disturbing the comfortable

[sophiaserpentia]

Stuff White People Like

Oh, this new blog ruffles the feathers in all kinds of ways. It's brilliant. The comments on each post are proof that it's working. Yes, the criticism that this really mainly applies to yuppies is true, but since they are dominating a lot of the urban cultural dialogue it's still funny and informative to observe the squirming.

Recycling is a part of a larger theme of stuff white people like: saving the earth without having to do that much.

Recycling is fantastic! You can still buy all the stuff you like (bottled water, beer, wine, organic iced tea, and cans of all varieties) and then when you’re done you just put it in a DIFFERENT bin than where you would throw your other garbage. And boom! Environment saved! Everyone feels great, it’s so easy!

... If you are in a situation where a white person produces an empty bottle, watch their actions. They will first say “where’s the recycling?” If you say “we don’t recycle,” prepare for some awkwardness. They will make a move to throw the bottle away, they will hesitate, and then ultimately throw the bottle away. But after they return look in their eyes. All they can see is the bottle lasting forever in a landfill, trapping small animals. It will eat at them for days.

Comments

[dorisp.livejournal.com]

Reading that makes me feel bad about myself! :(

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

Don't feel bad. The real purpose of this blog is, as i see it, to show white people, who otherwise would never really see what it feels like, what it is like to be racially stereotyped. And yeah, it sucks and there is a very not-pleasant vibe about this blog. But anyone who reads it and sees themselves in half of this, and doesn't see a reflection in the other half, can take away this insight.

[lightvortex.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's the way I felt about it (I spent way too much time reading that site!) Some of the stereotypes apply to me but not others. I guess that would be true for most white people. It'll be good to keep it in mind if I go and start stereotyping blacks/Hispanics/Asian or any other group.

And I loved the long treatise (comment 46) about how the blog author must be Asian because it fits in with Asian stereotypes but not black or Hispanic ones.