Guilty as charged.
I'm not sure how I've missed this site up until now - it's received more than 40 million hits. Maybe if I hadn't been spending so much time listening to NPR, I would have found it sooner. I haven't laughed this hard (at myself) in a long, long time. Entry #85 on The Wire is absolutely true for Matt and I. It's as if they were looking over our shoulder as we watched.
It's made me think of my own additions to the list, which would include things like blogging, giving your children last names as first names, using compact fluorescent light bulbs (especially if purchased at IKEA) and alternate forms of transportation such as scooters, Zipcars and Smartbikes.
The interview with the blog's author was particularly insightful. Here's a clip:
Questions for Christian Lander:
How did you decide to start the Stuff White People Like blog?
My friend Myles Valentin and I were talking over IM about the TV show The Wire. Myles said he didn’t trust any white people who did not watch the show. Somehow we ended up talking about what they were doing instead of watching it and we came up with answers like “yoga,” “plays,” “getting divorced,” and “therapy.” I thought it was a funny idea for a blog and signed up for one at wordpress.com and just started writing.
Why do you think some people perceive the blog as racist?
Mostly because it’s fundamentally about stereotypes and people have been conditioned to automatically react to a stereotype as an awful thing. In most cases, they would be right. But this blog is not filled with hateful or negative stereotypes and it’s not meant to incite anger or demean white people.
Is the blog really about race or is it more about money and social status?
It’s partially about race, but it’s fundamentally about class. It’s about a generation and class that values authenticity and credibility more than monetary wealth.
What thing do white people like the most?
Organic food.
It's funny because it's true!
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