Wednesday, October 07, 2009

Ben Folds

It's good to see that there's a market for books that don't involve fad diets, global conspiracies or teenage vampire romances. Author Christian Lander has taken it upon himself to satirize the pretensions inherent in the cultural values of urban, professional Caucasians, and about time too. While many of his references will be lost on non-American readers, what he says just as easily applies elsewhere. Among the items listed in his book are recycling and driving hybrid cars, expensive gourmet sandwiches, irony, organic groceries, having ethnic friends, drinking fair trade coffee, supporting worthy causes, world cinema, arts degrees (touche) and spirituality without commitment (ie any belief system that is not monotheistic and dogmatic is fashionable), and liking Barack Obama, because it's racist not to, to name but a few. Given that I partially fit this demographic, I recognise a lot of myself in this book. Very funny and incisive.

7 comments:

feeno said...

Boss

I wish I would have thought of this book.

Although sometime I question my whiteness. Larry the Cable Guy's audience is filled with a bunch of laughing white people, but I just don't get it? Oh well "get 'er done". I laugh at that only because I'm really laughing at all the white people laughing at that.

Peace, feeno

J Curtis said...

Why "Ben Folds"? Are you a fan of the Ben Folds Five or something?

Tracy said...

Interesting. There's a blog I enjoy, very satirical, entitled "Stuff Christians like".

Ross said...

This book also has questionnaires and flow charts you can use to test your "whiteness."

The Ben Folds reference is to his song "Rockin' the Suburbs," where he takes potshots at certain male, middle class and white singers with chips on their shoulders.

J Curtis said...

Ahhh, I see. Not about the one where he wants his sweater back.

J Curtis said...

Ahhh, I see. It's not about the song where he wants his sweater back.

Alice C. Linsley said...

Ross,

You recently commented about euthanasia at Standing on my Head and I thought you'd be interested in this news report on the Netherlands: http://college-ethics.blogspot.com/2009/01/dutch-culture-of-death.html
and also this on the doubling of cases in Belgium: http://college-ethics.blogspot.com/2009/09/belgium-euthanasia-doubles-in-10-years.html

I was in Melbourne for 5 days in early September. I visited All Saint Kooyong (Anglican) and St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church. I spoke at a conference held at the Passionist Conference Center and fell in love with the people I met. I too would hate to see euthanasia legalized in AU.

I see you are a follower of Biblial StudiesUK. You might be interested in my Just Genesis research posted here: http://jandyongenesis.blogspot.com

Best wishes,
Alice