TW: The Hotties discuss for the listeners the following: sexual content, white supremacy, white fragility, sexism, racism, police/state violence discussion, and the presence of explicit anecdotes. We also discuss peer reviewed studies and medical definitions. We are not doctors, but we do suggest therapy. Listener discretion is advised.
You know the gist, but we’ll say it again:
Welcome to the table — a safe, sexy, and unapologetic space where Black joy, creativity, community, and pleasure are always on the menu. The Unfriendly Black Hotties are here to educate & stimulate — and we love using our words to amplify Black voices through bold, unfiltered conversations.
Here at the lunch table, we keep it flavorful, colorful, and always authentic, diving deep into:
* Erotica
* Kink
* Love & Intimacy
* Romance
We’re not here to compromise our truths — we’re here to get off. So, turn us on. Lunch is served!
👩🏾🦱 This Episode’s Hotties
* Doc Dubs
* Regina Starr
* Wips
* Summ’ah
* The Artist Formerly Known as Trisha Cheeks (aka The Tizzle)
📚Ep. 11 in Words
* Key Takeaways
* Summarize the main points: The history of chart segregation is the blueprint for today’s market. Taylor Swift’s dominance is enabled by systemic White gatekeeping. Pop is protected; R&B must innovate.
* The Hotties’ Final Word
* What is the solution? Is it to create our own systems, or to force integration? Why must we always fight for our place at a table built for someone else?
The Hotties’ Final Word: What is the solution? Is it to create our own systems, or to force integration? Why must we always fight for our place at a table built for someone else?
* The Set-Up: Start with the latest bland offering from the pop culture billionaire (Taylor Swift’s recent moves/news cycle) and pivot to the larger discussion.
* The Thesis: This episode is about the systemic protections afforded to White women in pop culture, specifically in music, but also books and audio erotica/porn.
* The Question: Why does Taylor Swift get to be every woman and occupy the cultural center, while Black artists who are her true competitors are marginalized? It’s about more than just personal taste; it’s about the mechanics of genre, charting, and White cultural gatekeeping.
✨ICYMI — Check out Ep. 9 for more on this topic
✨ The Cultural Key & Blue-Eyed Soul
* The Central Argument: Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Justin Timberlake, and Sam Smith cannot make R&B music because key cultural components of the genre are missing.
* Discuss the difference between technical musical proficiency and cultural lineage and experience. R&B is rooted in Black American social history, church music, and vocal traditions — it’s a cultural language.
* Define/Discuss “Blue-Eyed Soul”: It’s a term of convenience that allows non-Black artists to profit from Black musical forms with and without appreciation (cite specific examples if desired, briefly).
Chart Dominance vs. Pigeonholing
* The Systemic Advantage: Taylor Swift gets to dominate the all-encompassing “Pop” chart because her true Black competitors are systematically relegated to the “R&B” or “Hip-Hop” charts.
* The Hotties’ Take: Discuss how Pop is often a “White default” genre, while R&B is a “Black default” genre, regardless of the music’s actual sound.
* Data Insight (Use Concrete Numbers): Briefly mention the racial disparity in the Hot 100 vs. R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay charts. Example (Hypothetical but based on trends): While Black artists consistently dominate R&B/Hip-Hop charts, they often account for less than $10 of the top $10 positions on the mainstream Hot 100 chart in certain periods, showing a clear ceiling for crossover success unless it’s a massive, undeniable hit.
* The Growth Requirement
* The Double Standard: Discuss the observation: “No growth is required for pop, but growth is required for R&B.”
* Pop’s Goal (Taylor): To maintain mass appeal, often by adhering to a familiar, accessible formula. Success is measured by sameness and scale.
* R&B’s Standard (Black Artists): The genre is often held to a standard of innovation, vocal agility, and deep emotional resonance. Growth is required just to exist at a high level. If Black artists simply make “Pop,” they are still called “R&B” or “Urban Pop,” further restricting their market reach.
⚪️ White Fragility and the Cult of Taylor
* The Narrative Protection
* Discuss how the media creates a protective narrative around Taylor Swift. She is always framed as the underdog, the victim, or the “girl next door” despite being one of the most powerful people in the industry.
* The Fragility: Any criticism of Taylor Swift is met with a fervent, often aggressive defense from her (primarily White) fan base and media allies. This is an example of White fragility manifesting in pop culture — the inability to accept criticism about a White cultural icon because it challenges the comfortable status quo.
* The “Everywoman” Myth
* She is branded as relatable, but only within a very narrow, affluent, White, and heteronormative scope.
* The Hotties’ Take: Break down why Taylor Swift is not “every woman” (e.g., her access to generational wealth, her systemic protection, her specific experiences do not translate to the experiences of Black women or other marginalized groups).
* Discuss how the relentless push to frame her as “every woman” actively erases the experiences of non-White women whose lives are far more complex and politically charged.
* The Cultural Vacuum in Audio/Visual Media
* Expanding the Theme: Briefly connect this systemic protection to books, audio erotica, and porn.
* Discuss how White women often dominate these spaces (especially in high-profile publishing or major platforms) even when the themes or genres are derivative or lack true depth, similar to the dominance of Taylor’s “bland offering.”
* Question for the Table: Who are the Black women who are pushed out of or ghettoized in these spaces (e.g., in Romance, Sci-Fi, Erotica)?
🎶 Ep. 11 Playlist
Here’s a list of tasty jams that have better songwriting chops:
📚 Resources for: Taylor Swift is Not Every Woman
I. The History of Chart Segregation & The Genre Cage
These articles provide essential context on the “Race Records” era and the systemic boxing of Black artists.
* Article: “For Coloreds Only: Blackface and Segregation in the Billboard Charts and the GRAMMY Awards”
* Why it’s useful: This academic-level piece directly connects the formation of racial categories in music (Rock/Country for White, R&B for Black) to the legacy of minstrelsy and Jim Crow, demonstrating that the charts were never “separate but equal.”
* Link: (Search for the title on Google, as it’s an academic paper often hosted by university libraries.)
* Article: “Race record” (Wikipedia)
* Why it’s useful: A concise historical overview that confirms the timeline and terminology: “Harlem Hit Parade” $\rightarrow$ “Race Records” (1945) $\rightarrow$ “Rhythm & Blues Records” (1949, coined by Jerry Wexler). It verifies the name Ralph Peer as an influential white executive/DJ in early “Race Records” marketing.
* Article:“The Development of National Record Charts”
* Why it’s useful: Provides granular details on how Billboard separated its charts, confirming that the initial “Hit Parade” was a “mainstream (that is, white)” list, and the segregated charts were only a secondary measure of popularity.
📚 Taylor, Cultural Appropriation, and Chart Dominance
These resources provide a modern critique of Taylor Swift’s “neutrality” and the ongoing issue of white artists co-opting Black genres.
* Article: Taylor Swift and the Death of White Feminism
* Why it’s useful: This article’s title directly addresses your theme of Taylor Swift not being “every woman” by framing her as the ultimate symbol of White Feminism. It argues that her brand of activism is selective, self-serving, and centers her personal interests (like the master’s dispute) above systemic issues. This directly relates to segments on White Fragility and the “Everywoman” Myth, suggesting that her overwhelming success has led to a cultural moment where a more intersectional or critical feminism dies under the weight of her highly protected, commercially successful, but ultimately narrow, white narrative.
* Article:“I’ve Never Heard Silence Quite this Loud”: The Complexity of Taylor Swift’s Neutral Star Text
* Why it’s useful: This paper argues that Swift’s dominance is partly achieved through a “neutral star image” that is widely palatable and allows disparate, even antithetical, fanbases (e.g., alt-right/queer women) to claim her. This supports your point that she is a blank slate onto which “every woman” can project, actively making her more marketable than complex Black peers.
* Article:“FADE TO WHITE: Black Music, White Artists=Big Money” (EBONY Magazine)
* Why it’s useful: Discusses the history of “blue-eyed soul” and cultural smudging, referencing Justin Timberlake and Justin Bieber being “co-signed” by Black producers (Timbaland, Usher), creating “complications for the Black community.” This perfectly backs your “Cultural Key” and R&B discussion.
* Why it’s useful: Directly critiques Swift’s use of racialized language (e.g., “bad bitches,” “savage”) and her tendency to “play the underdog” despite her immense power, supporting your argument about the “Victimhood Brand” and White Protection.
* Article: “Some white artists, like Elvis, exploit Black culture. So celebrate Bobby Caldwell, who enriched it” (The Guardian)
* Why it’s useful: This contrasts an “exploiter” (Elvis) with an “integrator” (Bobby Caldwell, a white artist who concealed his race to succeed in R&B). This offers a clear definition for the hosts to use when distinguishing between cultural appropriation and cultural enrichment/practice, which directly applies to your R&B vs. Pop segment.
📚 White Fragility in Pop Culture & Criticism
These sources contextualize the concept of “White Fragility” and how it operates in response to criticism of white cultural icons.
* Concept Origin: Robin DiAngelo’s White Fragility
* Why it’s useful: While not pop-specific, understanding DiAngelo’s definition—that White Fragility is the defensive response to minimal racial stress that shuts down conversation—is essential for the segment. Your hosts can use this framework to analyze the Swiftie backlash against criticism.
* Article:“Segregation Under a Groove: Pop Music’s Unspoken Colour Lines”
* Why it’s useful: Argues that newer pop critics have simply swapped the old biases for new ones: White performers are treated with an “instinctively sympathetic approach,” while criticism of them is often deemed “excessive and unproductive, even anti-feminist.” This perfectly articulates the protection Taylor receives.
* Article: “Why Are They Calling Taylor Swift’s... Racist?” (Dr. Melissa A. Fabello)
* Why it’s useful: This article discusses the “liberal white woman’s ignorance of their own whiteness” and the preference for “order” over justice (citing MLK Jr.), which is a direct mechanism of White Fragility in defending Swift’s supposed innocence.
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