![]() race relations during the last 5-6 decades: successful minority immigration, massive institutional affirmative action programs, the Great Awokening and constant popular criticism of whiteness, etc. While genuinely well-written and sometimes hilarious, Oluo’s book often seems to ignore or minimize many of the major trends in U.S. ![]() A New York Times review of the book describes it as “showing how white men’s mediocrity – entitlement tethered to unearned power and accolades – makes life harder for everyone.” Shielded from the true harshness of life by these social cushions, Oluo and Times -woman reviewer Brittney Cooper argue, white males can lead society while mostly managing to escape “cultural outrage and accountability.”Įh. ![]() Simply put, Oluo’s claim is that American culture – from the cowboys of the past to the footballers and tech bros of today – is largely guided by average-ass white men who really shouldn’t hold their positions: undeserving beneficiaries of racial privilege, academic legacy status, and probably free pastel sweaters on demand from Ralph Lauren. This one question illustrates the biggest problem with Ijeoma Oluo’s Mediocre, which I would half-jokingly sum up as a splendid breakdown of U.S. ![]() If a 1050 or 1100 SAT score is “mediocre,” what exactly does that make a 946? ![]()
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