Friday, January 30, 2009

Stuff White People Like

I found a wonderful blog the other day called “Stuff White People Like” and I laughed when I read the list. Oh, goodness, yes. White people are earnest, yes we are. We are terribly, terribly earnest. I think it may be a hangover from the hippie days, when everyone was earnest about everything. One of the expressions in the 1970s was “What’s your bag?” which basically meant, “What’s your thing?” What are you fanatical about? Everybody had something. Vancouver was full of people with a “cause”. They usually smoked a lot of dope and drove Volkswagen buses. Greenpeace was founded in Vancouver by a couple of hippies named Bob Hunter and Patrick Moore, together with some of their friends. Very earnest, indeed. The Rainbow Warrior was officially the first hippie boat. She was sunk in New Zealand in 1985 by the French Intelligence Service.

So as I scrolled down this list, all I could think was, “This describes almost everyone I know in Vancouver”, except for No. 75, of course, because we’re already here. And number 54? Oh, yes, there are more kitchen gadget stores here in Vancouver than there are Starbucks.

So, here is the list of Stuff White People Like.

#120 Taking a Year Off
#119 Sea Salt
#118 Ugly Sweater Parties
#117 Political Prisoners
#116 Black Music that Black People Don’t Listen to Anymore
#115 Promising to Learn a New Language
#114 America
#113 Halloween
#112 Hummus
#111 Pea Coats
#110 Frisbee Sports
#109 The Onion
#108 Appearing to Enjoy Classical Music
#107 Self Aware Hip Hop References
#106 Facebook
#105 Unpaid Internships
#104 Girls with Bangs
#103 Sweaters
#102 Children’s Games as Adults
#101 Being Offended
#100 Bumper Stickers
#99 Grammar
#98 The Ivy League
#97 Scarves
#96 New Balance Shoes
#95 Rugby
#94 Free Healthcare
#93 Music Piracy
#92 Book Deals
#91 San Francisco
#90 Dinner Parties
#89 St. Patrick’s Day
#88 Having Gay Friends
#87 Outdoor Performance Clothes
#86 Shorts
#85 The Wire
#84 T-Shirts
#83 Bad Memories of High School
#82 Hating Corporations
#81 Graduate School
#80 The Idea of Soccer
#79 Modern Furniture
#78 Multilingual Children
#77 Musical Comedy
#76 Bottles of Water
#75 Threatening to Move to Canada
#74 Oscar Parties
#73 Gentrification
#72 Study Abroad
#71 Being the only white person around
#70 Difficult Breakups
#69 Mos Def
#68 Michel Gondry
#67 Standing Still at Concerts
#66 Divorce
#65 Co-Ed Sports
#64 Recycling
#63 Expensive Sandwiches
#62 Knowing What’s Best for Poor People
#61 Bicycles
#60 Toyota Prius
#59 Natural Medicine
#58 Japan
#57 Juno
#56 Lawyers
#55 Apologies
#54 Kitchen Gadgets
#53 Dogs
#52 Sarah Silverman
#51 Living by the Water
#50 Irony
#49 Vintage
#48 Whole Foods and Grocery Co-ops
#47 Arts Degrees
#46 The Sunday New York Times
#45 Asian Fusion Food
#44 Public Radio
#43 Plays
#42 Sushi
#41 Indie Music
#40 Apple Products
#39 Netflix
#38 Arrested Development
#37 Renovations
#36 Breakfast Places
#35 The Daily Show/Colbert Report
#34 Architecture
#33 Marijuana
#32 Vegan/Vegetarianism
#31 Snowboarding
#30 Wrigley Field
#29 80s Night
#28 Not having a TV
#27 Marathons
#26 Manhattan (now Brooklyn too!)
#25 David Sedaris
#24 Wine
#23 Microbreweries
#22 Having Two Last Names
#21 Writers Workshops
#20 Being an expert on YOUR culture
#19 Traveling
#18 Awareness
#17 Hating their Parents
#16 Gifted Children
#15 Yoga
#14 Having Black Friends
#13 Tea
#12 Non-Profit Organizations
#11 Asian Girls
#10 Wes Anderson Movies
#9 Making you feel bad about not going outside
#8 Barack Obama
#7 Diversity
#6 Organic Food
#5 Farmer’s Markets
#4 Assists
#3 Film Festivals
#2 Religions their parents don’t belong to
#1 Coffee

24 comments:

Nancy said...

Yep, sounds just like us!

Bagman and Butler said...

I wasn't ready, so early on a Saturday morning in South Carolina to cringe so many times! Far out, man. Thanks for taking me back! Although it I find it easier and easier to be taken back than to push forward.

the walking man said...

Thanks Jo...in scrolling the list I have finally decided I know what my problem is. I'm not White. Nor Black or Asian or Aboriginal, or Hispanic...I suppose the Men in Black have a file on me somewhere.

StayAtHomeKat said...

oh yes!

and I am big on #102

Firefly the Travel Guy said...

I don't know what you are talking about. Not at all. That list is so... *true*

Deedee said...

From an aging flower-child and former greenpeace member,thanks for the laugh! Earnest to the end!

Shaista said...

I found #20 very funny :)

Russell said...

Okay. This list is good. Very good.

I laughed at #60 - Toyota Prius. Whenever I drive my big bad oversized 4 wheel drive gas guzzling truck to work I always park it next to a Prius or some other such car! Heh! I don't know why. I just do. Maybe I am jealous. Who knows? But I love to pull up next to one of those little green cars and, well, just be bad I guess! Heh!

I like #46 - Sunday New York Times. That is my favorite edition of my favorite paper. But if it becomes popular I will stop reading it! Given the fact all the "cool" people like to read their news on the computer - which I don't and won't - I should be safe!

Take care...

Sherry said...

Oh, my goodness, I've laughed and laughed over these and #75 is my favorite! Being from the good old U.S. of A, I've heard this SO many times. Also have heard "well, if they don't like it here, why don't they move to Canada?" ha! Thanks for the memories and laughs.

Dixie said...

well heck... I'm really confused. I counted, and I liked 29 of the 150 things... so does that mean I'm not a "white people"? or what??? All my life, I thought I was a "white people"... I going to have to do some serious pondering on this one...

dixie

Charles Gramlich said...

Let's see I like sea salt, dogs, Halloween. I would never say I liked any politician but some, including Obama, I can tolerate more than others. I do have black friends, working as I do at a primarily black university.

Other than that I'm not very white apparently.

Cedar said...

Dang, I did not think I was so white, not to mention humdrum..I am going out now and...no it's raining I can't go out in the rain.

jadecarmella said...

count me in! I must be white, since I ejoy many of these thing! LOL!

Ann said...

Well, I was right all along - I'm not really 'normal'. I thought I was your basic white chick, but I only like 41 out of this long list... and some of the ones I don't like, I REALLY don't like. In fact, these things don't seem like most of the 'white people' that I know... and where I live, it's pretty much all 'white'.... hmmmm. Maybe someone should quite catagorizing us all!! Just a thought.....

Ann said...

oops... I meant "quit" catagorizing us....sorry :-)

Scoobyloves2004 said...

Great post, and sooo true! I love kitchen gadgets, I have a million of them. I am a proud member of Netflix and I can't start my home schooling day without a hot cup of coffee! I could relate to so many others, but I really have to pee! Lol

SweetPeaSurry said...

Amazing list, and yes ... it is just like us to enjoy all of those things. We Americans are NUTTY that way!

Anonymous said...

"Say it loud I'm Black and I'm proud!" (Also from the 70s). Anyway, I'm Black and I'm laughing so hard right now, especially at the Mos Def one.

Unknown said...

haha. love it. sounds like me for the most part.

Hilary said...

Breakfast places cracked me up. We're always on the lookout for a good one.

Patsy said...

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAhahahahahahaha
hahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahaha
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Lorna

Miss V said...

I fit in to AT LEAST 49 items on that list. I guess I'll have to keep it to myself or get my 'black card' revoked. What can I say I grew up in the valley of southern Cali, we have no culture here. Everybody listens to rap, everybody boogie boards or surfs at the beach, we all eat at Roscies chicken and waffels and EVERYONE is always lookinf to score the coolest new cozy breakfast spot! Loved this article!

Care-Angel said...

This is an insporation. I will give "stuff Black People like" a shot

Private said...

Funny list.

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