Tuesday, January 13, 2009

What I Just Finished Reading While Wearing an Outdoor Performance Fleece and Sipping a Latte

What do indie music, New Balance shoes, Mos Def, and expensive strollers have in common? They're all things white people like, according to Christian Lander, author of the very funny book Stuff White People Like. Speaking of books, they're also in this "definitive guide to the unique taste of millions." According to Lander, "The role of books in white culture is perhaps as important as organic food- essential for survival. However, understand that this is not about literacy or reading, but about the physical object of the book....Just as hunters will mount the heads of their kill, white people need to let people know that they have made their way through hundreds or even thousands of books. After all, what's the point of reading a book if people don't know you've read it?" So, combine that with the fact that I used to work as a high school English teacher (highly revered by white people), I love hardwood floors and Arrested Development, enjoy eating outside and appreciate the idea of soccer, and it's clear that I am a stereotype. All I need is a Toyota Prius and my face could be on the cover.

Stuff White People Like grew out of Lander's immensely popular blog, http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/ . I understand that the title might ruffle some feathers, but the satire is more about class and generation, poking fun at affluent, well educated left wingers, than it is about race. And it's pretty hilarious. Who can resist a sentence like this about #49 Vintage, "The love affair between white people and old stuff goes back literally hundreds of years." Moreover, the complex hierarchy of t-shirts is not to be missed.

1 comment:

Corinne said...

"white people have such strong insincts that if you release a white person into a random Saturday morning they will return to you with a reusable bag full of fruits and vegetables."
ajajajajajajaja!
lol!