mood: calm.state i'm in: winding down now.
tune: chicane 'autumn tactics' end of summer rmx.
forget for a few minutes that the procreatatory hardwiring in my brain might be a little faulty (i am not speaking self-deprecatingly). imagine that my brain is convinced that the partners i come into contact with i am capable of reproducing with... in addition, i am asking you to hark back to the days of old (or the present, depending on where you might be), when circumstances prevailed whereby it was more adantageous for a male to be polygamous, and view with me the world through evolution-tinted spectacles.
stay with me here please!
over the last few years my awareness of the "rice queen" and "potato queen" co-concepts has become quite profound. for those unfamiliar, there exists a curious phenomenon whereby many young gay asian guys prefer to make acquaintance with caucasian guys. don't ask me to explain the concepts any more than that, i would need more bandwidth than "blogger" would care to provide, and i still wouldn't be confident that my explanation might be close to correct.
still, such a phenomenon exists, undeniably. it is not the case for all youg asian guys, just as it is not the case for all older caucasian guys, the type who tend to make up the majority of rice queens. but there most definitely is a certain trend; anecdotally speaking, i know of very many cases personally.
my concern here is more my own predicament, my own "rice queen-dom". as i have previously outlined, for some time now, i have had a particular preference for asian guys (not all of them, only the ones i find good-looking, it's not like that). and for about as long as i have had such a preference, i have been wondering why. now i think i might have come up with something.
as i have established, there are very many asian guys who would prefer to be with a caucasian guy. this exists to such an extent that i feel significantly more confident in my ability to attract an asian guy than a caucasian guy (slightly more than nil confidence for the latter). over the last few years, i have had several asian guys take an interest in me; as for guys of any other race, there have been far far fewer. whether this is somehow related to an aspect of my looks or personality i cannot say, and i am not likely a decent judge of such an effect. for now, i will stick with the analysis of my own feelings, rather than those of others.
now the crux of my theory. perhaps, my brain has witnessed the above phenomena and decided that there exists great capacity for reproduction under such circumstances. in essence, my "darwinian lobes" have kicked in, and i am now coming increasingly under the control of urges to pair off with those with whom there exists the greatest potential for procreation. asian guys offer this. not to blow my own trumpet, but i think i am a little more attractive than the average balding, overweight, old rice queen. whether i am particularly good-looking is essentially inconsequential, when the rest of the evolutionary competition is of a particularly lousy standard.
could this be a form of "reproductive intelligence" we are witnessing here? if such is the case, and, furthermore, if i was actually capable of reproducing with my partners, surely i would be regarded as a biological success story - my genes would charge forward.
finally, before i end this entry, does this scientific approach to my emotions wield any consequence for their intensity? am i merely describing a "business transaction" here, of costs and benefits, where an asian guy is of lesser emotional value than a caucasian guy? one may argue that all human transactions are little more than this, and may subsequently argue that introspective investigation of such a nature ought to be avoided. but i would reply that this is not the case - my love is still my love, as strong as i can muster, and my own heuristicism serves primarily to gratify an enquiring mind. my boyfriend is my boyfriend, regardless of the colour of his skin, the shape of his eyes, or the accentuation on his words. our togetherness by far remains the most important phenomenon to me.
12 comments:
i saw him the valley yesterday ....... that red lining to his sleeveless jacket stands out a mile !
mmm, interesting. well boy, it's not just the homoworld where this phenomenon occurs, caucasian-asian couples both gay and straight are everywhere.
perhaps here you've isolated your attraction to asian guys but have you considered theirs to you? i mean their attraction beyond you're being the belle of the ball among rice queens? let's debate this over port after christmas dinner. yup, you heard me. my flights are booked! i'll mail you with details.
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!
Jared,
a lot of musing and use of big words there dude. don't also forget the paralels between black men and white women - is it just about having a big black cock there or is there something a little deeper? Maybe there is aosme grand design for us all to break down the different barriers of race? and in the famous words of good ole pauline hanson become this androngynous pinky-olivy slanty eyed people.
or maybe you just have a fetish... good for you. Am I now included as well in this rice queendom? I have only ever been with one asian guy but if I marry him does that forever seal my fate?
hmm
more musings for your darwinian mind
Jared,
The scientist in me (and I have asked on numerous occasions that he take up residence elsewhere) demands proper scientific study not just sweeping generalisations and anecdotal evidence.
I also really like your writing style.
hehe,
james, if i had time to scratch my bum, i would commission a study into it... yet something tells me funding might be a little less than forthcoming.
and thanks aaron, i'll keep right on musing!
further, i am certainly not aiming to make assumptiones beyond the realms of my own attractions. i'll steer well clear of that for now, maybe for many years, until i can procure more evidence. maybe one day i'll write a book lol
your resident pinky-olivy slanty eyed wannabe, jared.
I think your dilemma can be solved by going back to historical anthropological studies and contemporary sociological studies.
In anthropology, Asia/"the Oriental" was regarded as feminine, mysterious, submissive, sensually pleasing and easy to dominate, and "the West"(or the "Occidental") was regarded as masculine, aggressive (physically and sexually), dominating and forceful/assertive. I think Asians still have that 'charm' about them, and Asians seek the security of having a dominant aggressive masculine figure to connect with. Sounds seriously weird I know but I ask many of my mum's friends who are Caucasian-Asian couples and they would pretty much say the same thing. Ask my neighbour why he married an Asian he would say exactly the same thing with a few extras such as "white babes are whores they will sleep around"... and it goes on. He's a chauvinist too - he did say that he would cheat on his wife if any "bird" offered him sex - so what does that say about caucasian males?
When it comes to contemporary sociology I think the media and economics contributes to the Asian fascination with Caucasians. The whole anthropological perspective still applies today and the media reinforces the qualities of being Asian or being Caucasian. Afterall, look at many Hollywood produced martial arts films: white characters are now kicking the asses of Asians. Then in an age of economic rationalism poverty becomes more evident and I think for Asians being of Caucasian decent signifies wealth. So, if you (as an Asian) associate yourself with Caucasians you symbolically associate yourself with wealth and high social status.
The latter one pretty much goes with the whole "gold digging" thing, however, I see that some people do like the sensual pleasure which Asians possess and Asians love the masochistic qualities of Caucasians... I think you should really ask yourself why you like Asians, what qualities about them do you like besides their looks?
Cheers!
anonymous, fantastic post. thank you. many of the things you said re. asian fascination with caucasian and vice versa i have read from various sources, but you placed them alongside one another brilliantly. and your anecdotes are also great illustrations of cultural and social differnces.
regarding my own feelings, i am not particularly keen on a "nancy-boy", asian or otherwise, but more balanced masulinity - a masculine guy, with a big sensitive streak. so i don't feel like i am chasing that femininity associated with the traditional asian / caucasian interaction. i appeciate the more reliable sensitivity that is not shrouded in a veil of misplaced externalised masculinity. or in other words, something simpler than what caucasian guys characteristically offer.
again, many thanks!
Hey, it's Anonmymous again. I'm glad you liked what I said - I find myself as an Asian that loves Caucasian men. I was pretty open to any 'race' until I shared a house with a few Asians and it totally turned me off and made we like men of 'no colour' (Hehehe). As for the masculinity thing, I totally agree with you. I like men that transcend both masculinity and femininity because to me they seem to be the nicest, most down-to-earth, and the greatest people in bed. Hehehe. Remember those are just historical anthropological notes during colonisaton...
Also, while I pretty much appear Asian I'm very 'white' on the inside, and as an Asian I'm totally fascinated by Anglo-Saxon societies because my parents try to thump Asian culture into my mind. I still hold many Asian values but I find that western societies are very fascinating to look at especially when you look at popular constructions of 'white society'.
I know that this might seem totally random, but I think you might find Pierre Bourdieu's work interesting. He looks at the 'mundane' and often taken for granted aspects of society. In his works he looks at how we organise personal space, create, maintain and destroy social interaction, to the way we walk, eat and talk... as well as looking at social classes.
Humans are great to watch, I can be entertained by them to no end.
anonymous, thanks again for another informative post...
can i take issue with one thing you said. this is a question from an enquiring mind, rather than an insult or accusation.
you mentioned "i'm very white on the inside". i have several black (american and south african) friends that stand so tall in their racial pride. i once made the mistake of saying "i think my taste in music is blacker than yours" only to be met with much largely jestful scorn, although with strong undertones of "you don't ever say that!" they are black, inside and out, and even the "blackest" i could be at something would never be as "black" as them, even when they are being exceptionally "white" at the same thing.
do you think asian people are less reluctant to forego their racial identity, or could it be they are less insecure about culture-identifying nuances. for example, many asian friends have told me "wow, you use chopsticks better than most asian people i know!" with a genuine laugh. maybe they are just simpler, or not so constrained, in their identity.
or maybe it is that they haven't endured apartheid or slavery like the ancestors of my black friends, whose experiences flow like a torrent down the generations.
thanks again.
Interesting. I think my "whiteness" is more the result of my education, experiences and personality I guess. I'm not saying that anybody else is different but I think for me I maintain certain 'Asian values', and at the same time I am totally fascinated with the western culture and I've pretty much grown up in a western society with strong Asian roots. So it's pretty much an enculturisation/socialisation process.
What you seem to discuss is more based on racial discrimination, and oppression that has been largely publicised. The way that I see it is that Asian oppression hasn't been that big of an issue because Asian societies were more seen as trading partners rather than slaves. I know you can argue against that to a certain degree but to me African societies have been far more oppressed than Asian ones. Also, there hasn't really been any great loss of Asians compared to Africans. Look at the curriculum/syllabus in many education systems across the world and do you see them teaching about big wars that 'whites' have mass murdered Asians, or Asians have simply been mass murdered?
With racial discrimination people have their likes and dislikes if you don't want to like someone because of the colour of their skin, cultural background etc. then it's not my problem. I like cultural diversity because they can provide anecdotes of different experiences which will provoke all kinds of emotions, and a whole new way of understanding our world. I've been subjected to discrimination based on my race and my sexuality - if people don't want to see me for the kind of person I am that's fine with me. Another thing I would like to point out it is much easier being "white" and "gay" compared to being "non-white" and "gay". I like to call it 'double minority' because not only are you being discriminated against by your race but also your sexuality. I sympathise with the poor, I came from a pretty poor country but was (and pretty much still am) considered as an 'elite' in my community and one of the things that really stands out for me is that poverty transcends black, white, and yellow societies. Poverty is something I don't think is really understand unless you've experienced it. I know many people that say they give money to the poor, but they don't really understand what it really means to be living in poverty. Poverty is not simply about not having the financial resources, it's about having to work when you're a child, about not being able to get an education, not being able to get enough nutrition and access to health facilities, and the list goes on. So race doesn't really mean anything to me, it's the struggle of humanity that does mean something to me. It's just as a society we tend to associate certain things with certain people because of their skin, hair, eye colour etc, rather than something that applies to the 'human race'.
Also, I like to stereotype and I like to prey on those stereotypes. I prey on them because of the ignorance many people have. That may sound a bit self-righteous and condescending, however, I see it as a way of fighting against the insecurities people have... I like saying "Fucking Asian" - I won't say anything else because I will get grilled for it (and it's much easier for me to say it because I am Asian). I say it because it comes back to that discrimination thing. I say it because people think I'm an Asian who could have came here illegally, they think I have stolen the jobs of Australians, etc. The ironic thing was that my family wanted to come here for Expo '88 and were refused tourist visas, but when we applied for residency and citizenship a few years later we were accepted with no real challenges. As for the work thing, I think people who do that job the best and are willing to do their best in that job should get that job no matter if they're white, black or yellow. It's just like the Mayor of Melbourne - he's Asian. I was pretty intrigued when I found out the mayor was Asian, but from what I've heard he's pretty damn good. Then there's Oprah, she's black and she's a woman, but she effectively is the richest black woman in the world... infact the only black billionaire!!
I'm also thinking of doing medicine when I finish my degree, and I joke around I'm going to be next "Dr Death" because I'm Asian. I joke around that nobody will come to see me because I am Asian. But I think I'm more than capable enough of being a good competent doctor. The way that I rationalise that issue is that as a society we tend to medicalise issues (most of the stuff I'm about to say is very Foucaultion - Michel Foucault); as a society if we have an itch, we must go to the hospital... how about going your local GP first dumbass? If we break our arm because we were playing masochistic sports such as rugby we must go to the hospital... you're not going to die. You can still breathe. You're just in pain and you can stay in pain because of your stupidity. Those people behind you are having a heart-attack and are at risk of dying!... the list goes on (my fave one is the plastic surgery one). I know you can say Dr Patel was an incompetent doctor but with any medical procedure you should expect some risks, and those risks are pretty much going to be the same if you had a white doctor who had the same levels of skills as Dr Patel.
So yeah, you're pretty much correct. I think the whole black pride thing stems from being confident and standing up for what they believe is right and having pride with who they are (not saying that Asians don't - remember self-depreciation/modesty can be seen in Confucianism). One rhetorical question I ask when I start to see some streak of white supremist attitude is: "So you like the fact that you kill people? You like the fact that white people accept and understand that those who kill should be put to death too because it's only natural justice? The only reason why people are classified as humans is because they have 46 chromosomes, and animals don't! Go try having sex with an animal. I bet the possibilities of you being to reproduce is inifinitely small because of that reason. Have sex with an Asian, an African, a Jew, a Muslim, a Wog, an Aryan, or your sister and you will be able to reproduce because you're human! Everyone is the same, we just come in different colours, shapes, sizes and features just like condoms. So next time you have sex use one because I surely don't want ignorant twits like you running a multinational corporation or a government." I don't know if that really answers your question - I'm sort of high on medication right now and I'm trying pretty hard to stay lucid. I've pretty much rambled in this, and I hope you see what I'm trying to say and what my answer is...
Now, I have a question for you. Do you think that Orthopaedic patients have a 'lower' priority compared to patients who are suffering from neurological and cardio-thoracic symptoms? It seems a bit like that to me...
P.S. I really laughed hard at that chopstick thing. I come from an Asian family and I'm pretty much the only one that can use chopsticks (and I'm pretty shit at it I think). My only excuse is that I'm Filipino - Filipinos don't use chopsticks, they use their hands! [Insert hysterical laughter] Oh, and I don't use my hands to eat, I use cutlery (even for KFC)... unless it's pizza, Macca's sandwiches but you know what I mean... I hope.
P.S.S. That whole doctor thing is something I wouldn't do/say as a doctor... but I do think as a consumerist society combined with litigation and a whole heap of factors we're breeding a bunch of whingers! At times I think adults are definitely worse than kids!
anonymous, absolutely, an orthopod patient will be given far lower priority than a possible stroke or myocardial infarct. heartburn could be a heart attack. a headache could be a subarachnoid haemorrhage. both can couse death in an instant. provided the bleeding is under a satisfactory level of control, a laceration is a laceration.
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