Nonwhite Eroticism: Shunned by Hollywood?

Pat H. Broeske’s April 22 article on Whoopi Goldberg registers mild surprise that Goldberg’s love scene with Sam Elliott in “Fatal Beauty” was excised.

Gentlemen. Ladies. For whatever reasons, America has never been comfortable with erotic images of non-Caucasians (except white males romping with African-American or Asian females).

According to the 10th American Film Market edition of Variety (Feb. 21), in the entire history of film only one movie earning over $10 million has ever had a non-Caucasian lead in a healthy erotic relationship (Prince, in “Purple Rain,” $31.7 million in earnings).

Some might remember Gregory Hines in “Cotton Club” ($12.9 million but, technically, Richard Gere was the first lead.

Eddie Murphy? In “48 HRS” he picks up a woman in a bar and gives her money in the morning. In “Trading Places” he ends up on the beach with a woman whose name we never even know. In “Beverly Hills Cop,” I and II, nothing. In “Golden Child,” he kisses his leading lady once, while she is unconscious. In “Harlem Nights,” he shoots her.

Considering that Murphy had creative control in “Harlem Nights” and could have scripted the scene differently, one is tempted to suspect him of rather cold-bloodedly evaluating what Middle America wanted to see.

If, in the world of television, we define lead as the person whose name appears first in the titles, and a successful show as one lasting more than two seasons, then there has never been a successful dramatic series with a non-Caucasian lead. Comedies yes, successful dramas no.

In many, many ways America has changed for the better. But those of us who yearn for positive dramatic or erotic minority images had better face the facts: Hollywood will paint any erotic images the American public will buy, but even in 1990 the colors black, brown and yellow are still depressingly out of fashion.

STEVEN BARNES

Canyon Country