‘—

Danielle Edwards

In her essay “ Eating the other,” bell hooks describes the relationship between white people and colored people. The “other” that hooks refers to are people of color. The other include monitory groups like Blacks, Asians, Native Americans and Hispanics. These groups are exploited in a society dominated by white supremacist capitalist patriarchy. In her essay, hooks says that “others” are seen as something to be desired. Minorities are seen as exotic in the eyes of their white counterparts. A prime example of this view is shown as hooks recounts a conversation she overheard a group of white male students having about sleeping with as many girls from different racial and ethnic groups as they can before graduation (hooks, 368). By fetishisizing sexual encounters with women (or men) of different ethnic/racial groups, they are expecting something different from what they’re use to. They fantasize that they will have a sort of extraordinary pleasure that they’ve never experienced before in their interactions with the “other.” They assume that those that are not like them are more experienced and worldly. hooks explains that in western culture, whiteness is standard and normal and therefore the normalization of whiteness leads to the commodification of “the others.” The commodification of “otherness” enriches the lives of those who are dominant in society by adding a sort of excitement from the mainstream white culture. She says that the culture of minority groups serve as an “alternative playground” for the dominating race to affirm their power (hooks, 367). The relationship with “otherness” is productive because the culture of “otherness” is advertised in such a way that makes it appealing to those of all races and backgrounds. Advertisements find a way to portray “otherness” that entices white Americans. The sense of “otherness” doesn’t align with the status quo so it becomes unique and captivating to white Americans. They are motivated to explore their curiosities about black culture and they acquire pleasure by getting “a bit of the other.”