Okay, I didn't see that.
Having an aesthetic racial preference
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Okay, I didn't see that.
ComputerMKII
Banned
Are people even of a different 'race' if they can reproduce with each other?
But this doesn't make sense. Just because people have varying preferences doesn't discount the role society plays in shaping the majority of those preferences. It's the same with just about anything that gets hyped by the media as being "the standard."
Using gaming as an example. Most FPS fans who also post on GAF would likely say that the Call of Duty is not an example of a perfect FPS, because they're more aware of other representations of the genre that exist in other games. But that doesn't change the effect that the constant media representation of Call of Duty has had on society as a whole, with a vast majority of people think CoD is THE FPS.
I think in this context race is being used as the traits commonly found within a group of people.
I really don't think FPS popularity is a good analogy for human attraction, lol.
TwEE-N-Toast
Banned
I'm only attracted to people with the a bit of the Innsmouth look to them. If you're not then you should do some soul searching.
have you heard of a species and sub-species before?
race is really just a cultural construct that subdivides along physical traits.
Seriously? Yes. Even different species can reproduce.
n00bsauce87
Member
So what about her ethnicity make her more attractive than those who are African American? I don't mean to be frank, but you can't tell me by just on vision alone that you shrivel up at the sight of an African American, or Hispanic or any other ethnic woman.
That just seems weird
As far as I know Ukraine and Russia don't hate each other because of the way people from one of these countries look. A east african person saying not to date or marry a "black girl" because she has dark skin, big nose or big lips is racial hate.
"I'm not racist, but..."
Yep. Like I said I don't even care for tan women. Just not my thing. My own Italian family are darker than I like.
Joel Was Right
Member
But only those from the same species can produce a fertile offspring
jim-jam bongs
Member
This is an interesting question. I've thought about it and decided that, while I don't think it's inherently racist to have preferences for features which might be considered archetypally linked to a particular ethnicity, the assumption that there are physical attributes which are exclusively found amongst people of a particular race is racist; albeit in a largely benign manner.
There are darker people who are ethnically identified as white, lighter-skinned people identified as black; people called Asians who have almond-shaped eyes, people called Hispanic who have narrower eyes. Race and ethnicity are basically shorthand ways of describing an archetypal "look", but they're not particularly useful as descriptors for explaining features to which you're attracted, and will in all likelihood continue to become less useful in all but the least racially diverse parts of the world as time goes on.
There are darker people who are ethnically identified as white, lighter-skinned people identified as black; people called Asians who have almond-shaped eyes, people called Hispanic who have narrower eyes. Race and ethnicity are basically shorthand ways of describing an archetypal "look", but they're not particularly useful as descriptors for explaining features to which you're attracted, and will in all likelihood continue to become less useful in all but the least racially diverse parts of the world as time goes on.
Answers to all of these can be found in the other posts I've made in the thread. I have never once stated that I dislike non-Asian women. For the millionth time. I like them all. I just find some people more attractive than others.
hipbabboom
Huh? What did I say? Did I screw up again? :(
You'll find the most vile hate and bigotry amongst people of the same or closely regarded race.
No race is free of this form of stupidity.
Meesh
Member
Nah, no problem. I might not always articulate my thoughts perfectly, which in a thread like this could be detrimental. I'll just choose my words more carefully
It's not impossible, a couple of years ago in Russia a Liger had a cub with a Lion, but I'm not sure if any Ligers have had cubs with other Ligers.
Messofanego
Banned
Yup, I don't see any exclusive aesthetic features for a race. Humans have been migrating and cross-culturally reproducing for millenia, I would believe it's very rare for a physical trait to be geographically locked down.
Finaika
Member
So if there were an Asian woman & a black woman, both who are equally attractive, you would prefer the Asian woman?
Here in Mexico, while growing up I saw dark skinned kids bashing kids of darker skin (not to pat myself on the back, but as a really pale kid I found it insanely stupid). Then you have some Japanese people thinking Koreans have more stereotypically Asian eyes, while some Koreans think Japanese people look like monkeys. This is the absolute most stupid form of racism there can be (not that there's non-stupid racism).
In any case, finding a particular look (that MIGHT be more common within a race) more attractive is not racist IMO.
No they are not. There are people here saying "I don't find dark skin attractive therefore I don't find black women attractive" or "I don't like the facial features of black women so I don't find black women attractive."
Not all black women are dark skinned and all black women don't have the same facial features.
If when describing someone you tell me they are fat I can expect that person to more than likely be overweight.
Now if you tell me that a person is black I would have no idea if that person was light or dark skinned, what type of facial features they have, what type of hair they have, etc.
So claiming that you find no black women attractive because you don't like dark skin or you don't find certain facial features or hair types attractive is racist because you're attributing those particular features to all black women.
That is amazing. I remember hearing people call Lupita beautiful when she won her award and it was amazing. I have nothing against light skinned, straight hair black women that are often brought up, since it is something at least. But it is so amazing to see that other side too and to have something that represented as beautiful that most black girls don't see a lot. It's very tiring to hear about how "nappy hair" and "dark skin" are unattractive.
This. Race is a social construct, so any features someone claims to find unattractive will be based on a stereotype.
Given that attraction isn't quantifiable that way, they wouldn't be equally attractive to him.
Black people having darker complexions is a stereotype?
You understand races (ethnicities) are different right?
NotMyRealName
Banned
Seems like a good way to meet the ban stick.
Black women do have darker skin tones though. I would be surprised if there are any black people (who aren't albino) who have lighter than 'tan' skin.
I really can't articulate it. My tastes actually changed from my teens through my 20's. I find black women plenty attractive now in my 30's when I really didn't in my teens.
Zen_Arcade
Banned
Maybe the poster doesn't like anything but pale skin? Who are you to say what people should like? If that poster doesn't even like tanned white women he probably isn't going to like the skin tone of black women no matter what tone they are.
There are some "black" people who have very light skin. The tint might be a bit different than a "white" person with a darker complexion.
But despite the color, they will identify as black through both heritage and other physical traits.
I think most people realize black and white aren't literal distinguishers, there is much more identity involved.
Correct. Earlier in the thread I quoted the OP and stated that he had a "preference" which is fine IMO. But some of the posters in this thread are mentioning "exclusivities" as preferences, which is different and can be racist depending on what they are exclusive about.
Again for clarification in case I get quoted again, racist and racism do not always have to relate to a form of discrimination or hurting another human being. Normal every day individuals in society can have racist opinions and not be secret members of the KKK, which tends to be the reaction people have to saying a statement is racist.
Mango Positive
Member
Gosh, I would hate to choose. I mean, I married a white girl (I'm also white), but that has nothing to do with having a ethnic type. White girls can be beautiful, but if my wife left me tomorrow, I'd do my best to get in with a black or latina woman. Or an asian. Hell, show me a pretty Inuit and I'm in there. All kinds of women can be beautiful.
What does very light mean? Like as light as the average white person?
When I was a kid I was predominately attracted to black people. You know what changed?
I was transferred to a magnet school. I went from being around mostly other black people to being surrounded by kids of other races, mostly white.
Now, I find everyone attractive. This isn't a coincidence.
I would venture a guess that your exposure to other races over time has a lot to do with you now finding black people attractive.
Personally I'm not attracted to Asian girls. Not my thing. I can understand the appeal and if that is your preference then it doesn't make you a bad person or anything. If I really clicked with an Asian girl I could see myself dating her because I don't find them unattractive just not overly attractive like some. However I simply have never been attracted to an African American female. Doesn't mean I don't like them or I'm a racist or anything they are just, on the whole, not appealing to me sexually. So I could never date one.
If one says that they aren't attracted to black women, and aren't banned, why should they be afraid of actually explaining why?
breakfuss
Member
I don't think there's anything wrong with having "racial" preferences OP. But there's a distinction between that and believing other races "can't be attractive".
Your question has really given me pause, though. While I recognize the beauty in everyone, I'm just not drawn to certain aesthetics. That's just the truth. In fact I've never dated outside a specific race (incidentally, my own). Not opposed to it, though...
Your question has really given me pause, though. While I recognize the beauty in everyone, I'm just not drawn to certain aesthetics. That's just the truth. In fact I've never dated outside a specific race (incidentally, my own). Not opposed to it, though...
brotherbean
Member
I've always felt that physical preferences aren't necessarily xenophobic in nature, but I think the lines blur when you start excluding whole groups due to race. In my mind there's a world of difference between
and
In other words, I think personal preferences are A-OK when treated as a guideline more than a rule.
and
In other words, I think personal preferences are A-OK when treated as a guideline more than a rule.
I'll be the contrarian here and say I have a slight problem with this, but the problem is so slight that it's extremely difficult to determine who just happens to have some natural preference and who has very subtle, unstated psychological premises.
As an example of what I mean, consider that a lot of women show a marked preference for white men. Is that a problem? On an individual level, it absolutely isn't. Everyone is going to have preferences, and some will prefer white men. However, once you blow that picture up to the largest scale, you find that a hugely disproportionate number of women have a preference for white men across our society. Almost certainly, that isn't random chance; it represents some social bias of some kind, whether that bias is conscious or not.
Again, it's a very difficult topic, because it's not a problem at all on the individual level but produces systemic issues once you blow the picture up and look at the same issue on a societal level. You could use black women as another example with gender roles reversed: is it fine if one specific man doesn't happen to prefer black women? Sure, absolutely, no problem. Maybe you just prefer the look of lighter skin. However, once you blow that same question up to the scale of the US, suddenly you see that an unreasonably large number of men seem to prefer white and Asian women relative to random chance, and it leaves black women in an awkward situation (they are, at present, the least likely demographic to be married in the US).
As an example of what I mean, consider that a lot of women show a marked preference for white men. Is that a problem? On an individual level, it absolutely isn't. Everyone is going to have preferences, and some will prefer white men. However, once you blow that picture up to the largest scale, you find that a hugely disproportionate number of women have a preference for white men across our society. Almost certainly, that isn't random chance; it represents some social bias of some kind, whether that bias is conscious or not.
Again, it's a very difficult topic, because it's not a problem at all on the individual level but produces systemic issues once you blow the picture up and look at the same issue on a societal level. You could use black women as another example with gender roles reversed: is it fine if one specific man doesn't happen to prefer black women? Sure, absolutely, no problem. Maybe you just prefer the look of lighter skin. However, once you blow that same question up to the scale of the US, suddenly you see that an unreasonably large number of men seem to prefer white and Asian women relative to random chance, and it leaves black women in an awkward situation (they are, at present, the least likely demographic to be married in the US).
Meesh
Member
Myself, there are certain qualities black women (black people in general?) have that are quite attractive. The biggest in my mind is their skin, not color or shade, but how remarkably smooth and clear most black peoples skin is. It's true I only know a few African American/black people so my opinion may be a bit slanted, but I challenge anyone to watch your run of the mill trash tv talk show in the morning and most of the time, no matter the age no less, their skin is smooth and youthful in appearance in contrast to a lot of Caucasian(European?) people I know of German/English/Finnish decent. This in no way is supposed to reflect a racial view, just what appears a genetic quality...or really good lighting. So, please, I'm not trying to sound racist, it's just an honest observation
What does that have to with the generalizations being made in this thread?
You are once again missing the point or being purposely obtuse. I never said anyone has to like anything.
……forgetit
Member
Everyone is aloud to have racial preferences, even if yours are to not date your own race. If you're attracted to something, that's fine, if you aren't attracted to something else, that's also fine. I personally have no preferences in race, but I know plenty who do, just let people like what they like.
When you say African American do you mean African American or just all black women everywhere? What makes them unappealing?
I don't see what the problem is with having an opinion or preference. It is your sexual attraction. Personal attraction and sexual are the two sides of a successful relationship. If one simply isn't there the relationship won't work in the long term. I don't think anyone (I may be wrong, I haven't read the whole thread) is saying they aren't attracted to a certain race because of things like "They're too loud" or "They're all annoying" like that. It is simply "I am not sexually attracted to this race." Nothing more, nothing less.
I suppose the latter. It is hard to explain my preference because I generally prefer white girls with big butts which is a pretty common feature of African Americans. I just have never felt an attraction to them even with the ones who are considered outrageously beautiful like Beyonce or Halle Barry.
I suppose the latter. It is hard to explain my preference because I generally prefer white girls with big butts which is a pretty common feature of African Americans. I just have never felt an attraction to them even with the ones who are considered outrageously beautiful like Beyonce or Halle Barry.
At that point you fall into the discussion of what is considered black and the use of one drop rule in certain countries. I don't think that the people here who are saying they aren't attractive to black women are thinking of people such as Rashida Jones. The reality is that in each race there is a wide variety of facial features but people will usually stereotype them based on what they see in the area they live in.
Nearly yeah. Not in the pale sense though. I haven't seen too many "blacks" with super light skin. But yeah I had to do a double take once. Just because it was so new to me. If I was an alien I would just see him as a white guy, but yeah the guy certainly had black traits.
Zen_Arcade
Banned
Because what you're complaining about is actually nothing more then a preference. He never once said that all black women look the same like you keep trying to shove down peoples throats. Just that he only likes lighter skin tones. Which should be about as offensive to people as me saying I'm not attracted to overweight women, or skinny women, or blonde women or redheads.
But by what black traits did you distinguish him? Surely skin tone is the most defining characteristic.
It reminds me of this episode:
I was just watching something the other day where a similar situation happened actually, someone was talking about how funny it was people think she's Jewish, and the guy thought she was.
In terms of lighter skin tones actually, Thandie Newton and Nathalie Emmanuel are both much lighter than I think the average black person is actually. They still don't look white at all, but they're lighter.
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