Stuff white people like: Take a look into the self-deprecating humor blog that brings stereotypes to the forefront

By: Kaitlin Ahern

Posted: 4/8/09

A little more than a year ago, Christian Lander was sitting at a desk job, chatting with his friend Miles on instant messenger. They were discussing the TV show "The Wire," when Miles commented that he didn't trust any white person who didn't watch the show. Lander and his friend went on to speculate what other things white people might be doing instead of watching the show and came up with a surprisingly long list of activities, including "yoga" and "getting divorced."

Lander was so entertained by the list that he decided to start a blog. He titled it "Stuff White People Like," and began posting entries with titles like "Coffee," "Gifted Children" and "Making You Feel Bad About Not Going Outside." He assumed the satirical site would circulate within his close group of friends for a few months, but a few more people caught on than expected.

Stuff White People Like now boasts more than 58 million hits as of April 7, 2009, and an average of about 600 comments per entry. Just a few months after his blog exploded into mainstream, Lander landed a book deal, and "Stuff White People Like: The Definitive Guide to the Unique Taste of Millions" was published on July 1, 2008.

"I thought it was kind of funny - some of it," said Adam Davidson, a sophomore finance major. "Some of it is very stereotypical. I think more stereotype than true."

Stuff White People Like has also inspired the creation of other satirical Web sites that make fun of stereotypes, such as Stuff Iranians Like, Stuff Journalists Like, Stuff Oprah Likes, Stuff Jewish People Like, Stuff Asian People Like and Stuff Nobody Likes among many other replicas.

The sites tend to be most popular among the given demographic and jokingly play off of well-known stereotypes. For the blog Stuff College Kids Like, items on the list include energy drinks, napping and themed parties - all things associated with the clichéd college lifestyle.

Of the 123 entries so far on Stuff White People Like, most have been inspired by Lander's personal list of favorites, including #40 Apple Products (he loves his MacBook), #61 Bicycles (he owns a bike rather than a car) and #71 Being the Only White Person Around (he grew up in the Chinatown section of Toronto).

Number 2 on the list is "Religions That Their Parents Don't Belong To," under which Lander wrote:

"White people will often say they are "spiritual" but not religious. Which usually means that they will believe any religion that doesn't involve Jesus . . . Mostly they are into religion that fits really well into their homes or wardrobe and doesn't require them to do very much."

When he needs inspiration, Lander said he usually looks in the mirror.

"I make fun of myself more than anybody else," said the author, who is 30 and lives in Los Angeles.

But some people don't agree with Lander's point of view. Lander said he gets at least one e-mail a week telling him his site is racist and should be taken down. One Canadian man even reported the blog to a hate crimes commission.

Lander said his work is not meant to be offensive because he is an "insider" making fun of himself and the social group he belongs to.

"A lot of people say all stereotypes, no matter who they're about, are inherently racist (or) any time you recognize difference is racist, which is completely wrong, and completely misguided," Lander said. "I think it's important to recognize that we have different experiences and there are differences between people. Not necessarily better, not worse, but there are differences, and to fail to recognize them is a huge flaw."

Katy Kelly, a master of library and information science graduate student, said her friend in Los Angeles made a video with the same theme. She thinks it's funny, but doesn't check in regularly.

"A lot of people think it's an easy way to get a laugh," she said. "I don't think it's making any sort of important social commentary."

Barbara Applebaum, an education professor at Syracuse University who teaches a course on critical whiteness studies, said Stuff White People Like has struck a chord in society because it points out many contradictions in white, liberal, upper middle class practices and habits.

"The old sense of white is the idea of community, of people fighting to keep everyone else out," said Lander. "The new white desperately wants to be diverse, but they have to be the right kind: well-educated minorities who are exactly the same as them, just a different skin color."

Bradley Gorham, an associate professor of public communications who teaches COM 346: Race, Gender and the Media, said he found the blog funny and entertaining.

Both Applebaum and Gorham said they see the blog as a way to make whiteness and white privilege more noticeable in our culture, especially to those who fall within the category.

"It's a clever and poignant critique of our mainstream society that is linked to race in a way that a lot of whites don't see," Gorham said. "The fact that this has caught on is a testament that we're more comfortable talking about these issues."