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« Paul Avril | Main | Elsewhere »

February 15, 2008

Whitepeople Funk

Michael Blowhard writes:

Dear Blowhards --

In recognition of Stuff White People Like Day, let me offer a little YouTube-ishness:



Does it make me hyper-white to admit that I find "Play That Funky Music, White Boy" genuinely funky?

Read about Wild Cherry, who never did score another hit. Bandleader Rob Parissi tells the story of his one-hit band here. Fun to learn that the band originated in Mingo Junction, Ohio. As I often say: America, land of the greatest place-names ever.

Tapping my lily-white toesies happily,

Michael

UPDATE: My favorite response to the White People blog came from Brooklyn dude The Rawness, writing at Roissy's place:

I think sarcasm should go under annoying stuff white people like. White people today think sarcasm, which is just really passive aggressive behavior for wimps who want to insult someone but wants the option of being able to pretend they were joking just in case the offended person wants to fight. White people reward sarcasm to ridiculous degrees. Even their comedy…Colbert Show and Daily Show are nothing but two guy being sarcastic…that is, just saying the opposite of what they really mean in a smug, condescending way…and they get hailed with words like “genius” “powerful” “thought provoking,” “speaking truth to power” “provocative”…..it’s FUCKING SARCASM. My 13 year old niece and her friends do it all day. It’s not a sign of comedic genius, and it’s really unattractive on fey, liberal, middle aged white men. Eat some red meat and grow some balls.

The Rawness ain't no colorfree metrosexual, that's for sure.

posted by Michael at February 15, 2008




Comments

This is indeed a funky song. I'm a drummer. So I know of where I speak. Although I am a white drummer, so I may be showing some racial bias here. Let me go ask my black friend for verification of funkitude. No wait, I just typed "funkitude," possibly the whitest thing that can be typed with a standard keyboard configuration. In light of this, I wouldn't give my endorsement of this song much credence.

Posted by: JV on February 15, 2008 8:07 PM



That dude has the frizziest hair I have ever seen. If he gets too close to a Klieg light he'll go up in a puff of smoke.

Posted by: Charlton Griffin on February 15, 2008 9:16 PM



There is positively absolutely zero shame in PTFMWB. That bass line kicks so much ass that James Brown would have been proud to have it behind him. Textbook pimp guitar, too. You can't dismiss the honking sax. It solidified Pittsburgh as a decent burg in my mind.

Posted by: Scott on February 15, 2008 9:38 PM



Interesting blog, this Stuff White People Like.
Obviously, though, it's a slam on a narrow sub-segment of the white population: affluent liberals. A much-overdue inverse of the "... you just might be a Redneck" jokes from ten years ago.

This point by commenter Joe indulges in a little speculation, but also provides a bit of valuable perspective:

This blog title is misleading: what you are in fact referring to and mocking is a certain subsection of white people in North America (mainly the US and to a lesser extent the non-Francophone parts of Canada), who are liberal/left-wing poseurs with above average incomes.

Most whites in the UK (where I am from) are nothing like that! Indeed, many whites from America itself are nothing like the whites you mock here. Moreover, whites from the non-anglophone world would hardly recognise any of the stereotypes you portray here. Talk about ethnocentric!

I suspect you are an Angry Asian Male (AAM) who has been brought up and educated among upper-middle class whites, subjected to their patronising behaviour and seen most of “your” fellow Asian women hook up with white men. This blog is your way of expressing your anger and getting some measure of revenge against the whites who have bothered you for so long. It’s funny and all, but please remember the target of your lampooning is a very narrow sub-section of the Caucasian race as a whole.

Oh, and Asians can be just as funny and weird too.

Posted by: PA on February 16, 2008 9:29 AM



The whole rest of my post after "...but also provides a bit of valuable perspective" is commenter Joe's words, not just the italicized paragraph.

Posted by: PA on February 16, 2008 9:51 AM



Interesting sidenote, look into '786.'

Posted by: bdr on February 18, 2008 3:43 PM



Who writes this stuff. I'm a construction worker,white male,barely made it through high school. I bust my ass every day with my crew.Sarcasm and joking is an every day thing with all of us,and I would love to see any of you who sit there on your computers and bash your own race of people,call out our sarcasm or Question our patriotism. I can't believe what the world is coming to. I love that song.

Posted by: Rhino on March 14, 2008 7:48 PM






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