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Viewing “leaked” sex tapes is rape culture.
In 2014, Mimi Faust, star of Love and Hip Hop Atlanta (and the patron saint of wronged baby mommas), shook the world when it was announced that she was being “exposed” in a “leaked” sex tape. As someone who had an image that was seemingly in juxtaposition to the “slutty” former sex worker and stripper “Joseline”, a leaked sex tape seemed to be completely out of the realm of possibility for Mimi.
As news spread, interest in the sex tape increased, with millions of people around the world posting on social media asking where to find it and if people had seen it. Screenshots of the tape and clips were posted. Through it all, Mimi played the consummate victim of the mysterious being responsible for the leaking of the tape. Fans and friends of Mimi blamed Nikko, Mimi’s boyfriend at the time for the tape, resulting in threads and vitriol being aimed at Nikko.
A lesser fraction of the public was suspicious, however. Despite Mimi playing the victim (very well) and claiming that Nikko was completely behind the leaking of the tape and “masterminding” the tape, Mimi eventually admitted that she was involved in (and consented to) the making of the tape at every stage.
They even added in a professional filming team and a marketing plan. It was a purposeful decision on the behalf of Vivid, who distributed the tape, to market the tape to the masses as a “leaked” tape that Mimi did not consent to. It was also a decision on the behalf of Mimi to blame Nikko and play the victim to fulfill the contractual obligations of the tape.
It was this situation, way back in 2014, where I first realized that our society has a CRAZY obsession with viewing private sexual performances- especially ones where it is believed that one or both performers in the tape did not consent to being viewed.
In 2007, Kim Kardashian’s sex tape with R&B singer Ray J launched them both to cultural prominence with them both ultimately getting deals for several reality TV shows between 2007 and the present. They are both household names for anyone who is a fan of reality TV. That sex tape was also marketed as being a private moment unintended for the view of the general public.
