Dear Clutch Readers,
I am sure most of you are familiar with the Kanye West visual, Fade, featuring dancer Teyana Taylor. Taylor made headlines after she broke the internet with her steamy choreography and a body that inspired thousands of women to head back to the gym. Sadly, her empowering expression of femininity has now been marred by an idiot who thought a few clicks was reason enough to completely sexualize and dehumanize. Facebook comedian Kmoorethegoat created a comedy video that, not only sexually placed a man behind Williams, humping her in several scenes. But also reduced a scene of the artistic endeavor into “cum shot”, which is absolutely unacceptable and a testament to the ubiquity of rape culture.
In full disclosure, I have written in the past about the problematic nature of hypersexual comedy videos, which use women’s bodies as props for clicks. I do not have a neutral opinion on the matter, because I find such exploitation abhorrent. If a man cannot be funny without using women’s butts as the butt of his jokes, well, he must not be very funny at all, in the first place. Sadly, this is not exactly the case in Kmoorethegoat’s case, as the comedian does produce some pretty funny videos. Videos which are both boaderline offensive and insensitive– like one where he plays a slave who had sex with his master’s wife, with his surprising support– but still can pass as comedy and social commentary.
This video, however, crossed that line.
“I dunno what you doing right there, but when I open this condom, you finna get fucked,” a black man says, while positioned behind Teyana Taylor in the video. To make it clear, Taylor is dancing. Dancing provocatively, as many women do, including myself, to express themselves (though, admittedly– perhaps she does so with a bit more style and grace than I would). In my opinion, it is pretty clear what Teyana is doing in the video.
It is also clear what she is NOT doing. She is NOT inviting men to have sex with her in real time or digitally. She is NOT inviting a man to position himself behind her and hump her. She is NOT inviting a man to cum on her face. Nevertheless, according to this video-maker, it is implied, by her own expression of her own sexuality, that somehow a man should be involved and free to use her body as he pleases. This is the definition of rape culture. And a perfect example of how it permeates every aspect of our society, including our “comedy”. But the objectification, sexualization and diminishment of Teyana Taylor did not end there in this video.
“It gon’ be a lot now, watch out,” the character says as he whacks off his blurred penis, while positioned above Taylor. You do not have to watch the video to know what happens next. It ends just as most men envision sexual interactions with women should end, based on their education by porn: with a man’s sexual gratification.
This video has now been viewed 75K times, which is far fewer than I would imagine, considering the content. Comedy videos that sexualize women tend to get millions of views, likes and shares. Perhaps time will tell the tale of whether or not this video rises in infamy.
Or perhaps Black women will take a stand together and pressure Facebook and this comedian to remove this reprehensible video. Not merely for the sake of Teyana Taylor, who most certainly has a budding career and likely couldn’t careless about this idiotic video. But for Black women and girls alike to get the message that this is not “ok” and there are people willing to advocate on their behalf. Far too frequently, Black women and girls are vulnerable to indecent treatment by men and left to fend for themselves. Left to blame themselves. We must be our sister’s keepers.
Tell Facebook and Kmoorethegoat (@kmoorethegoat23) that his video is not funny. And neither is the exploitation of Black women or their bodies.
Tiffanie
