Does Race Affect Your Dating Life? | Decoded | MTV News

We’ve all had that friend who says “I’m just not attracted to [insert race here]” Is it wrong to have dating preferences…or is that...kinda racist? You can’t control who you’re attracted to, BUT who you find attractive is heavily influenced by society. Are white people the standard of beauty worldwide? And how do stereotypes play into your dating preferences?

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Discuss your thoughts in the comments! Franchesca will be back next week to respond!

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[Arcturus]

You do know that in China and India light skin was a preferred beauty standard long before White people showed up, right? You know that light skin has ALWAYS marked privilege in the ancient word, right? This is because when you were poor, you worked outside, when you were rich, you got a lot less sun. So skin color was an immediate signal for class. Ergo the lighter you were, the higher your apparent status. So Many people of middle means tried to lighten their complexion to appear of a higher social standing.

[josiejune]

When I am on dating apps and match with a black guy, I have gotten some messages saying "Do you like black guys?" "Have you ever dated/been a black guy?" "I would love to see my black skin against your white skin." It makes me absolutely uncomfortable. I just like people. If I find you attractive, you make me laugh, and we have fun together, why does it matter? Why do you have to ask those questions? Why does it matter if I have or haven't been with a black guy? I just want to find someone who fits me and makes me happy. If you are black, then okay. That's fine with me. I won't love you any less or more for it. I feel like something like that is really unimportant. It doesn't matter what race you are. I will be with you if we are good together and we make each other happy.

[CaesarAugustus.]

Cristiano Ronaldo is white—as in European: Caucasian. He's Portuguese: a European nation...

[gargulexpt]

WTF!? Ronaldo is white, he's portuguese, european!

[ecufan]

Cristiano Ronaldo is Portuguese, he actually is white European. Oops! Wait what white people have different skin tones by region in Europe naturally? No way?!?! That amazing!!!!

[anamericancelt]

Are you going to tell me that I am homophobic if I refuse to date a guy next?

[matydee]

Thank you for this video Chesca!!! Racial preferences is a topic that annoys me to no end and I get sick of seeing people try to defend them. As a young black gay male who lives in a mostly white area dating hasn't really been a positive experience for me due to the hypersexualization and fetishism of black men. People always forget that society has a lot to do with some of the "preferences" we pick up in almost all areas of life. If you look at your dating history and go "Hey, I have yet to date outside my race." that doesn't make you a racist. You are just a racist if you purposely exclude people out of your dating pool based on race. Your race shouldn't define your love life!

[chescaleigh]

Oooh 2 episodes this week! Does race affect your dating life? It may play a bigger role than you think!

[jabronis]

Lol. She pointed out Renaldo as a non white, but hate to break it to you, he's from Portugal, which is a European country and is classified as h-white

[gabrielcalderon]

"I can't be racist I have black friends."
"I can't be racist my husband is white."

So which is it?

[zenzenyokunai]

Ronaldo is white. He's Portuguese, not Brazilian or any other kind of Latin American. Many white people don't look typically white.

[AmmyDoodles]

SPEAKING FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCE AS AN AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN-
When she says "defense mechanism" I think it was more a habit in my case...
Like based on past romantic advances they'd usually come from other black people
that looked similar too me. So, AT ONE POINT, i found that it was normal to me to technically not
"date outside my race" because no one outside my race really made an approach to
me in that manner. So when this one guy friend that, clearly, wasn't black asked me out on
a date I was like.... "huh? weeeellll okay." 0_0
So before the date my thoughts were like this: how do I date this dude? Is there a method? What did I do
to attract this person? What is wut? Why is huh? ERROR... REBOOT...
But then i thought it over again and remembered, People like people because some are pretty nice.
God Damn it.
Don't complicate it.

[topnotchtn]

Why would you use Beyonce as an example. She fits the perfect social concept of acceptable black beauty. She also looks nothing like you.

[DandyWarrior]

I stopped listening she implied Ronaldo wasn't white

[Disqualified_Identity]

"old ass Harrison Ford" Way to be ageist!

[witchplease]

I don't even bother with dating or anything because it's too stressful for me to try and guess whether or not a guy likes black girls and hope he wouldn't mind my dark skin. Even with black guys I have to ask myself "does he like dark skinned girls??" because so many hate us nowadays and It's crazy. I'm also terrified of being just a fetish to someone. So I assume they don't and avoid them. I'm actually worried that I'll never find someone who genuinely likes me and wants to be with me.

[Hannixander]

One advantage to dating a black girl is you don't have to stress about meeting her dad.

[Scorpia]

'MAN, when is a white man gonna get a BREAK in this nation??' 

The way she said it omg yes

[BlazPecnikCreations]

Great video!
Although, why chinese people consider lighter skin more attractive doesn't have a racial foundation.It's thought that people who wave a tan are usually farmers or other "poor" physical workers that have to work in the sun. People with lighter skin are considered to be successful, because they probably have a successful high paying office job.

I'm not saying thats justified or anything, just wanted to share some cultural awareness :)

[NeolithicMan]

Will never Americans get the terms right? Latino/Hispanic is NOT a race not even an ethnicity. Latinos/Hispanic is a term used for culture and language heritage. Latinos can be White, Black, Asian, mixed. Gisele Bündchen for exemple: She's German ancestry from both parents, she's undoubtedly white, but she's also a latina for the simple reason that she's from Brazil a portuguese speaking country, a language that comes from Latin.