I'm against stereotypes because often it only focuses on the minorities and exaggerate them. But it does have some truth in it. Either way, stereotypes create prejudice which is when you judge someone based on their skin colour, where they came from, where they were born, etc. without even meeting them. This includes racism. Stereotyping is basically branding based on a belief which is usually based on recent or past events. Only showing one side, often it's bad and based on minorities.
For an example, people in the Middle East, with 9/11 and the news (a.k.a. all news sources and the BS ones like The Onion or Fox News), it has created an impression that everyone from the Middle East are terrorists. That they will terrorize your country, etc. Of course, this is false.
Another example are Americans, the stereotype is that everyone has guns, conservative, red necks, racist, stupid, retarded, etc. when it's not the case.
Another example are Canadians and Canada, that it snows all year round, that Canadians say, "eh" a lot. Hell, I'm Canadian and almost all of the Canadians I know don't even use that word. It's more in the Western-centeral part of Canada where you will hear this.
So anyways, what are your thoughts with stereotypes. And post some stereotypes you know.
I'm not prejudice, but there's something in the back of my head that makes me a bit paranoid when I'm on a plane to new york and I'm sitting beside a shady looking middle eastern guy, or when a shady african-american guy walks in to a convenience store.
Well, not really the black guy in the convenience store, but the airport really sketches me out. I don't act any differently to any of these people, though.
I hate it how a lot of people that live in this generation has learned too much from television and the news, and that it have made them more stereotypical.
[QUOTE=Johan123;32462315]I hate it how a lot of people that live in this generation has learned too much from television and the news, and that it have made them more stereotypical.[/QUOTE]
Stereotypes (and people believing in stereotypes) is far from anything new, it's been a constant problem throughout mankinds history.
[editline]24th September 2011[/editline]
[QUOTE=polarbear.;32462300]I'm not prejudice, but there's something in the back of my head that makes me a bit paranoid when I'm on a plane to new york and I'm sitting beside a shady looking middle eastern guy, or when a shady african-american guy walks in to a convenience store.
Well, not really the black guy in the convenience store, but the airport really sketches me out. I don't act any differently to any of these people, though.[/QUOTE]
NNNnope that sounds a lot like prejudice to me, there's nothing wrong with acknowledging it though! You should ask yourself why you feel the way you do around "these people" (that's pretty offensive by the way). =)
[QUOTE=polarbear.;32462300]I'm not prejudice, but there's something in the back of my head that makes me a bit paranoid when I'm on a plane to new york and I'm sitting beside a shady looking middle eastern guy, or when a shady african-american guy walks in to a convenience store.
Well, not really the black guy in the convenience store, but the airport really sketches me out. I don't act any differently to any of these people, though.[/QUOTE]
Actually that could pass as a dictionary example for the word prejudice.
The inconvenient truth is
A. The human brain is built to form and recognize patterns.
B. The human body is built in line with this as well, to perform and perfect repetitive motions and rote behavior over and over.
C. Stereotypes are the codifying of the generalizational facets of those behaviors and traits into "types" or categories, usually for negative purposes.
The reason stereotypes exist is because they in fact, contain a generalized truth, no matter how negative or rude it would appear to be, and in almost every case of a presented stereotype, you can find an example, and if you couldn't, comics, writers and philosophers would be out of a job... and they aren't. Go ahead, find a nonphysical topical or sociopolitical comedy sketch that doesn't contain a generalization of behavior or a "demographic" in it somewhere. (protip, you can't, and in point of fact, people like Dennis Miller, Lewis Black and Chris Rock owe their careers to stereotype exploitation for the lulz)
As long as people use their brains as nature intended and sort stuff into broad accessible categories, there will be stereotypes, period... Of people, by people, for people.
The only rub is how temporaly or situationally accurate it is, and is it actually relevant or being judgmental.
I think we all bow to stereotypes one way or the other. If I see young, hodded middle eastern guys when I'm out in town (stereotypically tought of as troublemakers and criminals here) I'm immediately wary of them. Can't help it. I still rationalize that they probably aren't, but the feeling is definitely there.
wellp, looks like i'm a prejudice lemon
jews are greedy fuckers.
(sarcasm)
This isn't a debate, most people joke when they use stereotypes, but some seriously mean what they say, you can't tell everyone not to be stereotypical to each other, no one will listen.
People who stereotype someone to be rude are complete assholes. I'm completely fine when my friends sarcastically call me hipster or gay, but when someone calls me gay, I just want to punch them. I wouldn't care at all if I were gay nor am I insecure or anything about my sexuality, I just don't take something that is meant to be offensive to me lightly. Maybe I like to wear skinny jeans because I think I look good in them.
Punch people that are intentionally rude to you, I don't care if people are gay, since i'm bisexual.
Stereotypes are alright when they are done out of humor (such as between two friends), and not in any way are meant to offend someone. When it is done to offend someone, that is discrimination... so that's not alright.
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