Sexualized minorities, “sexual otherness” and heterosexism in media

The heterosexual within the media is seen as the dominant form of sexuality, whether or not it mirrors the reality of diversity. And when we see anything but heterosexuality presented in the media, it comes as something beyond the normative. Homosexuality is typically seen as something slightly (to overwhelmingly) abstract from the stated norm of heterosexuality. Typical television programs don’t promote the concepts, conflicts, and issues surrounding heterosexuality, because for them, it is considered the normative. As soon as there is a program containing sexual otherness, immediately that becomes a controversial focal point of the theme. And of course, within capitalism, this can create an audience and capital. Sexualizing minorities and creating sexual otherness provides the detachment of everyday living from sexuality, or sexuality beyond the “normal” heterosexual.



Such would be seen in this first image, where a man is fashioned with a “gay, not gay” switch, as if sexuality is some type of man-made device which can be shut off and on as one pleases. The ignorance behind this image is appalling. Could we not say, then, for heterosexuals, we could create a switch that makes us “hetero, non-hetero” if indeed sexuality is some sort of choice, a mask we can wear and take off at the end of the day? And to add some froth on top of this steamy drink, we can then sexualize minorities, seen within the next picture.
We have two males kissing, seemingly one as an African American, and the other Caucasian. The text claims that “gayness has no boundaries.” So this presents homosexuality as disregarding race, color, and any other prejudice. Through sexualizing an African American male and a Caucasian male, this somehow itself breaks the quietude of racism and deems the comment to be appropriate and acceptable.


Other ways we can see the sexualizing of minorities is featured in this next picture, a comic illustration of a naked, old black man in a recliner chair.

He has an erection, and might I add, a massive erection, completely absurd when proportionally compared to his legs, which is roughly the same length. This cartoon exists from the age old myth and stereotype that ALL black men have enormous penises. Because this stereotype is so pervasively existent within culture, it allows this image to be socially acceptable, rather than objectifying and racist.





This photo, I am guessing, is a still shot from a Nelly video, infamous for the “ATM card ass-swipe.” We see African Americans completely sexualized, Nelly engulfed in exotic and erotic seeming women, literally climbing all over him. More what this photo presents to me is that African Americans are wild and primal, just as other social stereotypes which have existed throughout the Caucasian world for centuries. Maybe the video has greater conflicts with male dominance, but I think this issue presented should not be overlooked, reinforcing sexualizing minorities.

This final image is quite disturbing, so viewers should be forewarned.


This is an image of Sasha Grey, a porn-star gone celebrity. She has transformed from the lower rungs of entertainment, pornography, into the mainstream culture. Mainstream culture trumpets celebrities as talented people, worthy of the limelight, typically superior to the lower classes of society. So here we have Sasha Grey, a female with this status, but still an oppressed porn star. This image is horrifically telling of the way in which females are still treated, regardless of social status. This doesn’t even seem like porn. It seems like a serious power struggle, completely demeaning the female as tears of mascara run and she swallows the reality of dominance. Not only does it sexualize heterosexism, it purports the continuing idea of male dominance within heterosexual relations.