This is what gets me about Stuff White People Like

Monday, May 05, 2008



So it finally came to me last week why I have a problem with the site/blog "Stuff White People Like" - because I haven't quite been able to put my finger on it since it came out.

It's not because it isn't funny - it can be. Nor is it because I dislike the white guy behind the site - because I really don't know him (and just for the record - I don't despise anyone because they may like the site either).

So why do I have a problem with it?

In a world where voices of diversity are out in the blogging world making statements and creating discussion, sometimes lost in a sea of white media, white commentary, white models, white thought processes - and white racism - what's one of the blogs that has gotten the most attention?

It's a blog about White People for White People. It's a blog about White People who can look at themselves and say hey "I totally do THAT OMG!" and in turn if you do the same things guess what?

Yeah - you must be White too.

Recycling? Yeah that's only a White thing. Like bottled water? Yeah - that's strictly a White thing too. Have some friends from the LGBT crowd? Of course you have to be White. NPR? Yeah, no one except White people listen to NPR because you know - we're not White and we don't really care about news and public radio, and we don't drink coffee either.

See what I'm getting at here?

Stuff White People Like in many ways enforces the idea that if you're White you like everything, you are everything - you can be anything. And it's true because it's being told to you by someone who's white - just like you.

So you have a White site, by a White author, who the White people just love - and guess what - just like in other arenas - I haven't seen the Great White Site offer any guest blogs or voices that aren't White. I haven't seen the Great White Site offer to use their popularity to focus on anything that's not White - besides Asian women of course.

It's a White Blog, for White People, in a White World.

And just for the record - no - this isn't a case of a blogger going "Damn - that should be me", because there are far better people of color blogging out in the world who deserve more attention than I do and I guess that's the point.

When will they get their in-depth NPR story? When will they get upwards of 45 million views/hits and NYT Best Seller? When will they be embraced by everyone just as much as the Great White Site?

Probably never - because you know - they aren't White.

*Updated 10/9/2008