Trapnest, Hooks

The Other exists as a common, yet often unspoken, understanding of a specific group within a particular society. This group is, like the name suggests, something which is different from the dominant and or most prevalent group within a society. Because of this “foreign” nature, the other achieves an exotic nature and what I feel is almost a taboo within society. This is what part of Hooks’ argument stems from, that the other becomes a source of desire, or sexual fantasy.

I feel the focus upon the body stems from another factor, which Hooks also touches upon. This is the fact that often the classification of The Other focuses upon the body. She discusses the Other as race, and to determine someone’s race there is a focus almost exclusively upon the body to make distinctions.

The Other has a key relationship to society. As previously mentioned the other is the less dominant group in society, therefore they are expected to play the role their numbers dictate, one of submission. Another quote which interested me in particular was, “the Other will be eaten, consumed, and forgotten.” (380) This quote exemplifies another form of dominance, one where we are able to consume the Other. While in some cases this can be viewed as a literal consumption, like genocide. Different cases include the commoditization of the Other for our pleasure.

This commodification of the other is seen throughout society. For example many people will comment to a single colored person’s presence in a show or movie as “the token black guy” for humor or a certain racial inclusion. I believe it was in “Scary Movie” that had a discussion about how the “black guy” always got killed off first. In this single instance we have commodified a person of color, made him the Other, used the Other for our entertainment, and have shown that it is within our power to “kill him off” and “consume” him if it pleases us.