The Racist Fantasy

1. Racism's persistence stems from unconscious enjoyment, not just ideology.

But the connection between racism and enjoyment makes more sense if one thinks of enjoyment as what goes beyond mere pleasure, as an experience of excess that transcends the realm of pleasure and pain.

Beyond education. Racism endures not merely due to ignorance or conscious prejudice, but because it taps into a deeper, unconscious psychic resonance. While education is vital, it often fails to dislodge racism's grip because it doesn't address the enjoyment (or jouissance, a Lacanian concept of excessive pleasure often intertwined with suffering) that racism provides to the racist. This enjoyment transcends rationality and self-interest.

Excessive displays. This enjoyment is most visible in extreme acts of racism, like Kristallnacht, where Nazi destruction offered a "frenzy of racist destruction" and a way for Nazis to enjoy transcending societal limits. Even less overt forms, such as the exoticized depiction of Bali Ha’i in "South Pacific," reveal racism's psychic appeal through an excessive, unrestrained enjoyment associated with the racial other.

Unconscious benefit. Many people, even those consciously identifying as antiracist, unconsciously subscribe to the racist fantasy because it delivers a psychic benefit they would never avow. This unconscious investment explains why racist ideas and behaviors persist despite knowledge of their fallaciousness, as instruction alone cannot alter how people enjoy.

2. The racist fantasy structures enjoyment through a "racial other" as an obstacle.

What’s notable is that none of these objects necessarily point to any racism. They could be the object of desire in any sort of fantasy, not exclusively a racist one.

Fantasy's core. All fantasies involve a subject, a desired object, and an obstacle. The racist fantasy is unique because it places the racial other in the position of the obstacle, blocking the subject's access to unrestrained enjoyment. This other's perceived difference is crucial for its role as a barrier.

Unattainable desire. The desired object itself (e.g., unlimited wealth, social status, a sexual partner) is often generic and unimportant; its significance comes from being unattainable. The racial other, by acting as the fantasized barrier, transforms this ordinary object into something sublime and seemingly capable of delivering boundless enjoyment.

Blaming the other. The racial other, functioning as the fantasized obstacle, becomes responsible for all the subject's—and society's—failures. This dynamic gives the fantasy its racist hue, allowing the racist subject to feel like a victim while unconsciously enjoying through the very figure they despise.

3. The obstacle, not the desired object, is the true source of enjoyment in fantasy.

The enjoyment does not stem from obtaining the object but from the erection of an obstacle that renders the object desirable—the difficulty of getting into Harvard or the impossibility of the would-be romantic partner accepting my overtures.

Fichte's Anstoss. The philosopher Johann Gottlieb Fichte's concept of Anstoss (meaning both "obstacle" and "impetus") is crucial here. The obstacle in a fantasy doesn't just block the path to the desired object; it provides arousal and access to enjoyment that would be impossible without it.

Hollywood's lesson. Hollywood cinema, the "great fantasy factory," exemplifies this by dedicating most of its runtime to obstacles rather than the attainment of desired objects. For instance, in "It's a Wonderful Life," the enjoyment comes from George Bailey's struggles and the terrifying vision of Pottersville, not the fleeting triumph of returning to Bedford Falls.

Unconscious source. While consciously, the subject believes enjoyment comes from the desired object, the true source—the obstacle—remains unconscious. This allows the subject to enjoy the struggle and the inflated value of the unattainable object, without recognizing the perverse pleasure derived from the barrier itself.

4. Modernity's promise of equality paradoxically birthed racism as a psychic defense.

Racism separates modernity from premodern societies.

A modern invention. Racism is not eternal; it emerged with capitalist modernity and its project of universal emancipation. Premodern societies discriminated based on religion or foreignness, but modernity, despite disdaining traditional hierarchies, paradoxically invented racism as a new basis for discrimination rooted in identity.

Trauma of equality. Modernity's radical egalitarianism, exemplified by Descartes' rejection of racial superiority, stripped away traditional social identities and hierarchies, leading to a "crisis of belonging." Racism provided a psychic defense, reintroducing a sense of authority and belonging by defining who doesn't belong (the racial other).

Philosophical retreat. Even Enlightenment thinkers like Immanuel Kant, despite advocating universal ethics, succumbed to racist prejudices. This "retreat from universality" indicates that racism served as a psychological respite from the "trauma of equality," allowing hierarchy to persist despite modern ideals.

5. Capitalism relies on the racist fantasy to deflect dissatisfaction and maintain itself.

The racist fantasy offers a tidy explanation for why I fail to experience the enjoyment that capitalism promises to me as an obedient subject.

Capitalism's promise. Capitalism thrives on the fantasy of unlimited future satisfaction through constant accumulation. However, this promise is never fulfilled; the more one accumulates, the more one experiences a lack of satisfaction. This inherent dissatisfaction threatens the system's stability.

Deflecting blame. The racist fantasy rescues capitalism by providing an external scapegoat for this dissatisfaction. Instead of blaming the capitalist system for economic struggles or unfulfilled promises, individuals blame the racial other (e.g., immigrants taking jobs, "welfare queens" receiving handouts).

Insulating the system. This redirection of animus insulates capitalism from revolt. People caught in the racist fantasy are less likely to join unions, advocate for systemic change, or critique capitalist exploitation, as their focus remains on the perceived transgressions of the racial other.

6. Racist violence erupts when reality deviates from the fantasy, seeking to restore its coherence.

Violence attempts to bring social reality back to its proper distance from the constitutive fantasy.

Fantasy's confirmation. Social reality must align "more or less" with the underlying fantasy to feel real and provide enjoyment. When reality either drifts too far from the fantasy (e.g., Black success challenging stereotypes) or mirrors it too perfectly (e.g., a Black man's smile literalizing sexual threat), the sense of reality collapses.

Restoring coherence. Violence, such as lynchings or police shootings, is an attempt to restore this alignment. Events like the Wilmington (1898) and Tulsa (1921) Race Massacres, which destroyed thriving Black communities, were violent reactions to Black social success that contradicted the racist fantasy of Black inferiority.

Creating the threat. Violence doesn't just punish; it creates the fantasized threat. The brutal lynching of Emmett Till, a fourteen-year-old boy, for supposedly interacting with a white woman, exemplifies how violence manufactures a menace where none exists, re-establishing the racist fantasy's coherence.

7. The "racial other" is a formal position, not tied to specific racial identities.

What identity inhabits each of these two positions is utterly contingent and unimportant for the analysis of how racism functions.

Beyond multiplicity. While racial identities appear distinct, the racist fantasy operates on a binary structure: the racist subject and the racial other. This formal opposition transcends specific racial groups, meaning any identity can occupy either position.

Rwanda's lesson. The 1994 Rwandan genocide, where Hutus massacred Tutsis (groups with similar physical appearances), illustrates this. Hutu media outlets propagated a racist fantasy portraying Tutsis as an obstacle to Hutu enjoyment, demonstrating that the "racial other" is a political identity, not a biological or ancient ethnic one.

Global applicability. The same racist fantasy form can be seen in diverse historical contexts, such as the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake massacre of Koreans in Japan. Rumors of Koreans poisoning wells and raping Japanese women, despite their low population, positioned them as the "racial other" obstructing Japanese enjoyment, leading to brutal violence.

8. Contemporary culture (e.g., hip hop, "white savior" narratives) perpetuates the racist fantasy.

The outsized role that Black athletes and Black popular musicians have testifies to the structuring power of a fundamental racist fantasy that privileges Black enjoyment.

Black enjoyment in sports. The prominence of Black athletes in American society fits perfectly into the racist fantasy, where athletic prowess is linked to sexual enjoyment. This allows white audiences to unconsciously partake in a fantasized Black enjoyment, while simultaneously resisting Black leadership roles (e.g., few Black NFL coaches).

Hip hop's appeal. Hip hop music, particularly its more transgressive forms, resonates deeply with the racist fantasy. Its popularity among white suburban teens, even those who might be overtly racist, stems from its depiction of "unrestrained enjoyment" and social nonbelonging, allowing listeners to indulge in the fantasy without consciously acknowledging their racism.

"White savior" narratives. Films like "The Blind Side" perpetuate the racist fantasy by presenting a "non-threatening" Black protagonist (Michael Oher) who is stripped of sexuality and exists to protect white characters. This contrasts with other Black characters, who are depicted as embodying dangerous, illicit enjoyment, reinforcing the fantasy while allowing white audiences to feel "antiracist."

9. Biology, despite scientific advancements, continues to be misused to justify racial difference.

The absence of a biological ground for racism actually fuels the racist fantasy with even more enjoyment.

God to biology. In modernity, biology replaced God as the ultimate ground of society, providing a "scientific" justification for racist attitudes. Early classifications by Linnaeus and Blumenbach, despite their intentions, contributed to grounding race in human biology.

Darwin's paradox. Charles Darwin, an abolitionist, paradoxically contributed to racial hierarchy. While his theory of a single common ancestor undermined distinct racial origins, his concept of natural selection was used to justify a hierarchy of "fitter" races, demonstrating biology's dual potential to both challenge and support racist ideas.

Fetishistic disavowal. Modern genetic research overwhelmingly shows the insignificance of racial difference, yet the racist fantasy persists. This is due to fetishistic disavowal: "I know well, but all the same..." Racists know there's no biological basis for race, but they act as if there is, gaining added enjoyment from defying expert knowledge and indulging in a "transcendent" racial difference.

10. Class fantasy fails where racist fantasy succeeds due to the nature of "excessive" enjoyment.

The class fantasy usually dies out quickly not for the reason that one would initially suspect.

The missing class fantasy. It seems counterintuitive that a widespread "class fantasy" (depicting the wealthy as illicitly enjoying at the expense of others) hasn't emerged to rival the racist fantasy. The wealthy's visible opulence and excesses appear more tangible than the often-conjured enjoyment of the racial other.

Wealth's constraints. The class fantasy fails because the wealthy, despite their indulgences, are often more constrained in their enjoyment. Their pleasures occur within social propriety; extreme wealth demands conformity to social demands, making it a "prison of the social order" rather than a source of truly transgressive enjoyment.

Identification vs. fantasy. Instead of fantasizing about the wealthy's enjoyment, society tends to identify with their symbolic status. We aspire to their wealth, seeing it as a marker of belonging, rather than envying their "excesses." This identification secures our place within the capitalist system, whereas the racial other's enjoyment, being outside social norms, fuels fantasy.

11. True antiracism demands taking responsibility for one's own enjoyment and embracing universal nonbelonging.

Taking responsibility for one’s own enjoyment is the essential step toward an antiracist subjectivity.

Beyond inclusion. The solution to racism is not simply "more inclusion" or "mutual recognition." Such liberal approaches inevitably create new distinctions between those who belong and those who don't, perpetuating the very dynamic that fuels the racist fantasy. True equality lies in recognizing universal nonbelonging.

Enjoying lack. Antiracism requires abandoning the fantasy of unrestrained enjoyment located in the racial other. Instead, one must take responsibility for one's own enjoyment, recognizing that all enjoyment derives from lack. This means embracing one's own limitations and failures as sources of enjoyment, rather than projecting them onto others.

Breaking the fantasy. By distinguishing between the real enjoyment of lack (available to everyone) and the illusory "complete enjoyment" attributed to the racial other, the racist fantasy loses its power. This shift allows individuals to enjoy their own nonbelonging, breaking the cycle of projecting enjoyment onto a despised other.