Director J. Michael Seyfert says that when white women flock to Jamaica for fun in the sun, they’re often not looking for RandR for rest and relaxation, but for Rent a Rasta. His jaw-dropping eponymous revelation sheds light on a little-known form of sex tourism, in which white women who travel to Caribbean islands are helped to return to normal life with the help of black locals. The documentary claims that as many as 80,000 women come to Jamaica every year from various relatively wealthy Western countries.
Most people who tend to indulge their island fever are obviously spinsters and/or overweight. Ignored by whites due to social taboos and afraid to openly date blacks, they seek gratification in remote resort towns in the anonymity afforded them by virtual paradises. These decadent ladies are sure to seduce their boy toys with money, electronics, designer clothes, jewelry, or any substance needed in exchange for simple sexual favors and a strict understanding of how Las Vegas is, what’s happening in Jamaica, Jamaica Stay. As a satisfied customer, a 45-year-old Midwestern spinster explains her addiction to hedonistic vacations: A girl who doesn’t look twice is always here to be accosted.
All these men are paying attention to her, telling her that she is really beautiful and that they really want her. It’s like a secret, a fantasy, and you go home. While this glimpse into the reasons for the Lucky Ladies’ noncommittal connection is certainly instructive, the picture is actually a lot more interesting when it comes to Jamaica’s history, as it goes from slavery to the Rastafarians The rise has been winding its way up to the present day. Viewed in this light, we suddenly see an enduring pattern of total subordination and economic inequality, with islanders fulfilling deck duties being only the latest form of exploitation.
