While I do think archetypes are necessary for societies to function, stereotypes are dangerous to play with unless there’s an excessive amount of confidence between the players.
The problem is when someone who isn’t really your friend makes a joke that is really intended as an offence. Then it becomes racism (or sexism, or religious intolerance, or whatever the stereotype is related to). I could cite my country’s problem, but I’m not sure if I should.
On an unrelated note, nobody show go on not having watched Rashomon!
Ah, the classic backhanded insult! In that case, yes, if used as a thinly-veiled jibe by an enemy, they can be incendiary indeed! I think stereotypes are known by everyone, it’s just that not everybody can discuss them in a calm and rational manner. And it offends me when people use it to dismiss entire classes of people (like some of my friends or family members would say “What do you expect? That kind of people are always like so and so” and it riles me).
Ok, I don’t really speak English, so I botch half the sentences I write. I kind of fixed it. I meant everybody should have watched Rashomon.
Even when people don’t really intend to make an offence, but they thing they’re just being funny, I think it’s bad taste. Some even think they’re making a pass at you with their stupid jokes!
Yeah, humour can be a double-edged sword. Different people have different tastes, experiences, knowledge, and tolerance levels.
My rule of thumb is that I can stand ignorant people, cos’ we all are to an extent. So if a person from a rural country in Africa has the perception that, say, all Caucasian people speak English, you can’t blame him/her for not knowing. You can’t look down on a person for being stupid.
But if a person is being mean/nasty when he/she knows better, then I can’t take that. If a person has access to newspapers, TV, and (especially) the Internet, yet forms a negative or narrow-minded view of a certain group of people, then, really, there’s no excuse for pleading ignorance. In this case, you can look down on a person for being an A-hole.
It is better to be an *** than an A-hole.
With regard to people making jokes which accidentally offend people, again the “ignorance rule” applies. If the person didn’t know that his/her audience takes offense, then it is a forgiveable mistake. But if the person repeatedly does it to annoy someone, or approaches someone who he/she knows will take offense, then that person is being rude.
And I haven’t encountered anyone making a pass at me with a stereotypical joke (“Hey TDIT, you wanna solve my quadratic equations, you handsome nerd?”) but I can imagine it would be pretty irritating!
Well, because probably that happens mostly (if not exclusively) to women. Especially with certain stereotypes. I made the case of hair colour in my first post, but there are others.
For me, i fall under the nerd/geek category. As well as the hillbilly or country bumpkin one (ironic i like bluegrass too).
I don’t look like them though. I don’t wear glassesor suspenders or plaid shirts and straw hat’s. maybe a fedora from time to time (in private…because fedora’s are very atypically seen in public nowadays) and a trench coat every now and then. But i look relatively average and plain at a glance.
I really don’t know anyone who wears suspenders or plaid shirts. I do wear glasses because both my parents nave bad eyesight, the funny thing is somepeople look better with them then without, when it coems to looks I will never understand why people wear contacts. If they loose them easily or break them alot I can understand but looks?
I dont have bad eyesight but if i ever wear glasses (more particularly rectangle framed ones), i will probably rue the day i start wearing them.
(Why? You ask. Because i apparently have the cursed expectation i own a TARDIS and wear a long brown duster and blue suit in my off time. The glasses will increase this expectation sadly).
From my experiences traveling in the United States, I have become to be familiar with how other people see Californians.
*Do you surf? (No, the water is too cold in Northern California!)
*California, wow they do a lot of pot there! (Very true, but I don’t!)
*Have you been to Hollywood? (Nope!!! Again, I’m a Northern Californian)
*Do you know celebrities? (Nope! But the likes of John Lasseter and Lady Gaga have been 'round these parts)
*You must be super familiar with earthquakes! (Not really, only a couple in my 20 years!)
*You must be rich! (No, but I see where this comes from. California is so expensive)
Most people expect me to be a super liberal surfer dude that kicks it at the beach with celebs. Basically a Southern Californian stereotype. Lots of people don’t realize that there’s enough of a difference between the two, where several attempts have been made to break the state up! Lifestyles are kinda different.
Exactly! But it especially bothers me when people attribute things Socal is known for to Norcal. Like Hollywood (lots of people here haven’t been there, in SoCal due to being closer, there’s a larger chance). And the surfer/beach thing (There are a lot more surfers down there than up here). That never made sense to me.
Well, a lot of people in Southern Tucson seem to be bothered by the fact that (supposedly) we’re looked at as uneducated multi-racial people who are not likely to get very good jobs nor would we care to. Even if people do think that, I really don’t care because I am my own kind of person altogether. I could have been born in Texas, California, or New York for all I cared. My constant desire to to learn and discover patterns and statistics has always been in my DNA. Personally, if someone thinks that about me, I’ll just carry on with my life and enjoy the things I like doing best, and have fun doing it.
I have never seen a tornado in my life, they always seemed to pass my city. I think that’s a good thing though.
When the movie night starts I’m kinda exited to hear what you guys sound like.
Here’s a pretty cool forum about different places. People talk about cities, states, countries, culture, accents, food, and much more. I like seeing quite a few post are about the midwest seeing as how everyone else sees as as “flyover country”. It’a also cool seeing people talk about other countries and other countries talking about America. I’m thinking about joining.
I’m from Scotland. I don’t have an accent. I’ve never worn a kilt. I think haggis is repulsive. I don’t hate the English, I’m not an alcoholic (would be weird at my age) and my skin is a tan, I repeat, tan, not blue, colour. And finally, no, I’ve never encountered a demon bear. Thank you.
… I love stereotypes of Scottish people! They’re fun to play around with.
I was referring to the obvious “dumb blonde” stereotype in my previous posts (I wonder if any other blond here has gotten that too?), but there’s also other kind of stereotypes I’ve noticed.
It has to do, I suppose, with the absurd belief that “blondes are fun”. That’s just another way of saying that blondes like to party and be promiscuous.
Even worst, is that it’s couple with other features, like blue eyes, and the fact that I’m somewhat tall and willowy, which more or less appear to have the same connotations. That apparently makes they think you must be a “wild” and “easy” girl, which is even farthest from the true than saying I’m a giraffe.
My first crush was a blonde girl back in 1st grade so I never cared for the dumb blonde thing. One of my best friends is blonde but he’s a guy and I think the dumb blonde usually goes to girl blondes.
Yes, that shows that there’s also sexism in that stereotype.
Unlike my sister, I’m not blond myself, but I obviously also hate the stereotype. She’s actually the cleverest person I know Actually, most of the blondes I know are quite intelligent, if I remember rightly.
The stereotype about being promiscuous enrages me even more. Anyone who is acquainted to my sister knows she’s the most serious woman there is, regardless of what her hair colour is, or how does she looks. I’m pretty sure that kind of comments can only come from jealous females and pathetic males.
As for me, I don’t know if I’ve ever been labelled with a stereotype, but I don’t think so. If anything, people who barely know me, may falsely think I’m artsy or snob because my choice of career. But I’m pretty sure that fades once they get to understand who I am.
Actually, most of the blondes I know are quite intelligent, if I remember rightly.