Stuff White People Like: GC Race War 2008
 

I found a blog today! It's called http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/

Adequate satire or cheap racism?

You decide!

Annnnnnnd..... GO!

Honestly, I couldn't make heads or tails out of that site. Whose blog is it? What's their ethnicity?

It seemed like a strange list of what Yuppies like. (Which doesn't come close to all "white people." ) There are plenty of comments from white people who thought it was funny or agreed or disagreed. Is it even meant to be taken seriously?

Final answer: No clue :confused:

Not particularly funny or astute satire?

ETA: actually, the further you go back, it does have its funny moments.

Okay...

Was that supposed to be satire? It read as a non-satirical blog entry to me but jokes and satire are often rooted in the perception of truth. I guess listing divorce as something "white people like" would be a satirical approach to divorce stats.

It's "stuff that white people like" only because whites are over 70% of the U.S. population so it's all proportional. When things are mainstream popular, or cool and trendy, it's because the majority has made it TEH HOTNESS! Of course nonwhites have liked organic stuff and natural meds since the beginning of time. But, that stuff doesn't become mainstream media marketing until the majority shows interest and spends money on it.

Disclaimer for those who may be DUHense:
That doesn't mean that all white people like that stuff (or experience divorce) or that only white people like that stuff. I also hope that site was created by a white person because only whites need to be writing about "stuff white people like."

Replace "white people" with "black people." Offended? If yes, then it's racism. If no, then it's just funny.

Good equation for life.

Stuff White People Like makes about as much sense and is probably about as accurate as advertising specifically to the African-American Consumer Market, and on that level, I like it as satire.

The stuff on the front page just isn't that witty.

If a black person made a "what black people like" blog, it wouldn't be racial bigotry.

I won't even use the "racism" terminology here because I differ than most on here in how it should be defined and applied.

So figure out who made the "what white people like" blog and take it from there.

That's how I looked at it and who wrote it would affect how it is received.

I just thought it was a bad title and unwitty satire. I gathered that it was a blog because of the title and unwitty satire. I initially thought it was an "MSN type" article that someone had renamed.

In case I haven't said it within the past 2 years, I hate Senusret I.

:)

:)

We haven't had a good race war in a while.


Some of the stuff in the blog made me chuckle.....it's not as good as some other racial satire sites I've seen, but it's not completely horrible to me.

For what it's worth, I did my best to find out the race of the person who runs the site, to no avail.

I skimmed it and think it's funny. It reminds me of the onion...

Does the race of the person who made it really matter?

It wouldn't to me.

ETA: I don't know if I ought to ask this/admit to reading it occasionally, but having you ever looked at TAN: http://theassimilatednegro.blogspot.com/ (I think I saw it because it was linked at gawker.com)

It seems to me that it works the same themes.

That site is a similar theme but not the same theme.

But that's an example of how the race of the writer matters. The home page and blogs are written within a particular hyper-racialized context.

I co-sign on that this is more "yuppie" than "white" stuff. I did like the older entry about the top ten hip hop songs that white people like. I actually do really like most of those songs (I got a man, jump around, and baby got back were all on my beloved MTV Party To Go Vol.3). I guess I'm a stereotype, after all :-(

ETA: I was reading more of the blog and was thinking that maybe I'd been watching too much Sarah Silvermanish humor about race since I found most of it funny and not crossing the line into racist ... THEN I saw the blog entry on how white people like Sarah Silverman. It kind of looped the entire thought quite nicely.

Take me through this, if you don't mind. What importance difference do you see in theme based on the race of the writer?

I see both of them addressing hyper-racialized content. One does it from within the race; the other pretends an objective take, but it doesn't make much difference to me. Knowing the race of the "white" site wouldn't change my take on it, I don't think.

Nor do I need to know the author's race. I thought it was funny -- period. I don't think you have to be white to make fun of white people stereotypes or black to make fun of black people stereotypes. I think we can all make fun of the racist stereotypes that are out there. I think that humor is a "safer" way to acknowledge the prevalent race issues that are out there (safer because it is more fun to laugh about stuff than to complain about how shitty things are) and sometimes it actually loops into a worthwhile thoughtful discussion about race.

Racial humor can be a powerful tool in getting people comfortable in talking about racial issues. I think one of Obama's brightest moments in the primary was when he was asked in a debate whether Bill Clinton was the first black US President and he answered something like "I guess we'd have to do some more analysis to find out. I'd need to, for instance, evaluate Bill's dancing abilities first before I could truly determine if he was, in fact, a brother." I think it was a great moment because with so much racial charge out there, it perhaps kept some people from turning away because the race issue is perhaps to difficult to deal with for some? Is there anyone that this makes sense to because I'm really struggling to express this idea coherently today.

Black people, please don't be mad at me...but I think it's funny....will my Ghetto Pass be revoked?

LOL @ Ghetto Pass!

That depends on the context. :)

What's cool for you, the people you know, or some character on TV doesn't mean it is going to be cool in other settings.

Obama is a black man so that's an example of how the race of the messenger matters. If a similar reference had been made by a nonblack person, it would not have caused a stink only if the context and the way it was delivered was not racially insensitive.

The OP is a site about whites? Why would it matter if you found it funny? ;)

I don't have a "ghetto pass" so I can't speak on yours.

heh!

Basically doing the voyeur thing today, eh?

LOL...I'm mad that this is "Black History Month Presents..."

This is HORRIBLE. I don't think we should stand for such racist expressions. :mad: Ok, not really, but no one has complained yet so I thought I'd contribute. :D

Anyway, did anyone read the comments on the video?

"Remington........he's got like a pigment thing goin' on? Maybe he's Cherokee."

OMG...I like all of this stuff.

Does this make me white? Last night at dinner, I was called an Honorary WASP.

Seriously, if there was a page called "stuffblackpeoplelike," and it wasn't filled with stupid stereotypes like "fried chicken, watermelon, and the NBA," it could be pretty awesome.

Oh, yeah...she's white.

If white people don't like chicken and watermelon too, then I'm not sure what is wrong with them. To me, this is like saying "Black people like money."

Question for black folks, if there wasn't the history involved with the watermelon and fried chicken stereotype, would it be funny? Well, maybe not funny, but if the history and negative (I guess?) connotation wasn't there, would it still be offensive? The same question could go to Jewish people and profession stereotypes, etc.

Basically, is it the stereotype itself, or the pattern and tone of usage?

LMAO at the breakdown!

I remember when I first started hearing that stuff, I was so confused --- it was just like well, what does your family eat??? Sheesh, down here it doesn't matter what your race is, everyone has fried chicken, watermelon, and Kool Aid, often all at once :D That's why we're all fat and happy people!

bwhahahahahahaahahahahaha at the video and blog

Haha, I don't remember that much kool aid growing up, but if you're from the South, fried chicken and watermelon are staples for just about everyone I know.

The chicken and watermelon thing wasn't as simple as "what black people like to eat." It was used as a symbol of the lazy sambo stereotype of blacks.

So, yeah, it's about the stereotype that gives eating chicken and watermelon a different "meaning" for blacks than nonblacks. People can eat whatever they choose, of course.

shiner...what's your favorite flavor of kool ade?

Exactly. There's a lot of baggage with that stereotype, but if those two items were on a list, then it would make me think that the creator of the list wasn't being very original. The things on this blog don't resort to stereotypes at all, but are still pretty funny.

Now, if someone put "shrimp" on a list of things black people like, that could be funny. Almost every black person I know (well, almost everyone I know, regardless of race) LOVES shrimp. If you had an all-you-can-eat shrimp buffet, it would be packed with black people!

But, now that I look at the blog, it's more like "Stuff Upper-Middle-Class White Liberals Like."

nah...I know one person who hates shrimp and I look at them like they have grown two heads...hehehehe

If he says "red," is he a closeted black person? ;)

Especially those disgusting popcorn shrimp. :mad:

If I eat shrimp, they will be OldBayed steamed jumbo or sauteed in a salad--something that cheap all you can eat buffets won't do that well. :p

The history behind why certain groups eat certain foods is tied to factors like disproportionate socioeconomic status, access to cheap foods (we know disgusting popcorn shrimp are cheap), and the leftovers that slave owners gave blacks during slavery. People pretend that slavery (and the control and genocide of nonblack minorities, as well) and other forms of racial separation are sooo over but they live on through things like people's eating habits and socialization patterns. *putting one finger in the air as I dismiss myself*

I know more than one person. One of whom is from the Coast and was raised on nothing but whole crabs, crawfish, shrimp, and catfish. :)

See, that's why I said "almost every black person"! :)

My grandmother is deathly allergic to shellfish, so obviously she doesn't love skrimps. :p

I don't do fried shrimp AT ALL. I usually do sauteed in real butter or steamed.

yeah!


LOL

and you have to say it with an accent

"Rayyyyeed"


On another note...speaking of seafood...I had to go to the wharf today and pick up a dungeoness(sp?) crab to fix for dinner....yummmy.