In a country facing economic crisis, it’s hard to be optimistic that upon graduation we’ll find a job we like and will provide us with deep pockets.
But as stocks are plummeting, some individuals’ bank accounts aren’t.
Christian Lander is one of these people.
In January 2008, Lander started the blog “Stuff White People Like.”
Inspired by a conversation he had joking around with one of his friends on instant messenger, he started it for fun. Little did he know, his blog would garner over 47 million hits, earn him a $300,000 book deal and a spot on the New York Times Bestseller list.
Lander blogs on issues that are anything but vitally important. Last week’s blog on hummus probably won’t change any lives. But on the other hand, it has probably made hundreds of thousands of people laugh.
“All white people like hummus. In fact, if you find a white person who does not like hummus then they probably just haven’t tasted it or are the wrong kind of white person,” the blog says. “In either case, they are probably not someone that you want to know.”
Other topics the blog has recently covered include Frisbee sports, appearing to enjoy classical music, girls with bangs and grammar.
And while some may find the blog offensive, it’s meant as a joke. It’s meant to entertain. A white person himself, Lander is anything but racist.
This entertainment is the kind of thing we need when the world around us seems to be cracking more each day. The world’s a scary place, but reading “Stuff White People Like” makes you forget that.
Lander has been successful for a few reasons, and none of them have to do with college degrees or an internship on his resume.
His success is a result of having fun with what he does and being creative.
When asked what people who want to follow in his footsteps should do to be equally successful, Lander came up with an easy answer.
“People can smell desperation,” he said. “You have to create something that you like and you honestly cannot set out looking for success. It’s your first step to failure.”
So I have learned two things from Lander.
The first is that being a coffee-drinking, David Sedaris-reading, organic food consumer who likes to tell people they should go outside when the weather is nice, makes me an incredibly white individual.
The second is that success comes in many forms.
And it’s relieving to know that innate talents, such as creativity, can be used as a tool to make us successful in doing something we actually want to do.
We don’t have to get a job working for a large corporation to be happy and pay our bills. And frankly, this is refreshing seeing as those jobs may not exist, pending future economic circumstances.
We all have talents, and they’re just as important as our college degrees.
Even if you think there’s no need for your talent, who would have thought the world needed a blog that makes fun of white people?
Lander said he didn’t think more than 10 people would read his blog. Safe to say he underestimated his own potential.
Don’t underestimate yours.
Emily Regenold is a junior journalism major from Cincinnati, Ohio. She is the Scout news editor.
Direct questions, comments and other responses to eregenold@bradley.edu
