There are dating sites which cater to: Christians, Jews, Muslims, atheists, blacks, Asians, Hispanics, gays, lesbians, farmers, Ayn Rand fans, even the Amish (yes, I find that difficult to believe as well). Well, thanks to Sam Russell, we have now covered every demographic in the online dating world, courtesy of the site, Where White People Meet. That's right, white people finally have a dating site too!
When asked about the site, Mr. Russell said, "It's about equal opportunity. The last thing in the world I am is racist. I dated a black woman once. I helped raise a young black man... I just believe it's hypocrisy to say 'one group can do this, but another can't.'"
Yes, while it would be difficult for a racist white man to date a black woman, it's not impossible, and I've found it quite common for "closet racists" to deny any hints of racism by name-dropping a friend or ex-girlfriend whom is of a different race. Sure, I've dated women of about each and every race, but if I ever reached a point where I felt the need to combat accusations of racism by saying, "Hey, I dated a black woman once," chances are I'd be in trouble.
Also, while I'm in no way claiming Sam Russell to be a racist, I have a hunch he created a site with such a name to draw attention, and with that, potentially gain members. Whether or not he's successful with his venture through shock appeal is up for debate, but one thing is for certain - the man's site is silly, pointless, and he appears to be rather uneducated on the history and demographics of this country.
I hear these arguments all the time from typically white straight conservative Christian males:
- "Why can there be a Black History Month and not a White History Month?"
- "What's the deal with blacks having BET? Why can't whites have WET?"
- "Did you hear about the new show, Black-ish? Just imagine if someone created a show called, White-ish!"
The problem with these arguments is a lack of seeing the forest for the trees. Whites are still the majority in this country. Most channels could constitute as White Entertainment Channels; most months could be labeled as White History Months; and most shows could be called something along the lines of White-ish. This is why many minorities resort to channels such as BET, why they get recognized for fighting uphill battles in an effort to garner equality in this country (you know, like slavery) via Black History Month, and why some even feel compelled to join dating sites where they can meet other minorities.
Given all of that, what is the point of a dating site called Where White People Meet in this country? As of 2014, there was an estimated 319 million people in the U.S., almost 200 million of whom were white. In other words, whether a person joins Match.com, EHarmony.com, OKCupid.com, or another dating site in this country, the majority of people on there are going to be white. By creating a site called Where White People Meet, Sam Russell makes it sound as if it's incredibly difficult for white people to bump into one another in this country. While I can understand him trying to garner attention to his site and all, he's incredibly mistaken, and sounds quite ridiculous in the process. If others were to follow Sam Russell's lead, they could create the following dating sites:
- How to Meet the Living
- How to Meet Blacks (in Ghana)
- How to Meet Muslims (in Afghanistan)
- How to Meet Tall People (in the NBA)
- How to Meet Donald Trump supporters (in mental institutions)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/where-white-people-meet-founder-says-site-is-not-racially-motivated_568bd988e4b014efe0db9c23
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html
http://qz.com/149342/the-uncomfortable-racial-preferences-revealed-by-online-dating/
When asked about the site, Mr. Russell said, "It's about equal opportunity. The last thing in the world I am is racist. I dated a black woman once. I helped raise a young black man... I just believe it's hypocrisy to say 'one group can do this, but another can't.'"
Yes, while it would be difficult for a racist white man to date a black woman, it's not impossible, and I've found it quite common for "closet racists" to deny any hints of racism by name-dropping a friend or ex-girlfriend whom is of a different race. Sure, I've dated women of about each and every race, but if I ever reached a point where I felt the need to combat accusations of racism by saying, "Hey, I dated a black woman once," chances are I'd be in trouble.
Also, while I'm in no way claiming Sam Russell to be a racist, I have a hunch he created a site with such a name to draw attention, and with that, potentially gain members. Whether or not he's successful with his venture through shock appeal is up for debate, but one thing is for certain - the man's site is silly, pointless, and he appears to be rather uneducated on the history and demographics of this country.
I hear these arguments all the time from typically white straight conservative Christian males:
- "Why can there be a Black History Month and not a White History Month?"
- "What's the deal with blacks having BET? Why can't whites have WET?"
- "Did you hear about the new show, Black-ish? Just imagine if someone created a show called, White-ish!"
The problem with these arguments is a lack of seeing the forest for the trees. Whites are still the majority in this country. Most channels could constitute as White Entertainment Channels; most months could be labeled as White History Months; and most shows could be called something along the lines of White-ish. This is why many minorities resort to channels such as BET, why they get recognized for fighting uphill battles in an effort to garner equality in this country (you know, like slavery) via Black History Month, and why some even feel compelled to join dating sites where they can meet other minorities.
Given all of that, what is the point of a dating site called Where White People Meet in this country? As of 2014, there was an estimated 319 million people in the U.S., almost 200 million of whom were white. In other words, whether a person joins Match.com, EHarmony.com, OKCupid.com, or another dating site in this country, the majority of people on there are going to be white. By creating a site called Where White People Meet, Sam Russell makes it sound as if it's incredibly difficult for white people to bump into one another in this country. While I can understand him trying to garner attention to his site and all, he's incredibly mistaken, and sounds quite ridiculous in the process. If others were to follow Sam Russell's lead, they could create the following dating sites:
- How to Meet the Living
- How to Meet Blacks (in Ghana)
- How to Meet Muslims (in Afghanistan)
- How to Meet Tall People (in the NBA)
- How to Meet Donald Trump supporters (in mental institutions)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/where-white-people-meet-founder-says-site-is-not-racially-motivated_568bd988e4b014efe0db9c23
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html
http://qz.com/149342/the-uncomfortable-racial-preferences-revealed-by-online-dating/
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