Today I visited the blog, Stuff White People Like. It offers a list of random things that, well, white people supposedly like. The tone is humorously informational, and the list includes things like sushi, dogs and recycling. It is completely general and even stereotypical, but this is readily understood (unlike the website, www.blackpeopleloveus.com, which appears to be satire, but lacks necessary humor).
I was cautious as I wasn’t immediately sure if SWPL would be amusing or offensive. After perusing the postings, I deemed it light and funny. I didn’t read every comment for every post, but I was able to gather that the visitors’ consensus mirrored my evaluation, regardless of race.
One visitor mentioned that if there was a similar site for black people, it would almost surely be considered racist. I have to agree. Even if the list for black people included stereotypes that weren’t necessarily offensive (chicken, gold fronts, pit bulls), black people are extremely sensitive when it comes to this brand of humor, especially if the author is not black.
Background information about SWPL’s author(s) is not provided. The ‘Contact Info’ blurb on the front page of the blog asks ”Do you know of stuff that white people like that we don’t?” so it is assumed he/she/they are not white. This anonymity comes across as an intriguing necessity for the blogger, but leads me to a certain conundrum: I don’t particularly mind not knowing the identity of the author(s) if don’t find the content offensive, but that changes when it is malicious or racist.
Writing a blog of this type obviously opens the doors for odious and racist comments. An anonymous blogger gave an offensive list of things blacks and other minorities are fond of (welfare, shooting heroin, gang warfare). The person ends the list with “don’t you dare call me racist!!!” If you have an opinion, however unpopular, why hide behind anonymity?
Too often in the online world, racists spew garbage but never have the gall to stand behind their views. And that works my nerves. But what appears to be cowardice for some is inexplicably acceptable to me in the instance of this blogger’s identity. Go figure.
It is my belief that jokes containing truisms about different cultures are okay, and that sometimes the black community can be a little too sensitive, albeit understandably. But there should always be an underlying thread of respect. There is chatter in the blogosphere about this very idea (see Understanding and Correcting Online Bigotry), and I think its well worth more exploration.
