# Do Black People Think That White People 'Smell'? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 19, 2003, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-black-people-think-that-white-people-smell/162575 "2003-03-19T16:09:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-black-people-think-that-white-people-smell/162575/41 "2016-08-07T02:06:13Z")
> [@Meatros](#): > > I would think that ‘odor’ is more related to what a person eats, as opposed to their race. > > For example: I’ve heard meat-eaters in general have a distinct odor. I don’t have a cite for this, it’s just something I’ve heard in casual conversation. As long as thing zombie seems to be walking pretty steady, I’ll contribute. My husband used to be vegan. The man had no body odor whatsoever. He could eat really spicy food, and nothing. After he was deployed to Iraq, he started eating dairy and eggs-- still no meat, but he just couldn’t get enough to eat if he didn’t eat dairy and eggs. He still eats them. Now, when he eats garlic, he gets nasty body odor, but only when he eats garlic. It’s the same body odor a lot of people get when they eat garlic. My father used to get it. It seems to be more common to men than women. If he doesn’t eat garlic-- or just eats very little of it-- he still has no body odor. The man never wears deodorant. It’s freaky. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-black-people-think-that-white-people-smell/162575/42 "2016-08-07T02:13:28Z")
I can detect the wet dog smell in my son, and I’m more caucasian than he is. He randomly ended up with lighter hair than the rest of us, so I wonder if that figures into it. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-black-people-think-that-white-people-smell/162575/43 "2016-08-07T03:38:29Z")
> [@MrMyth](#): > > **hrh** , that’s more than likely ‘black’ hair care products. No matter what the brand, they all smell like coconut. I’d like to meet the genius who thought that the only smell that would work on us is coconut - don’t seem to recall many of those growing in Africa. > > Ever since changing my diet a bit, though, I have noticed one other smell that most of my black friend’s homes have - its grease. Cooking oil, from all the frying going on. Its like smoking - once you stop doing it, you can suddenly smell it everywhere. > > I’ve also heard the ‘wet dog’ thing, and I’ve always felt it was more of a defense mechanism for racism in general. Years back, when I was a substitute teacher, it got to where I could tell the ethnic makeup of the student body by the smell in the hallway. Predominantly black schools had an unmistakable odor- not an unpleasant one, just a very noticeable one. I thought that was odd. What constituted the “black” smell I learned to recognize? As it turned out, Jeri Curl. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-black-people-think-that-white-people-smell/162575/44 "2016-08-07T05:36:13Z")
> [@Yorikke](#): > > To tweak this thread a little, I haven’t met an African-American who did not smell like coconut. A cosmetic or hair thing of some sort? Skin lotion, probably. Lots of North American blacks use some kind of skin lotion daily. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-black-people-think-that-white-people-smell/162575/45 "2016-08-07T05:42:44Z")
I think I started a thread similar to this year ago. I’ll go out on a limb here and say that to me black people do have a smell, and it is distinctive, and I don’t think you can nail it to diet because I’m sure they have as much variation in their diet as white people. And its probably likely that white people have a certain smell to other ethnicities as well. To me when my white children get wet they do have a wet dog smell, but it just seems to come from their hair. Now I haven’t smelled all people so it could be confirmation bias, but it could just be a majority of people from different groups have these smells but not every single individual. ---
**Author:** ![Alfishius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@Alfishius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alfishius)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-black-people-think-that-white-people-smell/162575/46 "2016-08-10T10:41:14Z")
No, human beings of different skin colors do not have different odors. How would a 0.1% DNA difference (that’s all there is between a white dude and a black dude) create a whole different body odor? Don’t be silly. It’s either commonly-used products like Jeri Curl that are used by certian ethnic groups causing you to think that they smell different, or it’s pure bullshit. Get some black and white people in a dark room, and put a blindfold on, and then see if you can tell white from black without hair care products or other chemical substances on their bodies. No touching or peeking - smell only. Let’s say it will cost you $100 for each person whose race you get wrong. How well do you think you would do? ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-black-people-think-that-white-people-smell/162575/47 "2016-08-10T15:10:39Z")
> [@Alfishius](#): > > No, human beings of different skin colors do not have different odors. How would a 0.1% DNA difference (that’s all there is between a white dude and a black dude) create a whole different body odor? Don’t be silly. Those “silly” scientists quoted in the study linked by **spamforbrains** in post #29 would beg to differ. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-black-people-think-that-white-people-smell/162575/48 "2016-08-12T01:06:33Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > Those “silly” scientists quoted in the study linked by **spamforbrains** in post #29 would beg to differ. That’s not about skin color. That’s about a specific gene that happens to be more common in East Asian populations. And it doesn’t produce a different odor–it merely reduces the odor. I know white people who have the gene. Lucky ducks don’t have to wear deodorant. Diet is a much better reason for different odors. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-black-people-think-that-white-people-smell/162575/49 "2016-08-12T01:51:58Z")
I’ve noticed that sweaty white people and sweaty black people largely smell the same. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-black-people-think-that-white-people-smell/162575/50 "2016-08-12T12:50:50Z")
White people smell like baloney. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-black-people-think-that-white-people-smell/162575/51 "2016-08-12T13:08:06Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > That’s not about skin color. That’s about a specific gene that happens to be more common in East Asian populations. And it doesn’t produce a different odor–it merely reduces the odor. > > I know white people who have the gene. Lucky ducks don’t have to wear deodorant. > > Diet is a much better reason for different odors. The post I quoted claimed that “a 0.1% DNA difference” could not possibly be a reason for different body odors among humans. The study shows we know of one instance where genetics does influence odor - less/no odor = different. ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-black-people-think-that-white-people-smell/162575/52 "2016-08-12T15:00:29Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > I’ve noticed that sweaty white people and sweaty black people largely smell the same. I worked for years in close proximity to 2 black guys and 2 white guys, all doing strenuous labor 7 days a week and sharing a long car ride to and from work. Can’t say anybody smelled much better, worse, or different. Worst BO I’ve smelled in years was on a recent plane flight, cute little white “hippy chick” (hipster chick?) walking down the aisle, me on the aisle seat. She had to pause by me for a bit and damned near gagged me, I don’t think I could have endured sitting next to her for a couple of hours. And not disheveled or “dirty” looking, just reeking. I think not using deodorant is some sort of a statement these days, but damn. ---
**Author:** ![Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90ced4/32.png) [@Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waltzes_with_Cacti)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-black-people-think-that-white-people-smell/162575/53 "2016-08-12T21:03:34Z")
> [@Duke\_of\_Rat](#): > > … I think not using deodorant is some sort of a statement these days… There is widespread scuttlebut that deodorants cause breast cancer and antiperspirants cause dementia. None of that is substantiated, AFAIK, but some women have stopped using the products. It’s possible, **Duke** , that your odiferous hippy chick believes the rumors. Talking about odors from diet: I once sat next to a Pakistani businessman on a flight from Frankfurt to Boston. He was pleasant, well-dressed and well-spoken but, dear heaven above, how that man _reeked_. :eek: A fetid miasma of curry and garlic emanated from every one of his pores. The stench was so strong it was practically visible. Whenever he exchanged a few words with me, I feared his breath would knock me out. Worse, the smell was catching; it migrated onto my clothing. When my husband picked me up at Logan, he kissed me, then recoiled and asked if they’d served curry on the plane. I wonder how my stinky seatmate fared at Customs and Immigration. Is smelling really bad grounds for denying someone entry? ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-black-people-think-that-white-people-smell/162575/54 "2016-08-13T01:07:59Z")
I once knew a black person who didn’t have a nose. ---
**Author:** ![Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90ced4/32.png) [@Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waltzes_with_Cacti)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-black-people-think-that-white-people-smell/162575/55 "2016-08-13T21:24:45Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > I once knew a black person who didn’t have a nose. Michael Jackson? ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2016, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-black-people-think-that-white-people-smell/162575/56 "2016-08-14T01:13:19Z")
Everyone smells bad if they don’t shower often enough. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2016, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-black-people-think-that-white-people-smell/162575/57 "2016-08-14T17:17:06Z")
I can’t believe that I am saying this on a public message board, but I believe that blacks do have a distinctive odor when they begin to sweat. I remember as a six year old asking my father “why black people stink.” My father was against any form of racial bigotry, but I didn’t understand why he chastised me for it. He said that not all black people stink, and that many white people do because they are too poor to afford soap. (I guess that was good enough for a six year old). I’ll be damned though, if I cannot discern a distinct difference. When white people sweat, we stink. Blacks do as well, but it is a different sort of stink I cannot really describe. All of the standard disclaimers about not being racist, but there is a difference, and I am sure that blacks think we stink as well. Next installment: Asking Dad what a “faggot” was and did he think I was one. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2016, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-black-people-think-that-white-people-smell/162575/58 "2016-08-14T17:19:23Z")
I’ve been told my clean smell is like that of baking bread. ---
**Author:** ![yorick73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b5a626/32.png) [@yorick73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yorick73)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-black-people-think-that-white-people-smell/162575/59 "2016-08-15T03:20:13Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I’ve been told my clean smell is like that of baking bread. Probably just a yeast infection. Nothing that an anti fungal won’t take care of. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Alfishius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@Alfishius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alfishius)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2016, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-black-people-think-that-white-people-smell/162575/60 "2016-09-03T02:15:45Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > I’ve noticed that sweaty white people and sweaty black people largely smell the same. Yup. The scientific term for it is “pit stank”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-black-people-think-that-white-people-smell/162575.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-black-people-think-that-white-people-smell/162575.md?page=4)