Like #131: Conan O'Brien

Quotes Lander:
"It is not hard to understand why white people love Conan O’Brien, he embodies so many of the things they already like before he even opens his mouth: Ivy League Schools, Red Hair, the Boston Red Sox, Self Deprecating Humor, The Simpsons, and Bad Memories of High School (likely, but not confirmed). Seeing him on television five nights a week is a comforting reminder of community to the white people who still have televisions."


Zooey has appeared on Conan O'Brien's show both alone and with her band, She & Him, and this clip shows her being interviewed by O'Brien about her film "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." This appearance connects Deschanel's star image to another image that is, according to Lander, loved by white people, highlighting her own demographic of popularity. Additionally, Lander references previous posts from his blog while describing Conan's appeal to white people (i.e. Bad Memories of High School). The same method can be used to describe Zooey Deschanel's popularity among upper middle class people. Lander chooses individual aspects of Conan's star image to demonstrate Conan's popularity within this culture, so we can do the same by using aspects of Deschanel's star image to discover what makes Zooey popular within white, upper middle class society.

Like #130: Ray Ban Wayfarers

"Right now, all white people are either wearing or coveting a pair of Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses. White people love these Ray-Bans because they were very popular in the 1960s and 1980s. This gives them a historical precedent and allows white people to classify them as “timeless.” That way when they purchase these sunglasses they can talk about how they were inspired by the fashion and music of these bygone eras. When a white person says this, you should just nod and mention how they look like young Johnny Cash, a dead Beach Boy, Audrey Hepburn, or an extra from a John Hughes movie. Under no circumstances, should you imply that white people purchased their sunglasses because of celebrities that are not dead or because they saw them on other white people they think are cool. This will make them very upset as white people need to believe they cannot be persuaded to buy anything."

Recently, Zooey Deschanel has appeared as a model for the Oliver Peoples Sunglasses Company. Although the glasses that Zooey wears are not Ray-Ban, they are the wayfarer style. A picture of Zooey wearing Ray-Ban wayfarers themselves can be seen above.

Interestingly, Zooey has become a model for this type of sunglasses at the same time that Lander has suggested that white people may buy wayfarers because they have seen them on “stars who are not dead” or on “other white people they think are cool.” Deschanel, as an Indie star, qualifies both as a star who is not dead and as a ‘cool’ white person. If people are imitating her consumer choices, it would appear that she is becoming an icon of sorts.

Wayfarers also have a vintage sensibility that is in line with Deschanel’s image (see the post on Vintage). As mentioned before, Zooey considers herself “an old-fashioned girl.” The Oliver Peoples ad in particular seems to draw intertextually on images of Audrey Hepburn wearing wayfarers in Breakfast At Tiffany's. (see below)

Additionally, this video advertisement "Catch a Tuesday" for Oliver Peoples showcases Deschanel's vintage style. She is filmed wearing vintage clothes and accessories in elegant-yet-retro surroundings. Thus, both wayfarer sunglasses and vintage style are updated and targeted toward affluent consumers.

Like #126: Vespa Scooters

"As it stands, every single white person on earth either owns, has owned, or is dreaming about owning a Vespa Scooter. And why not? They are Italian, feature vintage design, low emissions, make the rider look more sophisticated, and they carry a little bit of risk. In fact, were it to have a liberal arts degree and a steady income, a Vespa scooter would possesses every important quality that a white person looks for in a spouse."

Deschanel's key link to vespa scooters emerges from her performance in Yes Man. Her character, a yoga instructor/photographer/indie singer owns a vespa. Many scenes feature Deschanel driving around Los Angeles on this iconic vehicle, lending credence to Lander's stereotypical descriptions. There is even a group on Facebook called "10,000 Strong for the Petition to Revoke Zooey Deschanel's Scooter License," which can be found here.

Like #116: Black Music that Black People Don't Listen to Anymore

Quotes Lander:
"All music genres go through a very similar life cycle: birth, growth, mainstream acceptance, decline, and finally obscurity. With black music, however, the final stage is never reached because white people are work tirelessly to keep it alive. Apparently, once a music has lost its relevance with its intended audience, it becomes MORE relevant to white people. Historically speaking, the music that white people have kept on life support for the longest period of time is Jazz. Thanks largely to public radio, bookstores, and coffee shops, Jazz has carved out a niche in white culture that is not yet ready to be replaced by Indie Rock. But the biggest role that Jazz plays in white culture is in the white fantasy of leisure. All white people believe that they prefer listening to jazz over watching television. This is not true."

From the music we have listened to over the course of this blog, the obvious overtones of jazz and cabaret styles are constantly present in Zooey's singing style and in the music of She & Him.  Above is a video of Deschanel singing Louis Armstrong's "Dream a Little Dream of Me," which provides a concrete example of her purposeful use of jazz music, or 'Black Music' in her own work.  The image of Deschanel is another example of this connection by showing her singing in her cabaret inspired band called 'If All the Stars Were Pretty Babies."

Deschanel does recognize the importance of jazz music, as NPR reports "But jazz is perhaps her biggest influence. Deschanel grew up listening to jazz greats from Ella Fitzgerald and Anita O'Day to Chet Baker and Stan Getz. "I think my knowledge of music theory is rooted in jazz theory, and a lot of the writers of standards — Rodgers and Hart, and Gershwin." Deschanel says."

In addition, Deschanel's star image is associated with vintage, particularly African American associated sounds and tastes.  With her interview in Self Magazine from August 2009, Deschanel made a short playlist for summer songs, including 2 songs by African American artists, Nina Simone's 'My Baby Just Cares for Me,' and The Shirelles' 'Everbody Loves a Lover.'  It may be suprising that Deschanel's obvious appreciation and admiration for 'Black Music' actually excentuates her whiteness, but that is what Lander suggests in his argument that black people don't listen to jazz music anymore.  So in choosing to use jazz music, Deschanel is using the fantasy that jazz music is for relaxation and leisure that is connected to the white upper middle class.

Like #111: Pea Coats

"As the temperature starts to drop, many white people are forced to start wearing winter coats. Though many will simply don outdoor performance gear, a great number will turn to the #1 white winter jacket of all time: The Pea Coat. The Pea Coat was originally worn by sailors and members of the European Navy. If you think about it for a second, this means that the coat is European, Coastal, and Vintage. Three of white people’s favorite things. "

Drunk History

Zooey recently appeared as Mary Todd Lincoln in the comedy sketch, Drunk History. She appears alongside mainstream stars Don Cheadle and Will Ferrell in this off-beat comedy clip. The Drunk History videos target a liberal and well-educated demographic, owing to their historical references and their particular brand of humor.

Like #104: Girls With Bangs

"If you see a white woman and you are trying to figure out whether she is liked or just merely tolerated by white people, the best thing you can do is get a quick look at her haircut. It is a known fact that white people love women who wear their hair with bangs that hang straight down. For white people, this simple haircut makes a bold declaration by saying that the wearer is artistic, deep, and has probably dated a guy in a band you like."

Not only is Deschanel famous for this particular hairstyle, she is also married to Death Cab for Cutie singer, Ben Gibbard (a step beyond having 'dated a guy in a band you like'). Did Lander have Deschanel's star image in mind when typing up this post? Whatever the case may be, Lander's stereotype matches Zooey Deschanel to a tee.