ABSTRACT
This chapter examines South Africans’ access to and view of pornography, in particular, how porn consumers use and understand racialized sexual images. This empirical approach allows for a deeper exploration of the ‘libidinal economy,’ that is, the ‘the complex relationship between sexuality and the unconscious’ (Wilderson, 2010, p. 09). How does sexual desire map on to identities, specifically racial identities? The chapter presents data from quantitative and qualitative research with South African pornography consumers to show how various sexual liberties in modes of porn consumption collide with various racial power structures. The argument is made that pornographic images can help bridge racial divides through demystifying racial myths. It also shows that porn images can and do entrench racial stereotypes.
