James Patterson recently gave his thoughts on racism but pulled a reverse Uno and started talking about the oppression of white male authors.

In a recent interview with The Sunday Times James Patterson made claims about the oppression of white male authors despite significant data saying the opposite is true.

Patterson, who is famous for writing the character Alex Cross, who is a black detective, says that “another form of racism” now faces older white men. Patterson seems to be referring to affirmative action, or policies that “are designed to eliminate unlawful discrimination among applicants, remedy the results of such prior discrimination, and prevent such discrimination in the future.” The reality of affirmative action as it has been implemented by the United States so far is that it isn’t enough to integrate places of education, work, and beyond. Minority groups in America are still underrepresented within these institutions.

It sounds like Patterson has been watching too much Fox News. News flash for Patterson— white people(white males in particular) are still heavily overrepresented in authors who are getting their work published.

“Can you get a job? Yes. Is it harder? Yes,” Patterson said. “It’s even harder for older writers. You don’t meet many 52-year-old white males.”

“James Patterson says “you don’t see many 52-year-old white males” getting writing contracts these days.

This was said in a USA Today interview.

USA Today publishes a bestseller list with 150 entries. The day he was quoted, the following white men are on the bestseller list:”

“Ed Mylett (51-year-old white man)

Dr. Seuss (dead white man, would be 118)

James Clear (36-year-old white man)

David Sedaris (65-year-old white man)

Dav Pilkey (56-year-old white man)

James Patterson (75-year-old white man)

Eric Carle (dead white man, would be 93)”

“Stephen King (74-year-old white man)

Besser van der Kolk (79-year-old white man)

Alex Michaelides (45-year-old white man)

Bill O’Reilly (73-year-old white man)

Bill Martin, Jr. (dead white man, would be 106)

Robert Greene (63-year-old white man)”

David Baldacci (62-year-old white man)

James Patterson again! (75-year-old white man)

Bill Martin Jr. again! (dead white man, would be 106)

Eric Carle again! (dead white man, would be 93)

Charlie Mackesy (60-year-old white man)

Matt Haig (47-year-old white man)

“Graham Brown (53-year-old white man)

Robert Munsch (75-year-old white man)

Jack Carr (46-year-old white man)

Colm Toibin (67-year-old white man)

Lee Child (68-year-old white man)

Rob Fazio (38-year-old white man)

Amor Towles (58-year-old white man)”

“Sam McBratney (dead white man, would be 77)

Richard Osman (52-year-old white man) - this is the only “52-year-old white man” on the list, in Patterson’s defense.

Mark Manson (37-year-old white man)

Aaron Blabey (48-year-old white man)

Dale Carnegie (dead white man, would be 134)”

“Alan Shipnuck (40-year-old white man)

George Orwell (dead white man, would be 119)

Roger Priddy (62-year-old white man)

Gary Chapman (84-year-old white man)

John Sandford (77-year-old white man)

Louis Sachar (68-year-old white man)

William H McRaven (67-year-old white man)”

Chris Pavone (54-year-old white man)

James Kirchick (39-year-old white man)

Jeff Kinney (51-year-old white man)

James Patterson again again! (75-year-old white man)

J.D. Barker (51-year-old white man)

Vincent Ralph (white man, can’t find his age… maybe 40? Maybe younger?)

“William W Johnstone (dead white man, would be 84)

Dav Pilkey again! (56-year-old white man)

Rick Riordan (58-year-old white man)

Shel Silverstein (dead white man, would be 92)

White men make up 31% of the U.S. population and, whaddya know, they make up 33% of that list.”

“Whoops! Forgot the top spot, which was held by John Grisham, a 67-year-old white man.

5 are women of color, and one of those is Viola fucking Davis.

4 are men of color.

Nine. Nine whole spots out of 150 are taken by non-white authors.”

“If anything, he should mad at Colleen Hoover specifically as she holds twenty spots all on her own this week.”

“Dead white men are statistically as likely to be on the USA Today bestseller list as a person of color.”

“If you’re a writer from a historically marginalized community:

Get mad.

And then get your own contract.

I want to read your book.”

“Bet.

95% of books published between 1950 and 2018 were published by white people. In 2018, white authors made up 89% of published books, as analyzed by the NY Times.

twitter.com/Poo29Poo45/sta

source: nytimes.com/interactive/20”

“White authors account for 76% of all books published my major publishing houses from 2019-2021.

White people account for 64% of the overall population. We’re still be over-represented.

publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/in”

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