This is interesting. I can’t say I agree; I actually thought the opposite. The media is more prone to label black men as “sexy” than, let’s say, “handsome.” In a recent interview with The Life Files, Idris Elba expressed his views on the topic:

“Black men, we’re never called sexy. We’re called athletic, intense, we’re described as being the strong type, the silent type. But we’re never really described as being sexy… in general the word sexy doesn’t apply to black men, particularly … The word has been thrown at me a few times so if I have to say I own it, fine.”

Is it just me? From what I’ve perceived in the past, black men being thought off as sexy, consciously or subconsciously is nothing new. Obviously, perception and public acknowledgment of that are different things. What do you think?

See the video interview excerpt below, especially around the 2:00 mark.