The Self-Defeating “Justice” of Dissing “White People”

Oh, Those Hilarious White People!

Up at 5:00 a.m., I start in on the day’s news.

There’s a piece on meditation, in the New York Times, which opens with a description of a group of “Patagonia-clad white people,” which I assume is a play for laughs. The Belladonna Comedy is running an article on “Parenting Tips for Raising a Confident Mediocre White Man.” The New Yorker hits me with “Does the Paint World Need Another White?”

Wait — scratch that last one!

That’s actually about paint.

It’s not yet 5:30 and my Race & Gender-based Media-Unease has kicked in before I can finish my first cup of matcha.

My daughter has a phrase she uses to distinguish serious upset from trivial.

Of the latter, she’ll say, “it hurt my-stupid-fucking-feelings!” which nicely names that situation where you know that being genuinely, “legitimately,” upset is probably a bit of a reach — but you still get that nasty taste in your mouth and that life-shortening jolt of elevated blood pressure.

I realize that, “We need to lighten up on straight, white, middle class, middle aged men! Who’s with me?” is not likely to rally a lot of people behind me.

Wait — scratch that, too!

Part of the problem — and a big part: It’s likely to rally the wrong people behind me.