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Whiter Shades of Pale: The Stuff White People Like, Coast to Coast, from Seattle's Sweaters to Maine's Microbrews
HOW WHITE YOU ARE!
If you thought you had white people pegged as Oscar-party-throwing, Prius-driving, Sunday New York Times –reading, self-satisfied latte lovers—you were right. But if you thought diversity was just for other races, then hang on to your eco-friendly tote bags. Veteran white person Christian Lander is back with fascinating new information and advice on dealing with the Caucasian population.
Sure, their indie-band T-shirts, trendy politics, vegan diets, and pop-culture references make them all seem the same. But a closer look reveals that from Austin to Australia, from L.A. to the U.K., indigenous white people are as different from one another as 1 percent rBGH-free milk is different from 2 percent. Where do skinny jeans and bulky sweaters rule? Where is down-market beer the nectar of the hip? If you want to know the places cute girls with bangs and cool guys with beards roam and emo musicians and unpaid interns call home, you’d better switch off the Adult Swim reruns, put down that copy of The Onion, pick up this book, and prepare to see the white.
If you thought you had white people pegged as Oscar-party-throwing, Prius-driving, Sunday New York Times –reading, self-satisfied latte lovers—you were right. But if you thought diversity was just for other races, then hang on to your eco-friendly tote bags. Veteran white person Christian Lander is back with fascinating new information and advice on dealing with the Caucasian population.
Sure, their indie-band T-shirts, trendy politics, vegan diets, and pop-culture references make them all seem the same. But a closer look reveals that from Austin to Australia, from L.A. to the U.K., indigenous white people are as different from one another as 1 percent rBGH-free milk is different from 2 percent. Where do skinny jeans and bulky sweaters rule? Where is down-market beer the nectar of the hip? If you want to know the places cute girls with bangs and cool guys with beards roam and emo musicians and unpaid interns call home, you’d better switch off the Adult Swim reruns, put down that copy of The Onion, pick up this book, and prepare to see the white.
232 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
25 people are currently reading
611 people want to read
About the author
Christian Lander
7 books54 followersChristian Lander is the creator of the website Stuff White People Like. He is a Ph.D. dropout who was the 2006 public speaking instructor of the year at Indiana University. He has lived in Toronto, Montreal, Copenhagen, Tucson, Indiana, and now Los Angeles, where he lives with his wife, Jess, a photographer who contributed many of the photos in the book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
January 2, 2011
Multiple choice:
1. After dinner conversation topics for upper-middle-class strivers once the help is safely out of earshot.
2. Bullshit masquerading as self-awareness because it's so much easier to face than the real underlying social anxiety about race and class that has been building for a couple of decades now.
3. The emperor's new irony.
Would it violate the rules of this mental game of hipster doofus dodgeball to start with the implied obverse that Non-white people don't like X and riff on that for a few paragraphs? Or would that knock the self-referential, self-absorbed, self-assured snake's tail out of its mouth?
Jot this down in your Moleskine: It's impossible to prove a negative, no matter how cutesy and self-deprecating it might be. Put your faith in self-loathing. It feels so much more -- I don't know -- authentic.
Just kidding! I know how lame we white people are. Except for the wrong kind of white people. They are just scary. Especially the ones with a C and Z next to each other in their last name. Or a W and a J in their last name, not necessarily next to each other. Frankly they scare the hell out of me. They bowl and cough a lot too. And the rich ones who own companies and put the Republicans back in power. Again scary. In a more remote way, but still scary. Oh, but the lame ones: Definitely lame. Well, some of the old ones are okay that don't talk too much. And while I'm at it I'm going to give the ones with cancer a pass. I think that's only fair. But man oh man I believe I can state without fear of contradiction that the lame ones are lame.
Hey, I dare you to buy this book for a white person who is running out of unemployment benefits. That would be awesome sauce! Do it! Especially if he supports the Tea Party. Ha ha! Dude, it will be epic!
Just curious, does anyone else remember that old Richard Pryor routine about why hip white people annoy him?
1. After dinner conversation topics for upper-middle-class strivers once the help is safely out of earshot.
2. Bullshit masquerading as self-awareness because it's so much easier to face than the real underlying social anxiety about race and class that has been building for a couple of decades now.
3. The emperor's new irony.
Would it violate the rules of this mental game of hipster doofus dodgeball to start with the implied obverse that Non-white people don't like X and riff on that for a few paragraphs? Or would that knock the self-referential, self-absorbed, self-assured snake's tail out of its mouth?
Jot this down in your Moleskine: It's impossible to prove a negative, no matter how cutesy and self-deprecating it might be. Put your faith in self-loathing. It feels so much more -- I don't know -- authentic.
Just kidding! I know how lame we white people are. Except for the wrong kind of white people. They are just scary. Especially the ones with a C and Z next to each other in their last name. Or a W and a J in their last name, not necessarily next to each other. Frankly they scare the hell out of me. They bowl and cough a lot too. And the rich ones who own companies and put the Republicans back in power. Again scary. In a more remote way, but still scary. Oh, but the lame ones: Definitely lame. Well, some of the old ones are okay that don't talk too much. And while I'm at it I'm going to give the ones with cancer a pass. I think that's only fair. But man oh man I believe I can state without fear of contradiction that the lame ones are lame.
Hey, I dare you to buy this book for a white person who is running out of unemployment benefits. That would be awesome sauce! Do it! Especially if he supports the Tea Party. Ha ha! Dude, it will be epic!
Just curious, does anyone else remember that old Richard Pryor routine about why hip white people annoy him?
December 4, 2011
These books are hilarious and really, the most hilarious thing about them is that white people think they are hilarious. Why is that?
I mean, it's all true. But why doesn't that mean that white people DON'T find it funny?????!
Read this morning:
So true! I took a couple of white men to a Fritz the Cat movie in Sydney ages ago now. It was held in a cinema in Glebe which was in the process of being condemned. Indeed, we all had to sit in the balcony level, I believe because it had been decided, all things considered, that it was better to fall than be fallen upon. Frankly, I thought the chances of falling were pretty good: any time anybody did something as vigorous as cross their leg, the entire balcony structure shook.
And, on the subject of bread:
Following on from that, one of the things I find odd about white people is that although they do their very best to make sure people in refugee camps get more rice and water, they themselves think that they, white people, and their dogs should have the very very best modern scientific diet letting them live the very best life for longest. That would be hilarious, but somehow...
I don't know. I guess Christian Lander makes it funny somewhere.
I mean, it's all true. But why doesn't that mean that white people DON'T find it funny?????!
Read this morning:
To fully understand why white poeple love [Adult Swim] so much you have to understand the world of 'under-ground animation,' which is something that has been beloved by white people since Fritz the Cat. The more hard-core white people (single white men) will often take their passion for this type of animation so far as to attend an 'Alternative Animation Festival,' often held at movie theatres you thought were long abandoned.
So true! I took a couple of white men to a Fritz the Cat movie in Sydney ages ago now. It was held in a cinema in Glebe which was in the process of being condemned. Indeed, we all had to sit in the balcony level, I believe because it had been decided, all things considered, that it was better to fall than be fallen upon. Frankly, I thought the chances of falling were pretty good: any time anybody did something as vigorous as cross their leg, the entire balcony structure shook.
And, on the subject of bread:
It would be nice to believe that a white person has a choice in bread or cereal, but in reality they don't.
When a white person is asked 'Whole wheat or white?' they are legally prohibited from saying 'white.' Watch them at any sandwich shop or restaurant where they are given a choice. It is so ingrained in their heads they when presented with a list of options they will not let the waiter continue after he has said the words whole wheat.....
Though they strongly prefer whole wheat bread, white people will eat white bread when there are no other options. And they will generally enjoy it, making the best of a bad situation.
When this happens you might be tempted to tell white people that being forced to choose white due to a lack of options sounds like your collegiate dating career. It is recommended that you avoid this, as white people might find this offensive. Not because you were forced to date white people, but because it will remind them that they are going to have to get their fibre from something else.
Following on from that, one of the things I find odd about white people is that although they do their very best to make sure people in refugee camps get more rice and water, they themselves think that they, white people, and their dogs should have the very very best modern scientific diet letting them live the very best life for longest. That would be hilarious, but somehow...
I don't know. I guess Christian Lander makes it funny somewhere.
November 5, 2010
Stuff White People Like was one of the first big blog-to-book phenomenons, and two years later, Whiter Shades of Pale is no less hilarious. This time the focus is more on the geography of whiteness, mainly with 24 dead-on line drawings that depict the prototypical white person from each city/region with callouts of the accessories and icons that make them so...Caucasian (Seattle guy drinking coffee: "NOT Starbucks. This is some next generation coffee that you can’t even begin to understand right now.") The entries, most of which have never been published on the blog before, are equal parts accurate and indulgently mocking. Anthony Bourdain, British slang, products made by people named Tom, promising to learn a new language, not vaccinating children, Christopher Guest movies, and of course, ugly sweater parties. Just to name a few.
February 8, 2021
Hilarious, honest, and easy to read.
Merged review:
Funny, smart, and still relevant in 2021.
I got this book around 2013 at a book sale at my school. As a young high schooler, it was a gem. I shared it with my friends, especially my white friends, who could all agree: Christian Lander really knows his white people.
90% of the book references things that still hold true today, while a few other references are a relic of its time like American Apparel, Toms, and Ed Hardy (all fun to remember). I find myself picking it up every once in a while for a laugh. I hope Lander releases more books in the future. Get a copy today!
Merged review:
Funny, smart, and still relevant in 2021.
I got this book around 2013 at a book sale at my school. As a young high schooler, it was a gem. I shared it with my friends, especially my white friends, who could all agree: Christian Lander really knows his white people.
90% of the book references things that still hold true today, while a few other references are a relic of its time like American Apparel, Toms, and Ed Hardy (all fun to remember). I find myself picking it up every once in a while for a laugh. I hope Lander releases more books in the future. Get a copy today!
November 23, 2010
Disclaimer: I read this book as part of the Goodreads first reads program.
This is one of those funny because it's true things. I recognized all but five of the attributes in myself or my friends. Be prepared to laugh at yourself...if you have no sense of humor about yourself or the ability to be self-deprecating then you might want to skip this read.
It's a pretty quick read in general, but if you just want a quick overview check out the drawings/descriptions because they are hilarious and spot on.
This is one of those funny because it's true things. I recognized all but five of the attributes in myself or my friends. Be prepared to laugh at yourself...if you have no sense of humor about yourself or the ability to be self-deprecating then you might want to skip this read.
It's a pretty quick read in general, but if you just want a quick overview check out the drawings/descriptions because they are hilarious and spot on.
July 26, 2018
This was hilarious. A perfect way of insulting "white" people without being totally rude.
January 26, 2011
“Whiter Shades of Pale” continues the internet legacy of featuring all of the kooky and nutty things “white” Americans (and Canadians) enjoy. The blog writers select something trending or vaguely alt for city dwellers, like Trader Joe’s, and then writes a 500-word paragraph describing it. Unfortunately, they are really just describing it. Like, they’ll say, “Trader Joe’s is a grocery store that sells inexpensive wine to environmentally-conscious shoppers who bring their own bags.” HA HA HA HA HA HA.
The clever sharpness of the blog is really limited to their selections. Like Ray-Bans, hummus, American Apparel, “Where the Wild Things Are”, and Ikea. Initially, you read that list and are like “oh yeah, haha, everyone LOVES that stuff”. But the wit dies there. And it especially dies when you realize that these are just popular trends of the 2000s, and have nothing to do with white people. Or worse, these selections are specific to city dwelling, American/Canadians that are perhaps “liberal” and middle class. White is blown out the window even further when you realize that heck, these are just a bunch of trends. And I didn’t laugh.
A perfect title would have been “Several Kinds of American (and Canadian) Trends”. But it wouldn’t have had the embarrassing racial connotations, and you wouldn’t feel as clever reading their chapters on Frisbee sports and whole wheat. If the critique had been biting and even meaner, it might have been funny. But to stay in good graces with anyone white reading the book, the segments are lame and thankfully very short.
This book is sentenced to death for not being funny.
-EZ Read Staffer Jenifer
The clever sharpness of the blog is really limited to their selections. Like Ray-Bans, hummus, American Apparel, “Where the Wild Things Are”, and Ikea. Initially, you read that list and are like “oh yeah, haha, everyone LOVES that stuff”. But the wit dies there. And it especially dies when you realize that these are just popular trends of the 2000s, and have nothing to do with white people. Or worse, these selections are specific to city dwelling, American/Canadians that are perhaps “liberal” and middle class. White is blown out the window even further when you realize that heck, these are just a bunch of trends. And I didn’t laugh.
A perfect title would have been “Several Kinds of American (and Canadian) Trends”. But it wouldn’t have had the embarrassing racial connotations, and you wouldn’t feel as clever reading their chapters on Frisbee sports and whole wheat. If the critique had been biting and even meaner, it might have been funny. But to stay in good graces with anyone white reading the book, the segments are lame and thankfully very short.
This book is sentenced to death for not being funny.
-EZ Read Staffer Jenifer
January 3, 2019
It's a funny and irreverent take on the Caucasian race across the world with special love for those in the US. Having only peripherally known many people from the group over the years, I am not sure how accurate these ribs are and I am not sure if I want to use these portrayals as a reference point. Liked it as a light weight read.
August 11, 2013
Less funny than the first one.
I didn't really like the concept of exploring each regions.
If you've read the first one "stuff white people like" don't bother reading this one : what was hilarious at first become repetitive and not so original.
I didn't really like the concept of exploring each regions.
If you've read the first one "stuff white people like" don't bother reading this one : what was hilarious at first become repetitive and not so original.
August 25, 2011
some laughs... not really that funny though... geared pretty much towards a young urban liberal dwellers.
May 30, 2020
A must read book for White Snowflakes to look back nostalgically at a world that will no longer exist because of the Covid -19 pandemic, which the non-White Chinese think has mutated into the White Virus. Christian Lander is among the first to regard the so called White Race as figure rather than ground and has held a kind and gentle but revealing mirror to the "right kind of white people" to see themselves as they were. Should be read in tandem with Nancy Isenberg's White Trash and David Brooks, Bobos in Paradise, which never got the attention it deserved.
August 29, 2021
I didn't read the first one, which I hear is better, and I really couldn't get through this one. I chuckled once or twice but mostly ended up skimming. Perhaps this just isn't my sense of humor! I thought the observations were clever and many were funny, but then the actual writing was supremely uninteresting.
October 29, 2025
Hilarious, light read about the preferences of all white people - from North America to Canada to Europe to Australia...
It's a book full of information about white culture from their love for internships, cardigans and losing weight!
You will like this book if you like reading about different cultures,
Also fits into easy to read books, something you can read when you have a few minutes..
It's a book full of information about white culture from their love for internships, cardigans and losing weight!
You will like this book if you like reading about different cultures,
Also fits into easy to read books, something you can read when you have a few minutes..
November 2, 2018
I felt so seen and it was embarassing and incredibly funny.
October 15, 2019
Should be renamed to Stuff Hipsters Like.
February 20, 2020
3.5 stars
February 24, 2020
Amusing up to a point but the joke wears pretty thin after a while
Read
October 4, 2020An amusing, and sometimes convicting, portrayal of modern white people and their habits.
November 11, 2020
Not for everyone...I haven't laughed this hard in years
August 21, 2021
Not as good as the first book but still pretty funny!
December 1, 2021
I agree 100% that Anthropologie is a white brand.
June 17, 2023
Particularly helpful for those of us who have to out-white white people in order to survive and thrive.
January 7, 2026
Remains alarmingly accurate 15+ years after 2010 publication.
March 20, 2012
How I Came To Read This Book: The boyfriend owned the original [BOOK: Stuff White People Like] and finally got around to reading it, which inspired me to pick up the second one from the library.
The Plot: Technically speaking, this book is the same concept as the first one - short, non-fiction humorous essays on 'white culture' and how you, presumably as a non-white reader, can befriend a white person or identify with 'white' interests / hobbies / preferences, etc. Think of it as a tongue-in-cheek anthropology manual to identifying with the 'right kind' of white people (aka hipsters). The twist this time around is the book is supposedly geographically influenced by Christian Lander's cross-country book tour. The only *true* way geography shows up though, is in the various graphics that pop up through the book detailing the wardrobe, strengths, weaknesses, and secret shames of various regional groups of white people (including Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal, to name a few). You could argue that some of the essays are tied into each regional snapshot (ex: IKEA after a brief look at 'Europeans' as a society), but generally speaking it's just an amalgamation of the two areas: 90+ essays and about a dozen regional profiles.
The Good & The Bad: The book's main weakness, really, is the fact the concept of it is pretty gimmicky and never fully realized within the book's pages. While I get why the marketers out there would want to distinguish this from the first book, the idea of regional white people favourites is lost, aside from the little graphic characters that break up the essays (which are a welcome, funny addition). The actual essays themselves are as generically beloved by white people as the full scope of items covered in the first book.
I also laughed a lot less with this one. I agreed with 96% of the observations, and snickered at a few, but I think two books and nearly 200 things into it, there's only so far this concept can be pushed. I imagine Lander came to the same realization, as he stopped posting original content on his blog years ago. I wish he could continue his blog and provide new, exciting content in the book as well (similar to what The Oatmeal has successful done) but c'est la vie.
This is still a very fun, on-the-nose book that is so incredibly meta / post-modern (both things white people like) in terms of the fact it's hipster humour that criticizes hipsters. I guarantee - and Lander is wise to avoid this - that the vast majority of the book's buying population is white. Anyone that takes it seriously as a manual to understanding white people…well they're probably just the wrong kind of people, in white people terms.
Also before anyone gets 'offended' (something white people apparently love to do), you should fully comprehend this book really isn't about just white people. It's about a certain type of person, typically upper-middle class, liberal-minded yuppies. Many people who aren't 'white' by definition would dig this stuff, and many assumptions that 'black' or 'Asian' people would like this stuff are based on the same stereotypes that fuel this book. But if you're dwelling on those kind of details, this is not the book for you. It's just a silly blog-turned-book written by a tongue-in-cheek hipster.
The Bottom Line: Funny, but wearing thin.
Anything Memorable?: I wish they had a white index in the back again. I feel like my score is possibly higher in this book than in the last one…although some of the things felt like retreads as Lander frequently highlights "This specific object is loved by white people because you already know they like to do this, this and this"
60-Book Challenge?: Book #14 in 2012.
The Plot: Technically speaking, this book is the same concept as the first one - short, non-fiction humorous essays on 'white culture' and how you, presumably as a non-white reader, can befriend a white person or identify with 'white' interests / hobbies / preferences, etc. Think of it as a tongue-in-cheek anthropology manual to identifying with the 'right kind' of white people (aka hipsters). The twist this time around is the book is supposedly geographically influenced by Christian Lander's cross-country book tour. The only *true* way geography shows up though, is in the various graphics that pop up through the book detailing the wardrobe, strengths, weaknesses, and secret shames of various regional groups of white people (including Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal, to name a few). You could argue that some of the essays are tied into each regional snapshot (ex: IKEA after a brief look at 'Europeans' as a society), but generally speaking it's just an amalgamation of the two areas: 90+ essays and about a dozen regional profiles.
The Good & The Bad: The book's main weakness, really, is the fact the concept of it is pretty gimmicky and never fully realized within the book's pages. While I get why the marketers out there would want to distinguish this from the first book, the idea of regional white people favourites is lost, aside from the little graphic characters that break up the essays (which are a welcome, funny addition). The actual essays themselves are as generically beloved by white people as the full scope of items covered in the first book.
I also laughed a lot less with this one. I agreed with 96% of the observations, and snickered at a few, but I think two books and nearly 200 things into it, there's only so far this concept can be pushed. I imagine Lander came to the same realization, as he stopped posting original content on his blog years ago. I wish he could continue his blog and provide new, exciting content in the book as well (similar to what The Oatmeal has successful done) but c'est la vie.
This is still a very fun, on-the-nose book that is so incredibly meta / post-modern (both things white people like) in terms of the fact it's hipster humour that criticizes hipsters. I guarantee - and Lander is wise to avoid this - that the vast majority of the book's buying population is white. Anyone that takes it seriously as a manual to understanding white people…well they're probably just the wrong kind of people, in white people terms.
Also before anyone gets 'offended' (something white people apparently love to do), you should fully comprehend this book really isn't about just white people. It's about a certain type of person, typically upper-middle class, liberal-minded yuppies. Many people who aren't 'white' by definition would dig this stuff, and many assumptions that 'black' or 'Asian' people would like this stuff are based on the same stereotypes that fuel this book. But if you're dwelling on those kind of details, this is not the book for you. It's just a silly blog-turned-book written by a tongue-in-cheek hipster.
The Bottom Line: Funny, but wearing thin.
Anything Memorable?: I wish they had a white index in the back again. I feel like my score is possibly higher in this book than in the last one…although some of the things felt like retreads as Lander frequently highlights "This specific object is loved by white people because you already know they like to do this, this and this"
60-Book Challenge?: Book #14 in 2012.
December 28, 2010
As with any good sendup, this book and author harbor a not-so-secret affinity for the subject of its spite/barbs.
I laughed a couple times, probably; I chuckled a few times; and I smiled a lot. I was never offended (well, duh).
A good format in starting chapters with drawings of (white) people from various cities in the U.S. and Canada, spotlighting key attire and possessions that those folks prefer. Right on in a lot of cases. What to say? People are predictable. A lot of stereotypes are flat-out true.
Some great illustrations and boxes too: Ideal TV Lineup for White People, Acceptable Reasons for a White Breakup (AOL/Hotmail email addy, finding Da Vinco Code on the shelf or Dave Matthews in CD collection), Stuff White People Think *You* Like (for African Americans, Latinos, et al), Perfect White Party Games, and a diagram of How to Win an Argument with a White Person
*ENTRIES THAT I FOUND SPOT ON OR THAT CRACKED ME UP: Conan O'Brien, Duke Basketball, Flea Markets, Sea Salt, Ugly Sweater Parties, Monty Python, Improv, Anthropologie, Trader Joe's, Roller Derby, Black Music That Black People Don't Listen To Anymore, Where The Wild Things Are, Expensive Versions of Cheap Food, Punctuality, Taking A Year Off, The Office (UK/US), Being Offended (but not for themselves), Portland Oregon, IKEA
*ITEMS THAT PINNED *ME* TO THE WALL: Unpaid Internships, Complaining About the Death of Print Media, British Slang, Messenger Bags, Promising to Learn a New Language, Berry Picking (in childhood), Self-Aware Hip-Hop References, Trivia, Whole Wheat, Short Stories, Alternative Newspapers, TOMS Shoes, Mad Men, Hating People Who Wear Ed Hardy, Facebook, The Winter Olympics
*WHAT I JUST DIDN'T/DON'T GET (YET?): Anthony Bourdain, Camping, Halloween, Frisbee Sports, Christopher Guest Movies, Not Vaccinating Children, Bob Marley, American Apparel, Huffington Post, Hummus, Olives, The Big Lebowski, Growing Their Own Food, Banksy, Whole Foods
And that is that. Hardly hugely important stuff, but stuff white folk like, nonetheless. Almost always amusing or funny, observant, sometimes quite insightful, and written in a deadpan or quietly sarcastic way that I appreciate.
Of course you don't ask too much of reads like these.
I laughed a couple times, probably; I chuckled a few times; and I smiled a lot. I was never offended (well, duh).
A good format in starting chapters with drawings of (white) people from various cities in the U.S. and Canada, spotlighting key attire and possessions that those folks prefer. Right on in a lot of cases. What to say? People are predictable. A lot of stereotypes are flat-out true.
Some great illustrations and boxes too: Ideal TV Lineup for White People, Acceptable Reasons for a White Breakup (AOL/Hotmail email addy, finding Da Vinco Code on the shelf or Dave Matthews in CD collection), Stuff White People Think *You* Like (for African Americans, Latinos, et al), Perfect White Party Games, and a diagram of How to Win an Argument with a White Person
*ENTRIES THAT I FOUND SPOT ON OR THAT CRACKED ME UP: Conan O'Brien, Duke Basketball, Flea Markets, Sea Salt, Ugly Sweater Parties, Monty Python, Improv, Anthropologie, Trader Joe's, Roller Derby, Black Music That Black People Don't Listen To Anymore, Where The Wild Things Are, Expensive Versions of Cheap Food, Punctuality, Taking A Year Off, The Office (UK/US), Being Offended (but not for themselves), Portland Oregon, IKEA
*ITEMS THAT PINNED *ME* TO THE WALL: Unpaid Internships, Complaining About the Death of Print Media, British Slang, Messenger Bags, Promising to Learn a New Language, Berry Picking (in childhood), Self-Aware Hip-Hop References, Trivia, Whole Wheat, Short Stories, Alternative Newspapers, TOMS Shoes, Mad Men, Hating People Who Wear Ed Hardy, Facebook, The Winter Olympics
*WHAT I JUST DIDN'T/DON'T GET (YET?): Anthony Bourdain, Camping, Halloween, Frisbee Sports, Christopher Guest Movies, Not Vaccinating Children, Bob Marley, American Apparel, Huffington Post, Hummus, Olives, The Big Lebowski, Growing Their Own Food, Banksy, Whole Foods
And that is that. Hardly hugely important stuff, but stuff white folk like, nonetheless. Almost always amusing or funny, observant, sometimes quite insightful, and written in a deadpan or quietly sarcastic way that I appreciate.
Of course you don't ask too much of reads like these.
January 20, 2011
It's funny 'cause it's true.
"Under no circumstances, should you imply that white people purchased their sunglasses because of celebrities that are not dead or because they saw them on other white people they think are cool. This will make them very upset as white people need to believe that they cannot be persuaded to buy anything. Saying something like “man, it’s pretty amazing how 65 people at this outdoor concert all decided to get their sunglasses at exactly the same time,” should only be directed at a white person who is not wearing Wayfarers. This will make them feel better about not fitting in, but it will also make them self conscious about their plan to buy a pair."
"Often it can be easier to find common ground with a white person by talking to them about something you both hate. Discussing things you both like might lead to an argument over who likes it more or who liked it first. Clearly, the safest route is mutual hatred."
"Much like virtually everything else that white people like, these notebooks are considerably more expensive yet provide no additional functionality over regular notebooks that cost a dollar. Thankfully, since white people only keep their most original and creative ideas in the Moleskine, many of them will only be required to purchase one per lifetime."
"Under no circumstances, should you imply that white people purchased their sunglasses because of celebrities that are not dead or because they saw them on other white people they think are cool. This will make them very upset as white people need to believe that they cannot be persuaded to buy anything. Saying something like “man, it’s pretty amazing how 65 people at this outdoor concert all decided to get their sunglasses at exactly the same time,” should only be directed at a white person who is not wearing Wayfarers. This will make them feel better about not fitting in, but it will also make them self conscious about their plan to buy a pair."
"Often it can be easier to find common ground with a white person by talking to them about something you both hate. Discussing things you both like might lead to an argument over who likes it more or who liked it first. Clearly, the safest route is mutual hatred."
"Much like virtually everything else that white people like, these notebooks are considerably more expensive yet provide no additional functionality over regular notebooks that cost a dollar. Thankfully, since white people only keep their most original and creative ideas in the Moleskine, many of them will only be required to purchase one per lifetime."
October 29, 2012
More of the same, this time with the added bonus of stereotypically drawn vignettes of various "white" cities in the US and Canada; looking at it through the lens of Colin Woodard's book American Nations, is interesting, though. Using his concept of the eleven rival regions of North America paints Lander's ideas in a new light; more than half (12) of the 21 specific North American cities profiled are found in just three "nations," Yankeedom (i.e., Boston, Minneapolis), New Amsterdam (Brooklyn), and the Left Coast (i.e., Portland, Vancouver), all part of the Northern Alliance. The nations of the Dixie Bloc can boast only four (Atlanta, Asheville, Austin, and Boulder) , while cities in the other nonaligned nations; the Midlands, El Norte, New France, and Native America) have just five combined (i.e., Toronto, Los Angeles, Montreal). I am not sure what this signifies, I just found it a thought-provoking comparison, I guess.
May 6, 2011
Those familiar with the first book might think that Christian Lander simply hammered out some new entries, updated a few old ones, and added some illustrations to his blog-turned-book "Stuff White People Like," so he could get a second payday. Well...you'd be right. But the good news is, the material is just as biting and hilarious. Anyone reading this book is likely to cringe and identify with one or 57 entries. The true question is whether we "white people," i.e., yuppies are able to laugh at ourselves. If not, there will be plenty of people, white and otherwise, lining up to laugh at us. There's more than enough new content here to keep you entertained, be it on the plane, the pot, or wherever. So congrats, Mr. Lander, you deserve that (second) fat check.
December 1, 2010
I really enjoyed reading this book. In fact, I breezed through it in a few days. I liked the way the chapters were arranged according to locale and covered most of the regional "Caucasian population". The author was concise and clear in his hilarious descriptions of "white people". Anybody reading this book will recognize themselves or somebody they know. It was entertaining and funny and it made me laugh. The author managed to make fun of "white people" all across the US and more in a very amusing way. I also really liked the line art devoted to individual city populations. This is a book I will go back to when I need a laugh.
March 26, 2011
This book is funny and similar to the website, but there is not enough new information to justify more than picking it up from the library for a skim. It talks about all of the White People Places and intersperses them with reruns from the website. It does not hide that it is doing this and most of the old material directly relates to the place (i.e. a place where fixed gear bikes are a must includes the fixed gear bike post from the website). White people places include everywhere in the US you would expect -- NYC, DC, Boulder, San Fran, Seattle, Portland, Asheville, and the generic "college town" along with foreign white people places like Toronto, Vancouver, the UK, etc.
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