The Power Between Our Legs: Racial Fetishism and the Influence of Feminism in Asian Porn

Fetish porn, particularly racial fetishism, has gotten a bad rap. It’s just one of many subversive topics that are currently battling a massive dichotomy in discourse. But like many of the other fervently divided topics on the docket for 2020, Asian porn, and other pornographic content centred around racial fetishism, has its share of proponents. And it’s not just the people watching it.

“What we’re seeing is a huge influx of demand for Asian porn genres.” Says a representative for Porndoe, one of the internet's hottest sites for free-to-access adult content from around the world. “I think something that most people tend not to think about- or prefer not to think about- is that pornography can give an incredibly intimate view about our most sincere priorities as a society.” The minds behind the site’s creation have many motivations for providing the content they do, but their main motivator is “customer satisfaction, of course” which makes sense, but it also can give us a deeper look into what the underworkings of society are gravitating towards. Giving porn creators and actors the upper hand.

What is Racial Fetishism?

With greater demand for Asian porn content, producers are given more creative power. Allowing them to create and control the narrative. Racial fetishism can be described in a myriad of ways. Both positive and negative connotations have been applied to the practice, with a recent focus on the negative. Some scholars say that the existence of the genre is merely an extension of colonial oppression, serving to dilute racial “otherness” by diluting cultural differences and uniqueness. However, new voices are popping up in the field, and there is a growing movement for a higher degree of influence from Asian feminist pornography to ‘reclaim’ the genre.

Taking a page from the famed author and scientist Charles Darwin, who suggests that racial fetishism is more of a result of continued evolution than it is oppression. Suggesting that the attraction is more than the sexually explicit fantasy that Asian porn and its consumers display. Instead, attraction is mitigated by primal and hormonal responses in our brains, as a mechanism to find the optimum mate. Gene proliferation is the target for all species continuance, suggesting finding other ethnicities as a potent attractor has more to do with a stagnant phenotypical gene pool than it does oppression of a culture.

Asian Porn and Reclamation of Power

Latching onto this theory, many Asian feminists are starting to use the burgeoning popularity of the genre as a metaphor for the power of femininity- something that has been all but annihilated in many Asian cultures. As patriarchal societies tend to focus more on the woman being an object of utility, than they are a peer in society.

Sites like Porndoe offer a unique and wholly guttural example of how Asian porn is achieving this upheaval. With content that showcases the power of femininity and harnesses the desires of men and women alike. Particular genres, like Indian pornography and Japanese group sex clearly define a woman as the star of the show. Holding the fate and ecstasy of the male sub-characters in their deft hands.

The genre is obviously far removed from most Westernized streaming pornography. While major Western porn productions often pay female leads more than their male counterparts, the characters they play are often subjugated to being little more than a hole to fill- if you’ll excuse the pun.

Influence of Asian Porn

Asian porn has not only deviated from Western pornography, but it is also beginning to deviate from the traditional format of legacy Asian adult content. While “shame genres” still exist, and male-centric content is easily accessible, these sub-genres appear to be less in demand within the growing popularity of Asian porn in and of itself. With more users gravitating towards clips that instead showcase female leads and a clearer focus on female sexuality and gratification.

There is also a growing demand for wider representation of the Asian community, particularly when it comes to sexualities content. As the genre evolves, producers are making more content with an incredibly diverse cast. As opposed to just focusing on Japanese or East Asian actors. Which could help with better representation down the road, helping to negate counterproductive rhetoric. Giving a greater definition and individuality to the many varied and contrasting ethnicities and cultures that make up the massive continent. As they say, we vote with our wallets. Well, we also learn with our lusty curiosity, opening up a whole new world of fantasy to millions.