AfroerotiK vs. Zane
Or for those who aren’t literarily challenged “Intelligent
Discussion of Sexuality vs. A Ghetto Hot Mess”
First off, let me say that the
only reason I selected this specific title for this discussion is that I know
it pisses off an extraordinary amount of Zane followers. I have nothing against Ms. Roberts
personally. I don’t know her and I’m
sure she is a very nice person. I give
her nothing but credit for opening doors and starting discussions about
sexuality. That, unfortunately, is where
my praise for her has to end. I find her
content stereotypical, degrading, and overall unhealthy. I’m not “hating” on her, I’m not jealous, I
am not trying to start a war or anything of the sort. I can’t, in good consciousness, ignore the
fact that she has done a tremendous disservice to the African American literary
community with her brand of erotica that reduces Black women to nothing more
than materialistic nymphomaniacs and Black men to nothing more than
dick-slinging dogs.
Black people, love to throw the
term “hater” to anyone who critiques anyone with money. That shows our immaturity as a people. Money should not be the magic insulator that
buffers people from critique. My
critique of Zane is not because of the wealth she has amassed over the last
decade, it’s because of the detrimental effects, the cumulative ripple effects
it has created in the Black community.
She writes, very poorly as a matter of fact, about sexuality in ways that
perpetuate all that is wrong with Black sexuality. She glorifies, celebrates, champions, and
promotes the most dysfunctional behaviors possible and people buy it as
entertainment. It is my very strong
belief that her singular influence has created a greater divide between Black
men and women than any other outside force.
It is my very opinionated belief that Black women (and unfortunately
girls) have become accustomed to the storylines she writes about and they have
internalized all the dysfunctional behaviors illustrated in her books. Women considering themselves pimps and
players and dogging men out and using them for money and manipulating them with
threats of withholding sex and promises of “high octane pussy” (a term I use to
describe a product, not unlike gasoline, that does the exact same thing as the
cheaper priced version but it is perceived to have more value, thus, making the
user feel more important) is all too common these days due to Zane’s popularity
and the fact that her brand “urban” literature has sold millions and millions
of copies.
Conversely, I write about healthy
Black relationships. I write about
couples who are partnered, in love, making healthy choices, who are intelligent
and multi-dimensional. I have NEVER
written about a woman going after a man just for his money; I have never once
written a story that glamorizes cheating; you will never see an AfroerotiK
story about a man who has casual sex without regard to the feelings of his
partner. My storylines are complex and
different. My readers are, for the most
part, more intellectual. I don’t say
that to disparage anyone but if one were to read the comments on one of my
stories, they most often wouldn’t find someone responding with caps lock on,
misspelling their words phonetically, and reiterating banal clichés. There is a difference in our readers and
fans. While I have lots of fans who like
and appreciate her work and I’m sure if her readers and fans read my work, they
would find it appealing to some degree.
Here’s where my question
arises. How do I, as someone who wants
to be the instigator of more intelligent discussions, speak to a nation of
people who only want to show off their body parts and ask silly questions like,
“Who got hit off dis weekend?” I want
people to discuss their relationships, their sexual identity, I want people to
question what they’ve been taught. How
do I bridge that divide? How do I get
people who get aroused at any mere mention of the words dick, pussy, fuck, and
suck to actually engage in discussions that are deeper, that cause them to
reflect on their relationships and their sexual partnerships? Do I dumb down my writing? Do I do the ole’ bait and switch and write a
typical urban story and when I get those readers, do I then hit them with my
more nuanced writing? Will they
understand it if I do? Do I continue to
preach to the choir meaning continue to write and engage the people who get
what I’m trying to do and not worry about the people who find Zane (and the
thousands of writers just like her) appealing?
Is there any reason for me to even waste my time in trying to reach out
to people to get them to have more intelligent discussions of sexuality?
What are your thoughts?
