Ace Ventura, Hooks

In CMC, we often talk about all the different things that are commodified in the media such as sexuality or political views. Hooks talks about how race and the idea of "the Other" has now been commodified within our culture. "The Other" in general just represents difference, whether it be in ethnicity, political views, or background. Hooks specifically speaks on the topic of race and how white people are now adopting things like rap music or a "ghetto" sense of fashion with baggy pants and fitted hats. One thing that was particularly interesting to me was the story that Hooks shared about the white jocks from Yale that spoke about their sexual conquests over women of difference races. They were practically applying a point system to races, with black women accounting for the most points and then Hispanics and so on. Although they saw this has embracing culture and proving that they are not racist, Hooks pointed out that they do in fact view themselves as better than other races because they feel that they have control over them and can dominate them in a sexual form at least. Who says these women want to sleep with them? It doesn't seem like they even take into consideration that maybe these women have no interest or place no value in sleeping with white preppy jocks. I feel like this is somewhat of a catch 22. These jocks are on one hand demoralizing women of other races by looking at them as sexual conquests and on the other hand glorifying women of other races by placing a sexual experience with them to a higher standard than sleeping with a white girl. Commodifying "the other" causes us to see differences in people when what we should be trying to do is view each other as equal.