcast, great job AJ and Carmen. What I always thought about the EAK piece beyond the politics of it, it just wasn’t funny or entertaining, not because of the context, but even if we were just hanging out it wasn’t funny. It’s funny that everytime I say that everyone starts on the political reasons, but no this isn’t political, just my subjective taste. To me the Dan Savage offensive piece while I hated it, it was entertaining and EAK piece was not entertaining. That was my biggest issue with it…lol…unfun writing. I love fun writing.
But beyond that it was great hearing someone say Kyriarchy, I use that all of the time now.
Posted 02 Dec 2008 at 1:16 am ¶
Lynn wrote:
Great podcast! But ummm, I kept thinking I LOVE TCS’s voice. It’s the first time I’ve heard it.
Posted 03 Dec 2008 at 1:33 am ¶
The Cruel Secretary wrote:
@intellectualharlot–thanks for listening. And definitely check out Sudy’s post.
@Latoya–thanks for the back-up! ::hugs::
@browne–thanks for the compliment! Yeah, I can see your viewpoint about EAK’s piece not being fun. I think the bad part about it is I think she was going for “fun,” for a certain amount of playfulness in bringing about a serious discussion on how First Lady (-elect?) Obama may change/expand the ideas about physical beauty, which I could dig. But EAK should have taken notes–in tone and approach–from Lisa Jones, who wrote a somewhat similar piece for the Village Voice in the 90s. The essay’s in her book, Bulletproof Diva: Tales of Race, Sex, and Hair.
@ Lynn–
::blushes::
Why, thank you! I got my voice honestly: from my mom and from aging.;-)
Posted 03 Dec 2008 at 12:08 pm ¶