Perhaps this is just a figment of my imagination, but I seem to recall reading something here on ADT about Vivid's stated or defacto policy regarding depicting black men having sex with white women?
Any information regarding this would be greatly appreciated.
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pantingdog Deactivated User
NY 27 Posts 5/06
Posted - May 12 2006 : 8:50AM
I don't know why but it just hit me;fools should learn to use "search" function.
Up until very recently, Black men were a no-show in Vivid prods. Last time I saw one was Mr Marcus in a Taylor Hayes, to give you an idea of the date. Nothing for something like 5 years, then Tyler Knight popped up on a couple of ChiChi movies this year. Knowing that ChiChi severed his link with Vivid when they decided on their condom-optional policy, I don't know if more can be expected, except for the crass novelty effect of the announced "... gets blackmailed" starring all their contract girls. As if black men were a fetish.
Sydnee Steele, Savanna Samson or None. 275 Posts 12/05
Posted - May 12 2006 : 3:04PM
I do vaguely recall recently reading that 'IR' was explicity spelled out in a new contract agreement between Vivid and one of its stars. I read the announcement on AVN. You might want to search their archives. If Vivid does have such a practice it sounds downright unamerican to me.
On the other hand Vivid has had several contract girls of color, Heather Hunter, Mercedez. And has recently collaborated with well known African-American rappers like Lil John on DVD's.
It does seem to me that 5 or 6 years ago porn was much more multicultural. It was much more common to see non-white performers appearing in big time features porn not just ethnic/speciality titles. Now it seem to be much rarer. I may be romantizing though.
Other than that silly "Blackmailed" series, I still don't see alot of Black men in Vivid films...maybe one here or there.
If the contract stipulation about doing IR is specifically in there for this one line of product, it makes it seem like the whole series is kind of a "token" thing...as if they felt compelled to make some lame half-hearted attempt to quell the talk about them not using Black males...if thats true, it makes this product line downright asinine and offensive.
There are more women and men of all cultures showing up in porn these days. However, in days gone by one would see these different ethnicities "pop up" here and there without a specific "reason." Today it seems that most minorities are only used in "ethnic" lines - as if they need a reason to place them there!
Vivid goes by the Cambria list, which was drawn up by a lawyer who took note of what causes obscenity lawsuits in different jurisdictions. Black male / white female scenes were at the top of the list.
Sydnee Steele, Savanna Samson or None. 275 Posts 12/05
Posted - May 13 2006 : 8:45AM
So this isn't just a Vivid issue its a larger societal one. Taboos die hard. On the one hand reproducing racial hierarchies, but on the other offering the allure of the transgressive. Which leads to me wonder if there has ever been or if there ever will be a Jackie/Jacklyn Robinson of porn.
Edited by - alexander Portnoy on 5/13/2006 8:45:35 AM
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realtip Deactivated User
2301 Posts 6/04
Posted - May 13 2006 : 11:26AM
Alexander Portnoy wroteNo, I think it's just a porn issue. Even if we look at mainstream entertainment, interracial relationships are more common in movies than TV shows without all the emphasis on the fact that they're (gasp!) interracial. Pornography, however, for some strange reason, has not yet gotten to that point. By the way, Vivid is not the only company that I've noticed practicing this discriminatory policy. There are a couple of other studios that come to mind guilty of this as well.
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Pocketcomb_Pimp Deactivated User
1921 Posts 7/03
Posted - May 13 2006 : 5:23PM
Vivid's IR Policy? I believe the people that crafted that doccument are now working on Bush's Katrina reform plan.
Sydnee Steele, Savanna Samson or None. 275 Posts 12/05
Posted - May 13 2006 : 6:10PM
Three quick points:
1. Yes for the most part I agree with you here non-white characters blend into mainstream media outlets more seamlessly then in porn. But I would be very wary of holding up Hollywood as a paradigm of racial integration. I wouldn't let Hollywood off the hook in terms dealing in racial stereotypes. 'Hustle and Flow,' isn't that far removed from 'Rake that Ho,' at least not in my mind.
2. Every study I've ever seen of mainstream media point to the woeful underrepresentation of minorities. Conversely, my guess is that the proportional participation of minorities in porn DVD's probably comes much closer to reflecting their actual share of the population. How's that for irony?
3. Right on Pocketcomb Pimp. Vivid would probably argue that 'IR' is a genre and as such is not a discrimatory practice. But it still doesn't sit right with me.
Edited by - alexander portnoy on 5/13/2006 6:13:02 PM
Assuming that this observation refers to the business as a whole rather than just Vivid, I would say that there has been a noticeable trend towards more black males in 'non-ethnic' lines. Look at Throat Gaggers 1, for instance, and compare them to vols. 8 to 10. In the later volumes more than half of the male performers are black.
Cum Glazed, 1 Lucky Fuck, etc., same story. Hellcats, Runaway Butts etc etc. are also non-ethnic series with a decent showing of BMs. Sineplex: whether the series is 'Hardcore Climax', Triple Stacked, Priscilla's/Wika's/whoever's Perversions, there are always BM performers and in many cases they're in the majority.
Looking at Europe, Rocco for instance has always put black guys in his movies.
By contrast, look at the reactions of IR lovers if, say, Lex puts the odd WM performer in one of his movies.
If underrepresentation of ethnic minorities is a problem, it is black women and Asian men who seem to be facing discrimination, if that's what it is.
how about america luvs african americans or even black people. The N word is not cool in any post no matter how sarcastic. You can still receive a ass beating for using that word in the presence of black people. Just a friendly warning from african american Marie Luv.
Sigh. Punctuation really does matter, and we do have emoticons to help convey tone.
It was dumb enough for jamesn to throw it out there assuming everybody knows his sarcastic style, but there's really no excuse for picking it up, nietzche.
Since we're obviously getting nowhere near answering the original question, and people's rear ends are starting to show, I'm putting an end to this.
Posted - May 12 2006 : 7:30AM
Cunty bitch.
