Latino: Why does Cookie Monster have to eat cookies? Why can’t he be, like… Veggie Monster?
Whitey: Yeah, man, the veggies!
Friend: ‘Cause Tom said so! That’s why he’s the Cookie Monster — ’cause he’s gotta eat cookies!
Latino and whitey: Really?
Friend: Yeah.
–Diner, 59th St
Black man: Do you listen to Linkin Park?
Confused LI whitey #1: Ummm, no.
Confused LI whitey #2: He only asked you that ’cause your white.
–Virgin Megastore
Overheard by: Frank T
Black girl: Hey, mister, can we pet your dog?
Tough guy with groomed white poodle on leash: Sure.
Black girl to friend: See, that’s what a poodle looks like when a white man owns it.
–10th & Christopher
White teen girl, about statue of Alexander Hamilton: Look at him! I mean, he’s such a dreamboat… That’s why he’s my favorite federalist.
Mom: And what did your class call him?
White teen girl: Hammy! And he was big pals with B-Frank, and Johnny Ads, and G-Dubya, and J-Marsh, and… And… And I can’t remember any more founding fathers, but of course they all had their own gangsta names, too. They were big pimpin’ over there in Independence Hall. The only things they were missing were the hos… And that’s why Abby A. wanted them to remember the ladies.
–Columbia University
Overheard by: That other girl
Black guy: Ah, shit, it’s starting to rain.
White passerby: Let’s make it rain on these niggas.
–Hudson & Spring
Overheard by: Jake Perlman-Garr
Black girl: Yo, white boy! Yo, white boy! [White guy ignores her, so she follows him.] White boy! Yo, white boy!
White guy: What?! How would you like it if I yelled, ‘Hey, black girl! Hey, black girl!’?
Black girl: No! It’s okay! I’m white — I went to Pratt.
–Bed-Stuy
Intellectual white guy: Happy Cinco de Mayo!
White hipster girl: Thanks! Did I mention I fucked a black guy last night?
–Penn Station
Overheard by: J Dizzle, attorney at large
Hobo: Yo! Where you girls from?
White teen girl: Your mom.
Hobo: Whoa, nigga, that’s crazy.
–Lincoln Center
Overheard by: Cface
White woman: How did I testify?
Lawyer: Not too bad.
White woman: Tell the truth — I was terrible.
Lawyer: No, it’s just that he put a lot of words in your mouth.
White woman: I know.
Lawyer: You have to develop an attitude like a black woman. When he says, ‘So, what you’re telling me is…,’ you have to say, ‘Don’t be puttin’ words in mah mouf! I said this. Don’t be twistin’ mah words to say I said that.’
White woman, dismayed: I’ll try.
–Hallway, Civil Court, 111 Centre St
Overheard by: Big Larry
Black girl: Okay, everybody, here’s where we learn to dance! Everybody repeat after me. To the left, to the right, to the left, to the right… [Passengers sway and laugh.]Sour WASP lady to adjacent white passenger: Is this what people are like when they’re on crack?
–3 train, 125th St
Overheard by: Rich Mintz
