In October, South African Louwrence van Niekerk started a Facebook thread entitled ‘okay black people… ask white people one question you always wanted to know’.
He presented questions like, ‘Why don’t y’all believe in wearing pants in the winter?’ and ‘Why y’all don’t use lotion (moisturizer)?’
This gentle ribbing sparked thousands of questions, with some truly hilarious comments. Queries ranged from why exactly white people find Friends so funny, to why they choose to throw cheese at their babies.
One person pleaded with white people to ‘take Iggy Azalea back’, however this particular request was very firmly declined. (‘Maybe the Asians will have her’, one white person suggested.)
One puzzled person asked, ‘Why do you end arguments with ‘Okay buddy?!’ Or start one with ‘I tell you what!’ while another mused:
How come you can’t pronounce ‘black names’ like Daquan, Davante, Junita, Kaneisha, Tamika, Marshea, but can say Schwarzenegger, Galifianakis, and LaBeouf just fine?
Another pondered:
Why do ya’ll get hyped whenever that song Sweet Caroline or Bohemian Rhapsody comes on?
I must confess, I’m totally guilty of fulfilling the last stereotype after a few drinks…
Plenty of white people in the comments were able to have a good laugh at themselves, doing their best to unravel some of the mysteries – including tuna salad, white socks with shorts and the inability to clap on beat – while offering a few observations of their own.
One person said:
On behalf of the Caucasian community, I would like to go ahead and apologize to the African American community for all of the truck’s you see riding down the road with rebel flags blowing in the wind and bumping Lil’ Wayne at the same time.
We know. We don’t get it either. They are not a part of us and hadn’t been to a white meeting in many a moons.
Another chortled:
On behalf of the white delegation, I want to extend our sincere thanks for the honesty and all the laughs from the black delegates. Ya’ll got me rolling over here!
Don’t listen to the voices. None of us (white or black or whatever) are inherently evil people. No need for hate. In the wise words of Bob, ‘Light up the darkness’.
All jokes aside, loads of commenters expressed the importance of this humorous thread in bringing people together, with people from all different races and backgrounds sharing a good-natured chuckle.
One person said:
I just wanna say this whole comment section is important. The media keeps trying to pit us against each other but we still know what’s real.
Another noted:
Everyone getting along. Why can’t it be like this all over the world?
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.