[Dan-C27323]

The book titled 'Why do white people smell like wet dogs' is a racist slur! How would the author like it if I wrote a book titled, 'Black people smell like wet monkeys when they come out of the rain'?

User Detail :  

Name : Dan-C27323, Gender : M, City : Omaha, State : NE Country : United States, 

[Sherman]

You are right, that is a racist slur, but why is it surprising to you to find out that black people can be just as racist as white people? Whites do not have a monopoly on hatred or intolerance, but if that offends you, at least you can get a small feeling of the racism that minorities have had to suffer over the years.

User Detail :  

Name : Sherman, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 34, City : Richmond, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : Contractor, Education level : Technical School, Social class : Middle class, 

[Marco22201]

Yeah, that title is a racist slur, but who's to say that a black person wrote it? You seem more interested in trying to start some mess rather than ask a question. That's why this is called a forum, a place where you ask questions. I'm sure that whoever the author is didn't intend for that title to offend, although it does. By the way, if you know what wet monkeys smell like, then either you're a zoo keeper or an animal trainer.

User Detail :  

Name : Marco22201, Gender : M, Race : Black/African American, Age : 27, City : Chicago, State : IL Country : United States, Occupation : Library Assistant, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, 

[Michelle20561]

It's a question, like any other that you see posted on Y? Forum. 'Why do Asians do this... or blacks do that...' It seems to be a pretty common belief. So what? How should I go about disproving to the world that my rain-sodden hair does not smell like a wet dog's? Am I suffering unduly from this stereotype, getting denied jobs, mortgage loans, etc.? Although I can appreciate the irony of it, I will admit that it may be shocking for a white person to see as the first thing on this web site, one that is supposed to promote understanding of diversity. I train new-hire employees on diversity and cultural competency. We have about 3,800 employees and a lot of diversity, although the majority ethnic group is Caucasian. Cultural/racial conflicts are common. Teaching tolerance and cultural awareness in an hour and a half is difficult, almost ridiculous. Sometimes I just want to say 'If you say or do anything stupid, racist, discriminatory, degrading, demeaning, disrespectful, discourteous, ignorant or just plain mean while on the job, you'll be fired.' Instead, I use some of the time to read questions from this web site to create dialogue. I have been hesitant to globally refer the new hires to this web site because of the 'Wet Dog' greeting one receives. I do think it is off-putting to people who aren't familiar with this forum.

User Detail :  

Name : Michelle20561, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 36, City : Las Vegas, State : NV Country : United States, Occupation : Analyst, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Dennis M.]

Reading the responses to this question raises the question in my mind: Why is an edgy comment from the perceived majority (white men) invariably viewed as racist / sexist, while an equally or more inflammatory comment about white people or men, by a person of color or a woman, is not judged by the same yardstick? It doesn't do much for reasoned discourse when the label (always a show stopper) can be thrown out at any time, but only by one side of the discussion.

User Detail :  

Name : Dennis M., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : no organized religion, Age : 58, City : Chicago, State : IL Country : United States, Occupation : Engineer, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Senetra28031]

Have you read the book, or even seen the cover of the book? It actually reads 'Why do White People Smell like Wet Dogs when they Come Out of the Rain? And other Questions Worth a Smack on the Head from Mom.' Phillip Milano, the author and creator of the site, writes that this was a question that had been posted, and he asked a female coworker who was black about it, and she said that yes, it was an urban legend, if you will, among black people. I don't know where it started, but people tended to take it as fact, just like people do with stereotypes. I would like to assume that if the author were black, that the title might read something along the lines of 'Why do all Black People have Big Lips?' or something equally ignorant. Did it get your attention?

User Detail :  

Name : Senetra28031, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Baptist, Age : 28, City : Anderson, State : IN Country : United States, Education level : 2 Years of College, 

[Beth]

I have a simple question: have any of the people who have posted to this question or the person who posted the question actually read the book? The answer to your question is in the foreword of the book. Phillip Milano wanted to get people talking. He started the site so people could have a place to talk about non-politically correct subjects. Some of the topics are ones you wouldn't hear on the street corner or in the breakroom at work, but they are ones that everyone is wanting to talk about. Everyone including blacks, whites, Hispanics, Jews, Muslims and anyone else who has wondered things about people who aren't like themselves. Please read the book before making a judgment about people's motives.

User Detail :  

Name : Beth, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 34, City : Jacksonville, State : FL Country : United States, Occupation : Freelance writer, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Terri]

Why are you so offended? Doesn't it make sense that different races might smell differently? I don't take offense. Obviously my boyfriend either doesn't notice or doesn't mind my particular dog smell. Besides, the title doesn't say, 'White people are Wet Dogs and should be treated as such.' Does it really qualify as a slur? If we want any freedom to talk about race, we will all have to first decide to be less defensive.

User Detail :  

Name : Terri, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 21, City : Tallahassee, State : FL Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, 

[Jake-S]

I believe the title is intended to shock the majority, to intrigue them, to cause people to realize just how rare it is to see a generalization about white people used so openly. Above all, it's marketing. It sure did get your attention, didn't it? By the by, I find it neither racist nor a slur. It makes me wonder if I do smell like a wet dog after I come in out of the rain. I don't find wet dogs to be offensive smelling, so I can't call it a slur.

User Detail :  

Name : Jake-S, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 34, City : Dallas, State : TX Country : United States, Occupation : Analyst, Education level : Technical School, Social class : Middle class, 

[Vince24562]

White people make up about 75 percent of the North American population. White people never had to go through the same institutionalized racism that other races have had to go through. A title like the one you provided in your example might be offensive to black people. Older black people remember the racism they experienced, and a certain amount of racism still exists today. 'Why Do White People Smell Like Wet Dogs When They Come Out of the Rain?' is kind of racist, but it isn't attacking a group that has historically been oppressed. Most people have probably never heard that goofy question before. I don't know what a wet monkey smells like. Since they are primates, they would probably smell a lot like a wet human.

User Detail :  

Name : Vince24562, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 17, City : Regina, State : NA Country : Canada, Occupation : high school student, Education level : Less than High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, 

[Hi]

I grew up in Hawaii. When I first deplaned in SF, I noticed that white folks and black folks had much different odors than I was used to. I was curious and asked about this phenomenon and the first two answers I received were: 1) whites never took baths and blacks took baths but never used soap; and, 2) the different diets of ethnic groups may be reflected in the odor they emit.

User Detail :  

Name : Hi, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Japanese American, Religion : Episcopalian, Age : 65, City : SLC, State : UT Country : United States, Occupation : Healthcare, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Mike20404]

A racist slur? In what capacity? White people have never been called, referred to or equated to any type of animal or non-human species in a consistent and dehumanizing manner. 'Wet dogs' is not a widely recognized insult of white people and does not have the stick or impact of words like 'spic,' 'wetback,' 'wop,' 'kike,' 'kraut' or the most infamous term, 'nigger.' At most, the title of this book is an insensitive jab to white people used to arouse attention and stimulate discussion. Poor choice of words, but stopping at the cover would do any white person a disservice. Any white person who is seriously offended by this title probably has a distorted or disproportionate view of racism that would allow them to equate wet dogs with the n-word. And unlike white people, black people have been slurred with references to being sub-human with terms such as monkey, black buck, porch monkey and other derisive terms too many times to mention. So walk in my shoes for a little while and then tell me if you feel the same way.

User Detail :  

Name : Mike20404, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Baptist, Age : 24, City : Chicago, State : IL Country : United States, Occupation : Law student/ed. administrator, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[Mary]

It certainly is a racist slur. Everyone feels like they have to handle minorities with kid gloves to be politically correct, but it's OK to make racist comments toward white people. If this book was 'Why do black people smell like monkeys,' it probably would have been on the evening news, and the ACLU would have denounced it.

Can you imagine the uproar it would cause to have a 'White Pride Day'? The same principal applies, and it's appalling!

User Detail :  

Name : Mary, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Methodist, Age : 28, City : Philadelphia, State : PA Country : United States, Occupation : social work, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Bob S.]

When I was a child in 1950s Ohio, my parents said that black people smelled different from white people. This was offered with the advice that it would be rude to say anything about it. Cleveland was so segregated that I rarely came close to a black person. On one or two occasions when I came near someone who had been sweating, it did seem that they smelled different from me. That's what my parents meant, I thought. It never occurred to me, assuming black people smelled different to whites, that whites, of course, smelled different to blacks! So when I read the book title, I was grateful that it gave me a new insight. I feel a little silly not having figured it out for myself, but I am grateful for the insight nonetheless.

User Detail :  

Name : Bob S., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 59, City : Oakland, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : Computer Analyst, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Alera]

Most people who have a problem with this title are white people. Other races have been dealing with stereotypes for decades, while white people rarely have to. When the tables are turned, white people get so defensive, perhaps because they feel they are losing the superiority they have had for so long and have to feel it for once. Minorities have been dealing with this forever, but the second a white takes the blow, watch out, it's a slur!

User Detail :  

Name : Alera, Gender : F, Age : 20, City : Brandon, State : NA Country : Canada, Occupation : student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Author]

Posts