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Senior
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
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 Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 1:06 am Post subject: |
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| reactionary wrote: |
| Senior wrote: |
| reactionary wrote: |
| Because A) None of it describes me or anyone I know. I'm white. B) Plenty of what it's talking about would also apply to upper middle class liberal non-whites and C) Exactly what you said. What would the reaction be if I started a site playfully "poking fun" at a different culture other than white North Americans? Double standards. |
You missed what Fox was getting at. Harmlessly poking fun at a particular group should not be considered racist or discriminatory, or what ever. We should have equal opportunity discrimination. We do live in a society with the right to freedom of speech, after all. |
No, I clearly got what he said. And you're right. But that isn't the reality. Again, double standard. |
See my addendum.
That site describes much of "white" culture. In my opinion, at least. |
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Fox
Joined: 04 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 1:15 am Post subject: |
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| reactionary wrote: |
| Because A) None of it describes me or anyone I know. I'm white. |
Generalizations don't apply to every individual meant to be generalized about. Often not even a strong majority. No big deal.
| reactionary wrote: |
| B) Plenty of what it's talking about would also apply to upper middle class liberal non-whites |
That's true, but so what? "Stuff White -- and a Loose Coalition of Other Races Who Also Happen to be Represented in the Middle and Lower-Upper Classes -- People Like" would be a much harder theme to fit humorous observations into. In the end, this stuff is meant to amuse first and foremost.
| reactionary wrote: |
| and C) Exactly what you said. What would the reaction be if I started a site playfully "poking fun" at a different culture other than white North Americans? Double standards. |
It is a double standard. I just think that this fellow is on the right side of that double standard, and people who get upset about humor web sites are on the wrong side of it. I'm very for equal-opportunity mockery, and plenty of social groups do things worthy of being mocked. |
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reactionary
Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Location: korreia
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| Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 1:27 am Post subject: |
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| "What rich people like?" |
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banjois
Joined: 14 Nov 2009
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| Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 1:45 am Post subject: |
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"Stuff rich people like" isn't half as funny as "Stuff white people like." And it's tragic when comedy has to suffer for somebody's lack of a sense of humor. Gently poking fun isn't the same as inflammatory race baiting.
Incidentally, "Stuff Korean Moms Like" is one of the countless spin-offs from the original site.
Why can't we all just laugh at each other and get along? |
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Fox
Joined: 04 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 2:32 am Post subject: |
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| reactionary wrote: |
| "What rich people like?" |
These stereotypes apply to middle class people too, though, and as banjois says, it's just not as funny. I think it's best to just take it in the spirit it's meant in, understand it's not intended to hurt anyone's feelings, and have a few laughs. |
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PigeonFart
Joined: 27 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 9:11 am Post subject: |
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White people are geographically dispersed around the world.
I'd think of myself in regards to nationality before i'd ever think of being "white." It's meaningless. Russians, Germans, Swiss, Canadians, and Estonians are all quite different. |
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Globutron
Joined: 13 Feb 2010
Location: England/Anyang
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| Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 10:07 am Post subject: |
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... The first thing I really thought was the 'white' was not racial, and was more aimed at the 'white' personality. Such as fathers in the back garden with a bbq and a baseball.
It's simply giving things that people will relate to and chuckle about if they do. If not, then check the next item. It's a pretty standard comedy technique, picking up on what other's can relate to. |
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sesyeux
Joined: 20 Jul 2009
Location: king 'arrys
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| Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 1:43 pm Post subject: |
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| eh. not funny. it's like the 'dos and don'ts' section in vice without the fun |
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reactionary
Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Location: korreia
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| Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 3:47 pm Post subject: |
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| sesyeux wrote: |
| eh. not funny. it's like the 'dos and don'ts' section in vice without the fun |
That's the other sin of the site. It just plain isn't funny. |
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kabrams
Joined: 15 Mar 2008
Location: your Dad's house
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| Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 3:54 pm Post subject: |
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| reactionary wrote: |
That isn't the voice he writes in. I mean, if you actually read it. And not just say "hur hur, white people like funny tattoos"
"Thankfully, there is an enormous opportunity for personal gain. You see, whenever a white person takes a year off it opens up a valuable apartment, job opportunity or admissions slot. Consider it to be the most pretentious form of affirmative action."
Is that new opportunity for him - affirmative action for the hip, self denigrating white dude with an Asian Canadian friend? Or for the inflammatory character he has created? |
Actually, the voice he writes in is exactly what I said: a middle class white person making fun of things he and other middle/upper class white people do all the time. That's the entire joke. Self-aware humor, as it is.
There is an entire series written by various people of different races poking fun at different aspects of their or others cultural identity.
There's a "What Black People Like" blog in the same vein as "What White People Like". I am pretty sure it's written by a white person but a lot of the jokes are still funny and I don't find it offensive at all because it's humorous and meant to be a joke.
Don't get mad because you thought some "pretentious minorities" were getting a little too uppity for your tastes, lol.
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travel zen
Joined: 22 Feb 2005
Location: Good old Toronto, Canada
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| Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 4:13 pm Post subject: |
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I think many people think this type of humour "What Africans (not black people) think about white people" is ok because of the sad history of white people in Africa.
The 'OK factor' has more to do with politics than with anything else.
The idea of 'Poor backwards Africans? Not really' applies. |
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reactionary
Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Location: korreia
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| Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 4:37 pm Post subject: |
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| True enough, it's not even talking about white people, it's talking about Americans. If they included all whites like Scandinavians, it might be different. Pickled herring, now, there's something only white people like. Or black metal. |
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dharma bum
Joined: 15 Jun 2004
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| Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 5:00 pm Post subject: |
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i think the site has its funny moments and don't think it should be censored/flamed, but it does irk me for some of the reasons other posters have brought up. mainly, it's a bit narrow in its conception of "white people" and is just a bit too americocentric in general. i also dislike that it's probably perpetuating the juvenile practice of organizing people primarily by race.
at the same time, given that its cultural, i guess it's a good chance for some introspection on the part of the people who make up the pretentious-upper-middle-class-White-North-American construct and also good for a couple of cheap laughs. i wouldn't go so far to say that it is insightful comedy though. |
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detourne_me
Joined: 26 May 2006
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| Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 5:46 pm Post subject: |
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Well given this total derailing of the thread, I'd like to suggest another blog created by a friend of mine:
peoplewhodeserveit.com
Maybe I'll suggest-a-punch for the "Self-Righteous ESL Cafe'r"
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kabrams
Joined: 15 Mar 2008
Location: your Dad's house
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| Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 7:49 pm Post subject: |
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| reactionary wrote: |
| True enough, it's not even talking about white people, it's talking about Americans. If they included all whites like Scandinavians, it might be different. Pickled herring, now, there's something only white people like. Or black metal. |
This is a scientific approach to highlight and explain stuff white people like. They are pretty predictable. |
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