Does Porn follow society? Or does society follow porn? Recent affinity for interracial porn may signal a change in societal norms.
Which came first? The chicken, or the egg? Like many fascinating existential and philosophical threads of conversation, the answer can sometimes be difficult to pinpoint. Especially if you’re not a biologist, sociologist, anthropologist, or some other manner of highly educated -ologist. Luckily, we have these individuals to help guide us and decipher some of the more burning questions that persist. Like, what’s with this new viral craze for watching interracial porn?
“Interracial porn is something that has always been present within the industry, but in recent years it’s become much less stigmatized, and much less white washed.” While the experts at Porndoe.com may not be your classic -ologist, they definitely do know porn. In fact, they’ve built one of the internet’s most successful streaming platforms based on that knowledge. “For years interracial porn was just a convenient way of advertising white women being ravaged by black men. But today, we’re seeing much less homogenized versions of this genre, as it now includes any number of races and ethnicities, as well as depicts a much wider range of genres and fetishes.”
Why Interracial Porn? Why Now?
According to a study performed in 2017, the United States has flourished in terms of interracial marriage and relationships. What was once far more than just taboo, but wildly illegal, has now become something that is commonplace. Changing our values and habits right along with it. Since the advent of mainstream pornography in the 1970s the US has long been considered a trendsetter when it comes to gauging the desires of the public.
Not only in regard to what types of pornography are worth watching, but also those that are worth creating; as well as all of the technology associated with production and dissemination. Porn has long pushed the boundaries of technology– such as online payment portals for credit cards, e-commerce, as well as more technical aspects like hardware. Home movie cameras, Betamax, VHS, webcams, 4K, virtual reality, and even online streaming were all propelled by the porn industry.
Which can also be seen in the recent emergence of the different genres of porn that are available. In the early days of internet porn– women weren’t really watching, as less than 10% of early online porn viewers were women. The porn that was available definitely reflected this, with a penchant for streams that were overwhelming white, with women often portrayed as submissive playthings. Exuding less physical eroticism than a blowup doll, and reactions so dry they could make a Brit cringe. However, there is an obvious departure from this wooden tribute to fragile masculinity– as more and more variety becomes available and sought after. 2019’s surge of Femdom searches is a prime example.
But this subtle influence of culture is nothing new. To the point where some researchers believe that porn has even inspired and normalized interracial relationships. In 1967, only 3% of newlyweds were considered to be in interracial marriages. By the 80s, the number had more than doubled. In 2015, the overall number of interracial married couples hovered around 17% with this trend ever increasing. Now, compare this with the upswing in searches for interracial porn (actual interracial porn, not just the weird black on white that was popular in the 80s and 90s), and you could easily see a correlation.
What’s Trending?
PornDoe says that their analytics can confirm these suspicious, as well as support those gathered by other streaming pornography sites. With a notable upswing in searches regarding interracial genres, as well as ethnicity specific categories. Search terms like: Interracial, Japanese, Ebony, and Korean have all steadily creeped up the popularity ladder within the last few years. Possibly suggesting that people aren’t just looking for run-of-the-mill “interracial” porn, but are genuinely interested in, and tantalized by, people of differing ethnicities. Which could mean a notable pivot in production could be on the horizon.
“More than just a renewed penchant for interracial porn– we’ve seen a spike in viewers looking for ethical interracial porn.” Ethical interracial porn is the term used for pornography that more realistically depicts ethnicities and sexual acts. Leaving behind the long-held trope of a tiny white woman being taken on by a large black male, or other negative racial stereotypes. “… instead, we’re seeing people search for ethnicity specific pornography, watching clips that involve multiple ethnicities for longer periods of time, and overall– interacting with streams that involve non-white ethnicities.”
So while systemic racism still remains a huge problem, not only ever present in culture, but also in mainstream pornography itself (don’t buy it? Just look at the wage gaps that exist between black pornstars and their white co-stars), it seems that both the conversation, and our most intimate desires, are finally starting to reflect the equity that our society so desperately needs.