Episode 180 — White Men Touring Thailand

[JulyDiaz 2797]

Jay Israelson (film composer, Yo, Is This Racist? theme creator) & Andrew Ti make a list of the only reasons why white men should tour Thailand. Make sure to leave us a message about anything you think is racist at (323) 389-RACE.

[dlo burns 129]

Oh there's plenty of other things to do in Thailand, like the food, such a large variety and they have many fruits/plants that can't be exported, the mauy-thai boxing, that's very exciting, and uhh, the DRUGS!, oh yes, you can get pure Afghani heroin that'll probably od you on the first hit.

[wakefresh 689]

Drugs and sexual tourism are why folks make trips to Thailand. Yes, that is a generalization. No, it isn't racist; drug abusers and perverts are not their own ethnicity.

[action52 554]

I don't even see how it's racist, really. I think people usually go because the sex (and drugs) are readily available, and cheap by the standards of their own country. I think it's more that than any kind of fetishization of Thailand, or the Philippines, or wherever. So it may be disgusting, but not for racist reasons.

 

If anything the sex tourists might be misogynists, but the racism strikes me as a very peripheral issue at most. I think most of the people would go to white countries for sex tourism if they could do so easily, legally, and cheaply.

[Hyde Parker 9]

I don't even see how it's racist, really. I think people usually go because the sex (and drugs) are readily available, and cheap by the standards of their own country. I think it's more that than any kind of fetishization of Thailand, or the Philippines, or wherever. So it may be disgusting, but not for racist reasons.

 

If anything the sex tourists might be misogynists, but the racism strikes me as a very peripheral issue at most. I think most of the people would go to white countries for sex tourism if they could do so easily, legally, and cheaply.

Prostitution is legal throughout a lot of Europe. I wouldn't say it's cheap but lodging at a hostel for fifteen bucks is probably less expensive than a Bangkok Marriott.

[mall 29]

1. because they're racist

[action52 554]

Prostitution is legal throughout a lot of Europe. I wouldn't say it's cheap but lodging at a hostel for fifteen bucks is probably less expensive than a Bangkok Marriott.

 

Fair enough, but the price to get comparable levels of luxury would be much higher in Europe. It's more than just sex, it's the chance to feel like a fancy big roller with girls hanging off of you, who can fuck any hot girl he wants to.

 

And transsexuals. Lots and lots of transsexuals. You want to bang a hot ladyboy, Bangkok gives you more options to choose from than anywhere else in the world. It's a statistical fact.

[wakefresh 689]

I don't even see how it's racist, really. I think people usually go because the sex (and drugs) are readily available, and cheap by the standards of their own country. I think it's more that than any kind of fetishization of Thailand, or the Philippines, or wherever. So it may be disgusting, but not for racist reasons.

 

If anything the sex tourists might be misogynists, but the racism strikes me as a very peripheral issue at most. I think most of the people would go to white countries for sex tourism if they could do so easily, legally, and cheaply.

 

Misogyny and racism often intersect. It doesn't have to be a case of one over the other or one more than the other.

[action52 554]

 

Misogyny and racism often intersect. It doesn't have to be a case of one over the other or one more than the other.

 

Of course not, and I don't think that's the point I was making. It just seems to me that the main reason white people go on these "sex tours" is that they can get an experience relatively cheaply and easily. If a similar experience were available at similar prices in white countries I think it would be even more popular. Perhaps I am being naive? But in any case, I don't see this as a thing where you can just assume the guys are being racist, whereas you can most definitely assume they have no qualms about dehumanizing women into objects for their personal pleasure.

 

Also, there is the fact that while I think seeing Asian women as more exotic and sexy is most definitely racist, I wouldn't put it on the same level as hood-wearing Klan members. But "sex tourism" is some of the worst misogyny out there in my opinion. so I just see the misogyny as way worse than the racism in this case.

[wakefresh 689]

 

Of course not, and I don't think that's the point I was making. It just seems to me that the main reason white people go on these "sex tours" is that they can get an experience relatively cheaply and easily. If a similar experience were available at similar prices in white countries I think it would be even more popular. Perhaps I am being naive? But in any case, I don't see this as a thing where you can just assume the guys are being racist, whereas you can most definitely assume they have no qualms about dehumanizing women into objects for their personal pleasure.

 

Also, there is the fact that while I think seeing Asian women as more exotic and sexy is most definitely racist, I wouldn't put it on the same level as hood-wearing Klan members. But "sex tourism" is some of the worst misogyny out there in my opinion. so I just see the misogyny as way worse than the racism in this case.

 

There are places in Eastern Europe where there is sex tourism but not to the extent of Thailand or Cambodia or the Phillipines. I think one of the reasons is that sex tourists don't see the people they are having sex with as people -- they're fuck toys. And its easier to dehumanize a person when you're raised in a racist culture that tells you they aren't worth shit to begin with. As horny and crazy as they are, I think they would take into account the feelings of someone who looked like them. The reason they're going off and fucking brown people in far off places is because there is absolutely no connection -- they won't speak the same language, won't have gone to the same places you have, won't have a home close to yours, and don't look anything like you. Even better yet, you can leverage white privilege to get even more shit that you want than in Estonia, where is sex is also cheap.

 

Misogyny is there, but so is the racism, and I can't say which is more prevalent, but I know they are both there and mixing together in a pool of hatred.