Don’t Blame It On Rio by Jewel Woods and Karen Hunter
By Angelia Menchan • Jun 13th, 2008 • Category: Book Review •
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Don’t Blame it On Rio by Jewel Woods and Karen Hunter is an interview style commentary on why African-American men are choosing to go to Rio, Brazil to find companionship. The general gist of the book is how African-American men are not having their needs met by African-American women and as such they are justified in searching elsewhere. I had read several articles on this so-called phenomenon that gave me a sketch of what to expect when reading this book. I must say that the book was simply a longer version of the articles which have appeared in African-American magazines for the past couple of years.
Don’t Blame it On Rio was fairly easy reading, I was able to complete it in less than a day, however, what kept me reading was my desire to find a different story to the age old lack of communication between brothers and sisters. Instead, I found a rehashing of a decades long debate about how most African-American women are simply interested in success and status and are less focused on pleasing their men, particularly sexually. What I found particularly interesting was how some of the interviewees indicated interest in successful, career-minded women but also wanted them to take care of the children and the homefront, while maintaining `freak’ status in the bedroom. Much of it read like male fantasy to me which explains why one would spend thousands to travel to a tropical paradise in search of a relationship.
What I found most disheartening was how objectified the Brazilian women were and the lack of clarity on the parts of the men who found the relationships to be anything other than mercenary. In a country filled with poverty and where the sex trade is legal, having sex with wealthy men would seem to be a standard operating procedure. I recommend this book to those who are interested in reading about what goes on in the minds of men who can afford to travel to exotic locales for fantasy fulfillment.
Angelia Menchan
APOOO BookClub
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Angelia Menchan is wife, mother, mentor and the author of five books, most recently, “Is No Not Clear Enough For You? She is a reviewer for APOOO Exchange Team. Angelia currently works as a Budget Officer, but her most rewarding work experience was as Job Corps Counselor. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her love and reading. Her motto is, “You Get from the Universe, What You Give to the Universe.” She can be contacted at www.angeliavmenchan.com and http://acvermen.blogspot.com
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