Although the blog "spurred an outpouring from those who view it as offensive and racist", it was not about the interests of all white people, but rather a stereotype of affluent, environmentally and socially conscious, anti-corporate white North Americans, who typically hold a degree in the liberal arts.[9] Lander claimed to be lampooning contemporary versions of bohemian/hipster culture, and jokingly referred to other classes and subcultures of white people as "the wrong kind of white people". Despite the site's satirical edge, Lander regarded the people he described with affection and numbered himself among them, describing himself as "a self-aware, left-wing person who's not afraid to recognize the selfishness and contradictions that come on the left".[9] The initialism "SWPL" has been adopted in some circles as a (usually pejorative) shorthand term for the type of people depicted on the blog.
Publication
A book (Stuff White People Like: A Definitive Guide to the Unique Taste of Millions) was released on July 1, 2008.[10] Lander is listed as the sole author of the book,[11] although some of its content comes from the blog posts written by Valentin.[6][12] The book remained on The New York Times bestseller list for months.[13] Lander was reportedly given a $300,000 advance by Random House, the book's publisher.[14] He released a sequel (Whiter Shades of Pale: The Stuff White People Like, Coast to Coast from Seattle's Sweaters to Maine's Microbrews) on November 23, 2010.[15]
