Writes Teddy Wayne, in "What’s Wrong With White People? A Story Collection Counts the Ways. Mark Doten’s new book examines a contemporary American culture that routinely defies satire" (NYT).
The book under review is, indeed, titled "Whites."
August 20, 2025
"Perhaps such tortuous, jargon-clotted prose is the best way to capture our benighted age... Even for those fluent in edgelord and incel, though..."
"... here are diminishing returns to yet another parody of a supposed white ally acknowledging that 'baking needs to diversify,' frequent references to cancellation, and more than one Trump/Covid-19 piece.... I didn’t have much lulz reading 'Whites,' but then again, America isn’t too fun these days, either. It’s exhausting to be so exhausting. In our extremist political climate and celebrity-book-club-oriented literary one, I’m glad this collection — and daring, pyrotechnically gifted, berserk-confronting authors like Doten, a vanishing breed — exist to do the real work.
Writes Teddy Wayne, in "What’s Wrong With White People? A Story Collection Counts the Ways. Mark Doten’s new book examines a contemporary American culture that routinely defies satire" (NYT).
I'll just offer this link back to yesterday's post about whether book reviews can function to keep us going in the dream of a thing called Literary Fiction... and this survey:
Writes Teddy Wayne, in "What’s Wrong With White People? A Story Collection Counts the Ways. Mark Doten’s new book examines a contemporary American culture that routinely defies satire" (NYT).
Posts
40 comments:
Fun is a childish aspiration.
The world would be a lot more fun if we didn't have so many people who are just unhinged. A lot of my college friends, most of whom graduated 40 years ago or more, are just around the bend about Trump. One guy in particular is just going crazy. He's a successful dentist and he's had a great career. His children are all grown and successful. He lives in a desirable area. And he's saying things like "Trump has his knee on the throat of America and no one cares." It's bizarre.
“America isn’t too fun these days...”
And we had fun, fun, fun until “Daddy” took your DEI away.
Mark Doten is (of course) white himself. He seems like the kind of person satirized 20 years ago in Christian Lander's "Stuff White People Like," the kind of person who assumes fashionable attitudes and avoids actually thinking about anything.
Wikipedia says that Doten has been a librettist for the Los Angeles Opera and the San Francisco Opera. That sounds about right. Very niche. Dependent upon outside sponsors. Maybe something that makes one more pretentious than actually useful. Given that Doten may never have met an actual Trump voter or stepped outside his own bubble, how on target could his satire be?
The book reviewer hasn't answered yet, if you get my meaning.
Remember when that Rodeo clown in Missouri, I think it was, put on that Obama mask and mocked him?
Democrats had him arrested and I think he might still be in jail. We aren't allowed to mock our Democrat leaders, comrade, and if you know what's good for you you will comply and not be the first to stop clapping!
But Trump is having fun, and JD Vance is having fun, and people can tell. Who wants to be with the shrieking at the sky and wailing about the end of humanity because OrangeManBad people? It's just exhausting being around all of that drama.
It’s exhausting to be so exhausting.
He misspelled exhilarating. (It is kind of hard to spell).
I am very happy people who voted for Puppet-RIOT-Master-Kamala - are miserable.
Better question: What's wrong with Black people?
And what's so difficult about writing and speaking in standard English?
There's a "birthing" center in Omaha called "I be Black Girl." Idiotic.
Surely Doten has said somewhere that “This was a nice area until all these white people moved in.” Someone's bound to have a quote of him saying this. I'll wait...
Correction. I Be Black Girl calls itself a reproductive justice center.
That was a very artful and subtle job of telling Mark Doten that he's jumped the shark.
It was really hard to identify that article as a book review. I guess book reviews have their own spectrum now.
There is no need to write a book called "Blacks". It can be read in chalk on every MLK Blvd in America
"Democrats had him arrested and I think he might still be in jail.... "
Really? On what charge, and what was his sentence? I don't remember that happening.
The hippies had fun and they had much more to complain about. These clowns today aren't having fun because they have to put so much work into pretending to be oppressed.
It’s exhausting to be so exhausting.
That's either a typo, an editorial slip-up, or Teddy Wayne flattering himself.
Again, those who can't write, critique.
Here's a synopsis from Publishers Weekly:
Doten (Trump Sky Alpha) delivers an uncompromising satire of contemporary white supremacy in this bold collection. The opener, “Even Elon on Human Meat,” narrated by an emotionally detached and supercilious Elon Musk, takes place in the aftermath of a disastrous rocket launch, which he views as a “success” for the lessons it offers. Trampling over a gravely injured woman, whose face he never sees, Musk enjoys a transgressive thrill, especially once he imagines that she’s Black. In “A Fence Is Not Walls,” a liberal U.S. senator answers questions from reporters in Orwellian doublespeak about the White House’s draconian immigration policies, which he supports in the interest of consensus (“We must act with compassion while also upholding the laws of our country”). The anti-vaxxer at the center of “Every Soul Ever” claws her eyes out in a pique of frustration with the man she’s been hooking up with, then goes viral after claiming she did it because of side effects from the Covid-19 vaccine. “Fifty Thousand Gringos” follows an expat in Mexico City who, out of a twisted sense of concern over his privilege, tips poorly at restaurants so waiters will be less likely to favor gringos. Every character is painfully convincing in their anger, condescension, or meekness. It’s a wild and caustic ride. Agent: Bill Clegg, Clegg Agency.
"It's just exhausting being around all of that drama."
Drama? Tantrums pitched by a crew of thumbsuckers are too boring to be classified as drama.
Satire
Mark Dub-In has written a satire on the art of the stage in the era of woke. He imagines an oratorio about Chelsea Manning, which uses text from leaked military documents set to the music from Carmen. It premiers at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, enthusiastic attendance being a course requirement for every course. It then performs to empty houses at the Los Angeles Opera and the San Francisco Opera (though Blue Sky the next day is filled with hysterically appreciative audience reactions.) At the end the fat lady sings indicating the end of Western Civilization and the sprinklers are turned on, on the audience though luckily, no one is there. Then the buildings are burned down indicating support for Turtle Island.
[Based on this:
"Doten, Mark (2014) (libretto) and Ted Hearne (composer). The Source, an oratorio about Chelsea Manning, sets text from leaked military documents; it premiered at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and was performed at the Los Angeles Opera and the San Francisco Opera.[7]" Wikipedia
Mark Doten has a very selective audience.
I voted for Trump and I'm having fun. I lo e watching the dems implode.
This collection belongs in Adam Carolla's book "What Black People Think White People Talk About."
Growing up human, I always assumed all people preferred to be happy, especially with all the talk, money and effort put into it as a goal, but I see a large portion of western civilization who either like being miserable or have no idea how not to be. It can be a challenge, especially if you take on too much work or not enough, but I see what looks like an addiction to misery out there, and I think it's part of a lot of other problems, like homelessness, obesity and lack of intimacy. One cause is the idea that happiness is a goal in itself rather than a side effect of doing the right things in life. Happiness is like a lot of skills. You achieve it more when you are not trying to do it directly. Similar to things like surfing, flying, or sex. You are best at it when you aim at a distant target, not the thing right in front of you.
I don't know what the left will do in the future, but abject failure has never stopped them before
It's about women.
The rodeo clown was just fired, not arrested. Not quite as bad but still a vile thing to do to someone over politics.
A Republican is in the White House, so America is broken and we're all at each others throats. Oh, for the days of joe Biden. It was so different then.
His next book should be "Jews".
"...The rodeo clown was just fired, not arrested. Not quite as bad but still a vile thing to do to someone over politics. ..."
Even more vile, he was banned for life from performing at the Missouri State Fair. A case of Fairfare.
Yes, the rodeo clown was merely fired and banned for life. But not arrested. They just took away his career and made death threats.
But no, he wasn't arrested, so I was wrong about that. Apologies!
It’s fun because I have those friends with whom I can laugh at the craziness. If I wasn’t able to share and make fun of some of the family group texts I receive, I might find it less fun. A good friend lives in San Francisco and has gone from being somewhat apolitical/liberal to much more on the right. I’m one of her safe spaces in which to laugh.
Eh.
It’s exhausting to be so exhausting
To paraphrase Cher from Moonstruck, "Then fucking SNAP out of it!" Stop being a dick.
This tedious writer is the epitome of the character trait dominant in 1980s feminist fiction, according to my award winning essay Fiction and Feminism. He is clearly suffering from ontological engulfment, an affliction only the left can feel.
It is a very fun time to be alive- Trump got the last laugh on all of his political enemies by winning re-election. Every time I feel a bit down I just remind myself that Bich, Inga, Gadfly, Lefty Mark, and our new troll, RJW have to live through the next 3 1/2 years and hopefully the next 11 1/2 years of the Trump/Vance Presidency. Hard to stay down with that possibility in my head.
…but I feel guilty.
This is just "What's the Matter with Kansas" writ larger and stupider. Just cut to the chase, lefties, and write your grand opus: why we hate civilization and want it destroyed. The lists I saw were not in fact what "whitepeople" liked, they were things that built civilizations, things that defined modern life, things that extended courtesies to those whom we have not yet met but can treat as fellow humans, things that work like acknowledging time, space and our own limits.
Recognizing limits is not the same as setting limits, but is treated the same on the left. If you say "this pupil is working slower than the rest" they hear "this pupil can't read."
Simple observation is replaced by value judgements: Facts are oppressive. Kindness must be masking some latent racism or sexism. Nothing is what it seems. No wonder so many leftists are mentally ill.
Per Grok:
What happened to the rodeo clown who wore an Obama mask?
In August 2013, a rodeo clown named Tuffy Gessling was involved in a controversial incident at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia, Missouri. During a bull-riding event, a clown wore a mask resembling President Barack Obama, with a broom attached to his backside, while another clown, identified as Gessling, made comments over the loudspeaker, including asking the crowd if they wanted to see "Obama run down by a bull." The skit included remarks like, “We’re gonna smoke Obama, man,” and “He’s just running around acting like [a clown]. Doesn’t know he is one.” The performance drew significant backlash for being disrespectful and was perceived by some, including spectator Perry Beam, as having racist overtones, with Beam comparing the crowd's reaction to a "Klan rally."
As a result, the Missouri State Fair Commission permanently banned the clown who wore the Obama mask from ever performing at the fair again, calling the act "unconscionable" and "inappropriate." The Missouri Rodeo Cowboy Association, which organized the event, issued an apology, stating the behavior was unacceptable and not condoned. They also required all personnel and performers to undergo sensitivity training to continue working with the fair. Mark Ficken, the rodeo announcer and president of the association, resigned amid the controversy and faced threats, though his attorney clarified that Ficken’s only comment was a standard warning, “Watch out for that bull, Obama,” and that the clown in the mask, not Ficken, made the inflammatory remarks.
Let's talk the identity game again. Who are you- list 3, 5, or even 10 things you are.
Blacks in the USA almost always list "black" as #1. Caucasians in the USA routinely list "American" in the top 3, and "white" or "Caucasian" rarely shows up in the top 10.
Various pundits as of late have been pointing out- it may be dangerous for whites in the USA to start viewing themselves as "white" instead of "American". "American" is inclusive. Others can share the status by adopting American views and ethos. OTOH, white cannot be shared. You either are, or aren't white, and cannot change it. (Sort of like male or female- you're born that way can cannot change it.)
I'm American. On some lines since before 1776, on others, late 1800s. Others coming now can be fellow Americans by rejecting where they came from and embracing American customs and ideals. By this measure, Somali ELECTED officials in the USA are not Americans. Regardless of citizenship status.
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