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Culture War Roundup for the week of December 23, 2024

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As Scott has Noticed, humans are remarkably libertarian only when it comes to romantic love. This is the one area that has survived accusations of racism, sexism or transphobia. You can debate this all you want but people will always be free to “fetishize” other races if they want.

Free legally, perhaps, but not socially. And, of course, it depends on Who? Whom?

Men's preferences, such as that for female youth and chastity, are demonized as creepy fetishes. Women's preferences, such as that for male height and status, are deemed valid (to the extent they're admitted to exist, lest women appear more shallow and less Wonderful than previously thought). This goes for racial preferences, as well, but there are also differences based on which sex-race combination is the preferer and which is the preferred.

Here's the reaction in mainstream discourse when a man of $[Y] background says he prefers $[X] women:

White Women East Asian Women South Asian Women Latina Women Black Women
White Man Racist Nazi Bigot who fetishizes and stereotypes East Asian women as feminine and submissive; possible pedophile Bigot who fetishizes and stereotypes South Asian women as chaste and traditional Bigot who fetishizes and stereotypes latinas as fiery and sensual sex objects Might be okay, might be bigot who fetishizes and views black women as subhuman sex objects
East Asian Man Self-hating, white-worshipping, internalized racist who fetishizes white women Feels entitled and possessive of "his" women Hm, okay Hm, okay Hm, okay
South Asian Man Self-hating, white-worshipping, internalized racist who fetishizes white women Fetishizes and stereotypes East Asian women as feminine and submissive; possible pedophile Feels entitled and possessive of "his" women Hm, okay Hm, okay
Latino Man Conditioned by Eurocentric standards of beauty and victim of internalized racism, but slay, King! Might be victim of internalized racism, but slay, King! Might be victim of internalized racism, but slay, King! Might be okay, might feel entitled and possessive of "his" women Slay, King!
Black Man Conditioned by Eurocentric standards of beauty and victim of internalized racism, but slay, King! Might be victim of internalized racism, but slay, King! Might be victim of internalized racism, but slay, King! Might be victim of internalized racism, but slay, King! Slay, King!

Reaction when a woman of $[X] background says she prefers $[Y] men:

White Men East Asian Men South Asian Men Latino Men Black Men
White Woman Racist Nazi Weird, must be victim of K-Pop and anime propaganda Weird, must be victim of yoga and Bollywood propaganda Stunning and brave and should be encouraged for all Stunning and brave and should be encouraged for all
East Asian Woman Victim of internalized racism and conditioned by white male privilege Victim of Stockholm Syndrome and familial patriarchy Might be okay, might be victim of internalized racism Stunning and brave and should be encouraged for all Stunning and brave and should be encouraged for all
South Asian Woman Victim of internalized racism and conditioned by white male privilege Weird, must be victim of K-Pop and anime propaganda Victim of Stockholm Syndrome and familial patriarchy Stunning and brave and should be encouraged for all Stunning and brave and should be encouraged for all
Latina Woman Victim of internalized racism and conditioned by white male privilege Weird, must be victim of internalized racism and K-Pop and anime propaganda Weird, must be victim of internalized racism and yoga and Bollywood propaganda Victim of Stockholm Syndrome and familial patriarchy Stunning and brave and should be encouraged for all
Black Woman Victim of internalized racism and conditioned by white male privilege Weird, must be victim of internalized racism and K-Pop and anime propaganda Weird, must be victim of internalized racism and yoga and Bollywood propaganda Might be okay, but might be victim of internalized racism Stunning and brave and should be encouraged for all

Nor have sexual preferences been exempted from accusations of transphobia. Remember the colossal seethe that #SuperStraight triggered? People were doxxing and trying to cancel the young man who started it all, and his mother too. The subreddit saw a meteoric rise, turning into the SuperSexuality expanded cinematic universe (SuperGay, SuperLesbian, etc.), before getting nuked within a day or two.

What was funny was not only the bait and in-on-the-joke posting by rdrama types, but the heartfelt effortposts from LGB persons about their long-held frustrations with transsexuals invading their spaces and demanding to be treated the same as their desired sex. Despite their nominal alliance, it makes sense that LGB persons might have more exposure to and thus more frustrations with transsexuals than straight persons, having greater probability living in similar locations and running in similar social circles.

What is "mainstream discourse"?

What is "mainstream media"? What's a "mainstream movie"?

The table is funny

Thanks—always happy to share some wholesome holiday joy.

It's a common thing on Reddit/Twitter/Quora/TikTok etc. that people complain Taylor Swift's dating-history-too-white, but give her a few gud-girl points back for having black love interests in her videos, such as Lover. Or where "white couple" or variations thereof are regularly used to pejoratively describe Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively. Or where people (the majority not low status East or South Asian men, who tend to have short lifespans on social media when they talk about such things before getting mopped) complain that white girls in general usually date white guys. Or see a previous Motte discussion about an ad that got massive backlash for featuring a white blonde couple with four children (albeit father not depicted).

Or see the first NPR article that came up for me upon a search, in which the participants bemoan "the data suggest some uncomfortable stories about racial preferences in online dating," "it's glaring how much everybody prefers white guys and doesn't respond to black men and women," "I am annoyed for the black women who seem to be clearly getting discriminated against by these online picture-scanners," and "This just really gets in my craw, because it becomes a problem for the Asian women — Am I just loved because I'm part of an ethnic group that's assumed to be subservient, or do I have actual value as an individual, or is it both? — and it's a problem for men who love them — Is my husband only with me 'cause he's a creepster who makes certain assumptions about me and my race, or can he legitimately be attracted to me as an individual?"

but this isn't how the vast majority of people in the real world think about these pairings. You will never meet anyone who cares that a white man and white woman are together.

Yeah, must be just a few crazy kids on campus.

Blacks, and those who simp on their behalf, often complain about domains such as universities or corporations being too white or white adjacent, despite blacks already receiving massive affirmative action benefits.

As such, that does not necessarily make their feedback as legitimate as those who Notice race patterns, or sex-race patterns, in other areas of life.

Yes if you’re a male and voice racial preferences you’re going to be demonized, especially if you’re white. But I think this is because males aren’t really supposed to have sexual preferences, period. Talk about how you prefer slim women and youlll be chastised too, although I doubt any average guy will care. Women just feel threatened by the idea anyone could find them unattractive for any reason ever, and society and popular media will cater to women’s feelings as a default usually.

But you as a man can still date whomever you want/can, and society won’t stop you or hinder you beyond some angry female friend cockblockers anyway, and those are easily brushed aside.

Eh. I openly said I liked abrasive blunt (autistic-coded) women who were caring. I got perplexed reactions for liking unruly hair and unshaven legs, but not much else.

Personality related traits are probably fine to have preferences for because they’re illegible and therefore less offensive than having physical ones

I suppose. But holy shit were there a lot of perplexed guys when locker-room talk took place in my youth. The guys would talk about tits and ass and I'd say I wanted an abrasive bitch.

Wanting a masculine woman is a bit strange. Almost like a kind of cerebral homosexuality

I guess? Idk, I just had a lot of bitches as friends

Please please please make this table into a template image. It's wasted hidden in the depths of the culture war thread.