Romantic racism
Encyclopedia
Romantic racism is a form of racism
in which members of a dominant group purportedly project their fantasies onto members of oppressed groups. Feminist scholars have accused Norman Mailer
, Jack Kerouac
, and other Beatnik
authors of the 1950s of romantic racism. They point out that the dominant culture of the 1950s in the United States stressed conformity
and held up middle-class suburban families as the cultural ideal was indifferent to art and literature, upheld racial segregation and anti-Semitism, and despised or ignored black achievements, such as Jazz. Those, like the novelist Norman Mailer
, who felt limited by or alienated from mainstream culture, sought out influences from other cultures as form of rebellion. Mailer, a great fan of jazz music, created his concept of what it meant to be “hip,” or a member of the white urban counterculture, largely on his perception of the culture of urban African-Americans (with whom the expression "hip", meaning "in the know", originated) and articulated his vision in his essay "The White Negro." Mailer, who considered himself an opponent of Victorian sexual repression and regimentation idealized what he saw as the sexual and other freedoms of minority and other counter-cultural groups, overlooking the fact that in these groups sexual exploitation of women sometimes occurred. These critics consider his depictions of what he imagines African-American life to be like as an instance of what they call "romantic racism", contending that he implies that in urban ghettoes—filled with sex, drugs, and violence—life is somehow enriched, rather than hurt, by poverty
and crime
. Mailer's essay has also been criticized for spreading the stereotype
of African-American men as hypermasculine and hypersexual.
These critics also identify numerous other examples of romantic racism in depictions of Native Americans
in popular culture, along with other unfounded stereotypes and oversimplifications that create caricatures of various racial and ethnic groups.
Romantic racist stereotypes about East Asians include notions of esoteric "oriental wisdom", supposedly incomprehensible to unsophisticated westerners.
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
in which members of a dominant group purportedly project their fantasies onto members of oppressed groups. Feminist scholars have accused Norman Mailer
Norman Mailer
Norman Kingsley Mailer was an American novelist, journalist, essayist, poet, playwright, screenwriter, and film director.Along with Truman Capote, Joan Didion, Hunter S...
, Jack Kerouac
Jack Kerouac
Jean-Louis "Jack" Lebris de Kerouac was an American novelist and poet. He is considered a literary iconoclast and, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Kerouac is recognized for his spontaneous method of writing, covering topics such as Catholic...
, and other Beatnik
Beatnik
Beatnik was a media stereotype of the 1950s and early 1960s that displayed the more superficial aspects of the Beat Generation literary movement of the 1950s and violent film images, along with a cartoonish depiction of the real-life people and the spiritual quest in Jack Kerouac's autobiographical...
authors of the 1950s of romantic racism. They point out that the dominant culture of the 1950s in the United States stressed conformity
Conformity
Conformity is the process by which an individual's attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors are influenced by other people.Conformity may also refer to:*Conformity: A Tale, a novel by Charlotte Elizabeth Tonna...
and held up middle-class suburban families as the cultural ideal was indifferent to art and literature, upheld racial segregation and anti-Semitism, and despised or ignored black achievements, such as Jazz. Those, like the novelist Norman Mailer
Norman Mailer
Norman Kingsley Mailer was an American novelist, journalist, essayist, poet, playwright, screenwriter, and film director.Along with Truman Capote, Joan Didion, Hunter S...
, who felt limited by or alienated from mainstream culture, sought out influences from other cultures as form of rebellion. Mailer, a great fan of jazz music, created his concept of what it meant to be “hip,” or a member of the white urban counterculture, largely on his perception of the culture of urban African-Americans (with whom the expression "hip", meaning "in the know", originated) and articulated his vision in his essay "The White Negro." Mailer, who considered himself an opponent of Victorian sexual repression and regimentation idealized what he saw as the sexual and other freedoms of minority and other counter-cultural groups, overlooking the fact that in these groups sexual exploitation of women sometimes occurred. These critics consider his depictions of what he imagines African-American life to be like as an instance of what they call "romantic racism", contending that he implies that in urban ghettoes—filled with sex, drugs, and violence—life is somehow enriched, rather than hurt, by poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
and crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
. Mailer's essay has also been criticized for spreading the stereotype
Stereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
of African-American men as hypermasculine and hypersexual.
These critics also identify numerous other examples of romantic racism in depictions of Native Americans
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
in popular culture, along with other unfounded stereotypes and oversimplifications that create caricatures of various racial and ethnic groups.
Romantic racist stereotypes about East Asians include notions of esoteric "oriental wisdom", supposedly incomprehensible to unsophisticated westerners.