Entry tags:

race

A great update of good things, part 2 of 2: racialicious, stuff white people like
recently, i've been reading more racialicious, which is an excellent blog that intersects pop culture and race and involves the community of color in the discussion.

it involves several bloggers/writers that hit on an array of topics. from traveling while brown (i find it healthier to read about the world from a non-white point of view) to the intersection of class/race/etc. to heroes of color in comic books.

it's a supplement to my daily does of angryasianman.com, which is a great blog chronicling news about asian americans.

anyhoo, racialicious introduced me to:
-=-=-
stuff white people like (i won't link to it cause it's already too popular for my liking. find it yourself.)

The blog has gotten almost 5.5 million hits in two months. recently, it's exploded. simply put, its a list of things white people like. the writer is a white canadian who just simply started to think the opposite of what people of color like.

among the list is:
expensive sandwiches, vegetarianism/veganism,  public radio, 80s night.

a lot of people have responded with the likes of "it hurts because it's so true!"
i would have to say i find it pretty accurate in some areas. after all, you will never see me doing these: going to 80's night, singing to "baby got back" or "whoomp there it is", championing tea like it's the holy grail of drinks or alternative health, or buying an expensive sandwich.

nor can i see most people of color doing those...

an excerpt:
#57 Juno
As 2007’s Indie hit, it is alternative mainstream and white people love it when low budget movies do well, even though the $7 million budget is enough to feed thousands of villages in East Africa for a year.
...
Teen pregnancy is not as big a problem in the suburban midwest as it is in urban centers or border towns, therefore it is acceptable to not only green light a movie shedding light on teen pregnancy but it is okay to laugh at the situation and add a killer indie soundtrack.

#64 Recycling
If you are in a situation where a white person produces an empty bottle, watch their actions. They will first say “where’s the recycling?” If you say “we don’t recycle,” prepare for some awkwardness. They will make a move to throw the bottle away, they will hesitate, and then ultimately throw the bottle away. But after they return look in their eyes. All they can see is the bottle lasting forever in a landfill, trapping small animals. It will eat at them for days, at this point you should say “I’m just kidding, the recycling is under the sink. Can you fish out that bottle?” And they will do it 100% of the time!

however, there needs to be a point made of the site. it is an reflection of what we think about race and whiteness. it is also a reflection of what happens when you mix satire with race. i have mixed feelings toward the site but overall, i think i like the site. let's go over the general public's reaction to the site and my own reactions.

popular reactions:
1.) i'm white but i dont like these/do these!

there are quite a few comments on the posts that voice their disapproval of the list simply because it is not true about them or their friends. however, i think they simply don't get the point of the whole list or satire.

of course it's not going to cover the entire white population! this whole blog is trying to do to white people what has been done to every person of color around the world: define it wholly.

2.) I'm (enter non-white race or ethnicity) but i like these. i must be white!

again, people for ages have been trying to define race and ethnicity as a set array of traits that is unique to each group. i find this mindset particularly harmful to people of color because it creates tension in terms of being a "traitor to the race." if you've ever worked with young black students, you know what i'm talking about.

white folks rarely will experience this because they have been rarely been under the scrutiny of the overall population's perception of what "white" should be. which brings me to the next point.

3.) this blog is offensive because by pointing out what white is, you are pointing out what people of color are not!
again, see #2. satire at work here. of course, people of color can like the same things that white folks like.

4.) this isn't about white people, it's about white liberals from north america! or these are some really bad generalizations!
this was my reaction to the site as well but the l.a. time brings a good point home:
One irony-deficient reader complained that the blog was less about white people than it was about yuppies. And without knowing it, she was cutting to the heart of the joke. Lander is gently making fun of the many progressive, educated, upper-middle-class whites who think they are beyond ethnicity or collectively shared tastes, styles or outlook. He's essentially reminding them that they too are part of a group.

"I'm writing about the white people who think they're absolutely unique and individual," Lander told me. "I'm calling them out and poking fun of myself. The things I post are all the things I like too!"

5.) this writer must be a self-loathing white or an asian with a grudge against whites!
no comment.

my general reactions to the site: (if you agree or disagree with anything below, i'm open to discussion.)
positives)
    the site works effectively on bringing down some of the most troubling things about race. by simply attracting attention to what we think is and is not white, we are creating a discussion about what it means to have a race. and trust me, many whites sure can use a lesson in having their identity scrutinized.

    it also effectively (although subtly)  points out the harms of stereotypes. despite having a basis in a small degree of truth, stereotypes are inherently harmful because it breaks each and one of us to a set of pre-determined ideas that are paper thin.

    i do enjoy it takes some pretty witty stabs at white liberalism. it highlights the belief that white liberals can and have to obtain cultural value:

White people like to live in [gentrified] neighborhoods because they get credibility and respect from other white people for living in a more “authentic” neighborhood where they are exposed to “true culture” every day. So whenever their friends mention their home in the suburbs or richer urban area, these people can say “oh, it’s so boring out there, so fake. In our neighborhood, things are just more real.” This superiority is important as white people jockey for position in their circle of friends.
...
When one of these white people tell you where they live, you should say “whoa, it’s pretty rough down there. I don’t think I could live there.” This will make them feel even better about their credibility and status as neighborhood pioneers.

    however, there's one thing about whiteness and enjoying other cultures that is simply explained here:
What White People Are Taking from Black (or insert anything else) Culture?
Everything But the Burden.

the point is: there's nothing with enjoying another group's culture but it doesn't give you some kind of super card that says you've transcended race. also, there needs to be an understand of the difference between enjoying a culture wholly and just enjoying parts of it.

    the blog is wily, sarcastic, and witty. overall, the posts are funny but there are some negative points to go over:

negatives)
    it's potentially dangerous when when people dont understand the satire.
    - what happens when people take it too seriously: they start to think that ideas in the blog are true or at least have a possibility of being true. for example, there's a running joke about black people not liking mayo. the result? a white woman asks, "Is it true that Black people don't like mayonnaise? and if so, why?"
   
    - what happens when people use it to claim reverse racism.
    there are people who don't understand the satire and begin to claim it is racist against white folks. well... perhaps that the point. however, there are people who do things like post this:
stuffblackpeoplelike - eating watermelon! hahaha!!!
stuffarabpeoplelike - pumping oil! hahaha!!!
stuffblackpeoplelike - gang warfare! hahaha!!!
stuffmexicanpeoplelike - eating beans! hahaha!!!
stuffchinesepeoplelike - shooting heroin! hahaha!!!
stuffblackpeoplelike - welfare! hahaha!!!
stuffjewishpeoplelike - keeping money! hahaha!!!
stuffmexicanpeoplelike - wearing sombreros! hahaha!!!
stuffchinesepeoplelike - eating rice! hahaha!!!
stuffarabpeoplelike - kissing goats! hahaha!!!
stuffmexicanpeoplelike - wearing sombreros! hahaha!!!
stuffblackpeoplelike - sniffing glue! hahaha!!!
aren’t i funny and clever!!!
don’t you dare call me a racist!!!

or

White people are always doing funny shit, like paying the bills, going to work. I used to date a black man with white features - eg a job and a cell phone.

what the posters don't realize is that there is a line (albeit sometimes thin) between commenting about race to point out what stereotyping is and just using tired old stereotypes to reinforce them. likewise, i can use these posters as a point to reinforce the dangers of what happens when people dont understand the true nature of satire.

it is exactly why the chappelle show doesn't exist anymore: that is, it is because a white crew member of the show laughed a little too hard at the jokes as if he wasn't laughing with chappelle but because he was laughing at him.

    - what happens when it leads to satire gone wrong: you get, "war on asians"

    - you get piss poor imitations. as i  speak, there are probably different versions of the blog being created with the same hopes of popularity. i've already seen one asian version and it's piss poor. trust me.

    however, there is a "stuff black people like" blog that is follows the concept but not the format. instead discusses things things black people like to explore why there are stereotypes of what black ppl like and why. you'll find such sobering observations like black people are more likely to smoke menthols simply because it is advertised to them or why the fried chicken stereotype is troublesome even if black folks really do like it. a golden one among the site:

Finding out that a criminal is not Black
Watching television news is a unique experience in the Black community because of how African Americans are portrayed. “The suspect is a Black male, X years of age, seen wearing…”, If I had a dime for every time I’ve heard of a Black suspect, I’d be rich. If every other Black person could do so as well, we wouldn’t even think of reparations. LOL

 I loved when Michael Moore’s “Bowling for Columbine” broke down how the coverage of Black criminals is disproportionate to actual crime. This coverage perpetuates the stereotype that Blacks are criminals and breeds a fear of Black men as a threat to public safety. That fear contributes to the number of Black men in jail and dehumanizes them.

all in all, stuff white people like may be jump starting a trend among liberal whites (and others who care about race) to take another look at themselves and the ways we perceive race.

if done well and without malice, there is hope for this site. however, the way satire about race is interpreted is hard to control and that troubles me and so i chose not to link to it. if you have an open mind and understand these jokes, go find it. if not, you'll prolly be offended.

and if you read through most of them, you will prolly notice a trend of things that the blogger claims that white people like: feeling guilty, wanting to be more culture-like, and being socially conscience. i find that really hilarious because it makes me think of white people who wish they weren't white and could do something to offset their whiteness.

one last point: the most dangerous thing about this blog is that is may create a mindset among whites who believe that their whiteness or their claiming of a race will consist of a set of behaviors and preferences. i don't want to see whites who think they can transcend race by simply abandoning these items outlined within the blog.

race isn't something you can take or abandon by will. those of color know already. your race is determined by not only yourself but those who are not in your racial group. your culture is living and evolves with you. you simply can't pick it up or put it down.