S. 2, Ep. 3: Books & Hoes — The Bookish Partners We Crave (1st Birthday Edition) - Video

???? 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


* Morticia Black


* Regina Starr


* Wips


* “The Voice of the Voiceless” Trisha Cheeks (aka The Tizzle)


???? Ep. 3 Summary


From alphas, cinnamon rolls, and slutty golden retrievers and all that’s in between - we all have our faves. What fictional characters make up the “ideal” book bae? Why do we love (to hate) them the way we do?


???? The Hot Line


???? Sources


* Mini guide for sexual terms and acronyms in Erotic Books for clueless pandas (https://anneliselestrange.wordpress.com/2017/04/08/a-mini-guide-for-sexual-terms-and-acronyms-in-erotic-books-for-clueless-pandas/)


* A Deep Dive Into Our Favorite Romance Novel Tropes (https://www.shondaland.com/shondaland-series/bridgerton/a-deep-dive-into-our-favorite-romance-novel-tropes)


* 129 Romance Tropes We Love And Love To Hate (https://briarblack.com/romance-tropes/)


* What is with all these acronyms? HEA? STL? What do they mean? (https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/faq/what-is-with-all-these-acronyms-hea-stl-what-do-they-mean/)


* BDSM & Kink Roles & Terms (https://www.edenafterdark.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Eden-After-Dark-BDSM-_-Kink-Roles-And-Terms.pdf)


* What is a Romance Trope — A Guide to Romantic Storylines (https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-a-romance-trope-definition/)


* Hooks vs Tropes: What’s the Difference? (https://www.writeforharlequin.com/hooks-vs-tropes-whats-the-difference/)


* Your Complete Guide to Romance Tropes (https://bookriot.com/romance-tropes/)


* How To Understand Dark Romance Trigger Warnings (https://briarblack.com/how-to-understand-dark-romance-trigger-warnings/)


* How Romance, Romantasy, and “Smut” Took Over Publishing and Entertainment: A Statistical Analysis (https://www.statsignificant.com/p/how-romance-romantasy-and-smut-took)


???? Research & Trend(s)


* TikTok(BookTok) and Instagram (Bookstagram) challenges, memes/gifs (Boyfriend “lean” challenge, Internet boyfriend —James Tang (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLw-GJD5OOT7X2RYIzamvaMhrnDA24-F-F) )


* Story scene re-enactments


* Fan made videos/skits


* BookTok rankings (using popular sound trends, ie., “Dancing/Dance(?) Moms”)


* James Tang - A TCK (Third Culture Kid) and actor who quickly became one of the most popular TikTok/Twitch content creators from this trend. Known for making popular/current BookTok videos as well as original “internet boyfriend” skits.


* Thirst trap trends blending reality from the escapism.


???? Impact


Consumer sales (articles on stats/demographics about book sales) and Cultural (cliches and clashes), Societal norms and challenges


* Heated rivalries (lol) arose between die hard readers and new readers


* Blatant privilege on display by a well-known publishing company (QUINN), offering massive deals to TikTokers (ie., receiving a six-figure book deal - without having a single word written, flying out “key” TikTok influencers to extravagant events with no clear plan/research being conducted - just coasting on the algorithm and “vibes” in hopes of drawing in readers)


* Influencers being called out for supporting problematic authors and thinly veiled biases toward marginalized groups (the “I can’t/couldn’t relate to this…” and “I didn’t understand why they were included…” bunch)


* How Romance, Romantasy, and “Smut” Took Over Publishing and Entertainment: A Statistical Analysis (https://www.statsignificant.com/p/how-romance-romantasy-and-smut-took)


???? Idealizations (Expectations and Escapism)


How they can lead to unhealthy thoughts, parasocial activity (https://wbqc.substack.com/p/ep-6-parasocial-relationships-and) , and toxicity within the communities


* Fawning over “perfect” book characters that sometimes causes readers to question and/or become unhappy in their own real-life relationships.


* Becoming obsessed with the fictional world that they’ve “escaped” into, going as far as to threaten the author(s) who wrote the story and/or other readers who may critique the story.


* Consumer safety (content/trigger warnings, spreading of gossip/misinformation. deepfakes/AI content/sources and that promote harmful/negative views/situations, unsafe environments (spaces that prey on unknowing readers to take advantage of them mentally/emotionally, financially, physically, etc.).


* Predatory behavior (how to spot/recognize/address this behavio...