Absolut[sic]ly offensive

I’m talking about the ad everyone’s buzzing about from Absolut Vodka. The pictorial ad is worth a thousand words and thousands of dollars lost in sales, I suspect. I’ve included a link to the ad on Strange Maps. Read the article below the ad to read apologies and background. A link to the ad from the LA Times is there, too.

But first, the site here on WordPress, Strange Maps, is one of the most creative endeavors I’ve ever seen. It features maps of every kind  — the most interesting being those that you wouldn’t think of as having map potential. He’s had over 6 million hits! Some of the maps are historical, ancient even. Some are creative. Map #237 shows religiosity in the US. Map #239 shows “mall” stores. You’ll want to spend some time browsing.

http://strangemaps.wordpress.com/

Who would have guessed?

I would have, actually. I know a few things about good writing. Now that doesn’t mean stuffy academic prose or elitist modern poetry necessarily. Good writing takes many forms, styles, topics, and genres. Writing is the expression of the mind — funny, smart, name the quality– and with training and/or education and with a good ear plus concentration, time, and hard work, we can be writers! Many people aren’t excited by this news. If this doesn’t excite you, you probably, as the ads say, “don’t have what it takes” and should pursue other talents and interests.

But writing can be lucrative for ordinary people like us — white or otherwise.

The guys at the 20 million-plus-in-hits blog “Stuff White People Like” are funny, smart, and prosperous. Random House has given them a $300,000 book deal. Sigh. Only in America. The blog features a list of around 100 items White People Like and an occasional article (NYT often) that mentions “likes.” These are highlighted for us.

I’m for it. Why not? The blog is entertaining. It speaks to current culture. It’s simple and well-organized and has a definite thesis (academic term for “what’s your point?”)

Among the listed white favorites are Indie music, wine, microbreweries, performance clothes (funny,) graduate school, dinner parties (funny,) bicycles, ‘Whole Foods and co-op grocery stores, and others. And like all good satire and humor in general, the ring of truth has to be there. And it is.

Congratulations, SWPL!