No. 14: White people like to have black friends.
This is one of an endless list of “Stuff White People Like,” a book and blog by humorist Christian Lander that satirizes cultural race issues. Lander and Elon James White, host of the Web series “This Week in Blackness” spoke about race relations in a comedic context in a half-full Page Auditorium Tuesday night. The event was sponsored by Duke University Union.
“I want to thank everyone for bringing me to Duke. This is kind of a big deal for me because when I finished my masters degree at the University of Arizona in film I applied to a number of English Ph.D. programs, Duke University being one of them. And I was rejected,” Lander joked in his opening statement.
Lander and White spoke separately on their projects in racial comedy. White began with an introduction to “This Week in Blackness” through a slideshow and webisodes of the show. Lander followed with a comedic narrative of the development of his blog and book.
White opened the night by mocking the fact that the promotional YouTube video DUU made to advertise the event, titled “Stuff White People Like,” had nothing to do with him coming to campus.
“Is this what white people like? Negroes in corduroy jackets and ties?” White asked jokingly.
White’s told his audience members that he will take them “on a journey” through his presentation.
The first slide read, “Racism is over.” But he clarified that in reality, racism is not over, denouncing the misconception that the election of President Barack Obama last year signified the end of racism.
“Do you remember that time, eight or nine months ago when racism was over?” White asked the audience sarcastically.
His second slide read, “I do not see color” to comment on those who say they do not notice differences in skin color.
But White falsified this statement by noting that it is impossible not to see color, drawing attention to the fact that audience members must have noticed that he is black.
He added to his argument with an example that demonstrated how people will identify others with all attributes but skin color.
Lander presented a message similar to White’s in his introduction of “Stuff White People Like.”
He walked the audience through the development of his bestselling book from its beginnings as a joke to make Miles, a friend of his, laugh.
Lander told the story of a phone conversation during which his friend said he could not trust a white person who did not watch The Wire, a popular TV show and No. 85 on the list of stuff white people like. Lander and Miles soon began talking about other things white people enjoy and the blog “Stuff White People Like” was created in January 2008.
By July of the same year, “Stuff White People Like” was published as a book and Lander’s popularity skyrocketed. He had numerous brushes with celebrity, from appearing on Late Night with Conan O’Brien to meeting actor Jerry O’Connell in his own dressing room.
Lander also talked about the different “haters” he meets on the Internet. He said he responds to them by saying that the belief “to show that you’re better than the white person standing next to you” and a general feeling of competition between races is meaningless.
“To recognize difference is to recognize racism,” Lander said, citing a popular belief. “And that’s a problem.”
Lander emphasized that he wrote his book to talk about white as a class rather than a race and to satirize white “tastes” like No. 1: coffee and No. 40: Apple technology.
Senior Connie Chu said she enjoyed the show, noting Lander and White’s honesty.
“There are a lot of really funny things that we can poke fun at in different cultures,” Chu said. “But then, also, we have to become aware that there are differences between us so it’s good to get that out in the open, and humor is a good way to start.”
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