Q1. Bell hooks dilemma in Eating the other is expression of desire. She argues that imperial nostalgia and difference of the white male is shown through cultural appropriation and accommodation. This entails that the white male has desires for the exotic female (black minority) to get pleasure. She digs deep into consequences of different representations of ethnicity and race in a culture of white supremacy. Those that dominate the strata of culture are excited by the exotic nature of the other. By the other hook means any other race or ethnic group apart from the white supremacy who believes that sexual satisfaction from the other is more than that received from their own. The white man claims that exploring the different worlds through the other’s body provides intense pleasure as compared to familiar race. This is because the colored body is unexplored and uncommon. Their pleasure is derived from exploration of this body and dominating over them. This helps them show that they are in control and maintain their class ego.
Q2 (1&2). The writer critiques commodification. In her book Hooks states that ethnicity is a spice that seasons and liven up the dull dish called mainstream white culture within commodity culture .This fascination is only allowed for white males who pretend not to be racists by so doing. Hooks emphasizes on commodification stating that it spices and seasons the boring culture of the whites. The other is commodified for their own benefit and redemption. Cultural commodities are used to show the significance of place and space in cultural and identity politics. The process of commodification is amplified in the media to make it acceptable all round. Societies have more subtle methods of propagating through culture difference. The writer also hopes to achieve mutual recognition. Hooks talked of recognition when touching on American dreams. Hooks continues to say that recognizable forms must be assumed by the acknowledged other . The identity of the other culturally has been created by the mainstream white culture.
Q2 (3). Historically the primitive races struggled more that the whites in life. The blacks represent liberation in sexuality, as they seem comfortable with their bodies. Blacks are seen as loose and cheap while the whites dominate and feel stiff in the community. It is thrilling to experience what the blacks are experiencing in their life as commodities of the whites. It is more dramatic when one experiences another race as if the whites are trying o do. The media has created a big fuss and made race become a topic of interest. Everybody in the world is fascinated and wants to know how it feels and how it is like to be the other. This integration in the media has made accommodation a success. Even sexual experience with a person of different race makes one a commodity. This is because it is also an experience with the other. Hooks views describe our tendencies to “Other” one another. People are quick to make assumptions about other people simply because they view them differently. For example, a white woman walking at night would assume that a black man coming from the opposite direction would rape her. This is not true it is what the media has made people think and presume.
The differences in race and ethnicity and the obsession with these differences has been a dominant thing in the society. Hooks observes that the media plays a significant role in promoting these diversity differences. These advertisements emphasize on racism and decentralized beliefs and cultures. Racism has even become acceptable due to some offensive messages in the media. This has made cultural importance outdated and emphasized on commodifying some cultures in trying to reach for mutual recognition.
References
Hooks, B. (1992). Eating the other: Desire and resistance. In B. Hooks, Black looks: Race and representation (pp. 21-39). Boston: South End Press.
