Posted on 11/16/2010 11:43:32 AM PST by La Lydia
...Christian Lander’s low-key but excellent “Whiter Shades of Pale” is a sequel to his first book, “Stuff White People Like” (2008)...Lander’s books are about that demographic slice of educated (or self-cultivated) people who are drawn to places where the good cheese stores, coffee bars, bookshops, art movie houses and indie bands are — places where, as importantly, there are plenty of other people pretty much like themselves. Needless to say, this bunch is easily satirized, and few people alive are as deft at this as is Lander...The conceit of Lander’s books is that he’s explaining, like some cross-cultural docent, the absurd cultural tastes of white people — in his universe they’re as skittish and insecure as they are hypocritical and self-satisfied — to baffled nonwhites. The white people under Lander’s microscope are emphatically not those who enjoy Nascar, Sarah Palin, bratwursts, deer hunting...in any way except ironically...
“Stuff White People Like” contained mini-disquisitions on things like “Wes Anderson movies,” “hardwood floors,” “making you feel bad for not going outside,” “acoustic covers,” “carbon offsets,” “public radio,” “hating their parents,” “not having a TV” and “knowing what’s best for poor people.” ...
In “Whiter Shades of Pale,” Lander’s targets are more far-flung...He takes note of the industries, in addition to classical music, that survive solely on white guilt: “Penguin Classics, the S.P.C.A., free-range chicken farms, and the entire rubber bracelet market.” About the chef Anthony Bourdain’s TV show — during which Bourdain eats arcane dishes and complains about tourists — the author writes, “There hasn’t been a show this reaffirming to white people since ‘Seinfeld.’ ”
He explains sea salt’s current vogue: “When white people think about regular salt, all they can think about is sodium and poor health. When they think about sea salt they think about France..."
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
What he is talking about, of course, are clueless liberals.
They’re not really a fair representation of white people.
Hey, I use sea salt!
I think it’s hilarious also, but try writing a book like this about blacks.
So do I. But not because I think of ‘France?’. It just tastes better to me.
Hey! What’s wrong with Seinfeld!?
Anthropologically interesting; first inclination is not to bother them if they aren’t hurting anyone. Then, again, do they vote?
good cheese stores, coffee bars, bookshops, art movie houses and indie bands”
Well.
I like all these things.
Problem is, I also love Wal-Mart, Target, guns and pick ups, and “low churches”. At the end of the day, I prefer to “live” in this latter category, though I like to visit the former. (I just wish the former category would never, ever ever vote!).
You ever go into a Black persons home and the first thing that meets your eye as you enter is a picture of a white hippie looking, blond hair and blue eyed Jesus!? The one that really get’s me is the picture with the ”sacred heart” on the outside of his chest. In previous times, I would ask the host (usually a family member): “who is the white hippie dude in the photo? Is he family!?” They would look at the photo and I could tell that the wheels in their mind would start to turn… then they would look at me long and hard, like they couldn’t believe I wasn’t struck dead (and probably silently praying that I would be), then and there by lightening! ...
Drinks with lots of sugar...Chicken...Getting in free at events...
....fat trashy looking white women or pasty, sweaty looking old white men. I have never understood the attraction of fine looking brothers to fat trashy looking white women or fine looking sisters to pasty sweaty looking old white men. It really must be love… which begs the question: “why can’t they find that love with each other!?”
Malcolm X said it was the appeal of the skin. Just seeing that “forbidden” white skin in the low lights was a big turn on apparently. Now as the stigma of “forbidden” has faded, so too has much of the appeal.
“It used to be a fine black man would *%$# a refrigerator.... if it was white.” Lisa Lampanelli
I love this entry:
"When white people harvests a crop it’s known as “berry picking” or “pick your own fruit.” Under these conditions, white people are expected to work leisurely with no real expectations and then they pay for the privilege to do so. In other words, berry picking is the agricultural equivalent to a private liberal arts college. It’s no surprise white people like it, because much like a liberal arts degree it feels like you’ve done real work when you really haven’t."
“Ugly sweater party!”
His website is hysterical, very astute and accurate. He really skewers urban and suburban yuppie types. I’d love to know if he’s white or not.
There is a picture of him at this Times article, and yes, he’s very white.
Definitely hilarious, but he lumps together *all* white people with coastal liberals.
Still, funny stuff.
I like cheese :-)
*I think it’s hilarious also, but try writing a book like this about blacks.*
Unnecessary. There’s an entire cable network and several nationwide magazines already dedicated to this topic.
The website also mentions Being In Love With Sarah Silverman, which I heartily endorse. She’s high on my official list of “Jewish Chicks I love.”
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