Stereotypes: True or Pure Bologna?

[BabyGirl]

[color=deeppink]Recently I have been spending time around numerous people who have very strong racial views. One of them grew up just outside of Detroit and doesn't have much love for African Americans. The other grew up outside of Minniapolis and feels the same as the one who lived near Detroit.

Now, both of these people are Caucasian males, one is 19 and the other is 20. That information may be relevant or irrelevant, depending on how you view these following opinions...

Both of these males feel that stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason. Most children have been taught to see everyone as an equal, regardless of race or gender. But why?

Isn't there a reason that every race and gender has stereotypes? Why should those particular stereotypes be taboo topics of conversation? Why shouldn't we be able to poke fun at generalizations if they really DO sum up a certain race? Stereotypes evolved from somewhere, most likely from the gender itself.

So my question is, since stereotypes DO exist, is it good or bad to indulge in those stereotypes for a laugh? Should we see everyone as equal even if they've brought a bad name upon themselves or their race? I'm starting to lean toward these guys' views [on stereotypes having more fact to them than fiction] and feel a lot less guilty laughing at racial jokes; is that a bad thing? Or is it simply normal?

You be the judge.[/color]

[Semjaza]

To an extent I guess it's all good. I make fun of white people (like really overly white people hah), and I'm white. Most of my friends are black or hispanic, and even they make these jokes (about their own races even sometimes). I personally totally avoid saying anything like that myself, but as long as I know someone is totally kidding when they do it, I don't mind it all that much. I've been called various white slang words (which are supposedly bad lol), and I don't really care one way or the other. I just really don't find racial jokes funny, just like I HATE mom jokes.

However, even if someone is kidding there is a line... and it's a very thin one in terms of this.

[Mitch]

[color=red] It is fine to poke fun at it to an extent. But when you go as far as to cross the line and offend someone about it, then that's where I believe it should be left no farther. Denying to see someone as a human being just because they are stereotypical is very bad in what I believe. But really, it isn't good to prejudice towards someone or something just because of who they are. That's something that is unchangeable, intuitional. It is wrong to meddle with someone because you believe that they are wrong as a person. It is wrong because that is denying them even the recognition in your mind that they are what they are, even if you don't like it.

I think that racially everyone [i]should[/i] be handeled equally. I mean, we are all humans. Just because someone has a darker pigment to their skin does not deny them the fact that they are human. So to look down on someone because of what they cannot control I believe is wrong in every sense of it. But just poking a little fun has a line to where it can be had, and where it can't be had.[/color]

[Kinetic]

[color=darkblue][size=1]
I agree with Semjaza. I believe that stereotypes have the slightest truth to them and you can laugh at them, but I'm not going to go and poke fun. I simply believe that it depends on the individual person you are talking about.
[/color][/size]

[Break]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Semjaza Azazel [/i]
[B] I just really don't find racial jokes funny, just like I HATE mom jokes.[/B][/QUOTE]

[size=1][color=green]No wonder you got mad.. V_V

The way I see it, sterotypes are usually okay because they are stereotypes for a reason. Stereotypes are what the whole race have in common, normally, and 90% it's true.

I am against the racist side of stereotypes (if that makes sense). I myself am not racist (in that I treat them unfairly), but I do use quite a lot of stereotypes.

In South Africa, there are laws in place to protect black people from racism. What if the black people there are the stereotypes for criminals? Well, I am not being racist, but most of them are, a lot of them are violent and live on the street and follow people (like me -.-) around.

Don't take that offensively.[/size][/color]

[BabyGirl]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Break [/i]
[B][size=1][color=green]
Don't take that offensively.[/size][/color] [/B][/QUOTE]

[color=deeppink]That's one of my points right there. You shouldn't [i]have[/i] to apologize for reciting a stereotype, because it's a stereotype for a reason.[/color]

[Gavin]

[color=teal]In Ireland where I live theres a lot of tension and rascist activities up in Northern Ireland, the conflict is fueled by two main sides, the catholic republicans (IRA, the real IRA, continuity IRA) and the protestant unionists (UVF, UDA, Red Hand defenders), boths sides are just terrorists harrassing innocernt people for their creesd or views and it is becuase of people that think an odd rascist joke is ok starts that sort of crap, so no rascist jokes or fun is not ok, because it leads on to much worse stuff.[/color]

[conpiracymonki]

[b][size=1]
I don't mind being poked with a little joke if it's meant to be humourous (sp?). Actually, I don't even mind being called something when it's meant to offend. But what I can't take is when people do that to other people. I laugh at racist jokes too, but I'm rarely the one to crack them.[/b]

Overall, I think stereotyping people is bad, because you don't know each person you are sterotyping, and (if it's in the case of colour or race) you are denying them being their own person, and putting them into a category of what they're like purely because of something they had no choice in, like their colour.[/size]

[Break]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by BabyGirl [/i]
[B][color=deeppink]That's one of my points right there. You shouldn't [i]have[/i] to apologize for reciting a stereotype, because it's a stereotype for a reason.[/color] [/B][/QUOTE]

[size=1][color=green]But for some reason, so many take it as offence -.-;;;;;[/size][/color]

[Genkai]

well, what if the stereotype IS OFFENSIVE? that might be a reason to take offense...

[conpiracymonki]

[b][size=1]
Why shouldn't they take it as offence, Weh?
It's like just labelling you as 'white', or 'brown' or 'yellow' or 'stickman' or whatever, and then just being expected to be like everyone else labelled like that.[/b]

It's not right.[/size]

[Semjaza]

I think one of the reasons people take offense is because it's so hard to gauge how serious someone is when they say that sort of thing.

As it is, most stereotypes have truth to them. But they are hardly like 90% true, as most are based off some person's experience with like a few people. Not all blacks are criminals, not all Jews are cheap, not all blondes are stupid. Of course if you think these things already, you already have these people pigeonholed into a group and you probably won't let them out of it.

Reminds me of those movies where some guy hates some people based on a stereotype until one of them saves his life.

[Mitch]

[color=red] People take offence because they are prejudice. It's as simple as that.[/color]

[BabyGirl]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Mitch [/i]
[B][color=red] People take offence because they are prejudice. It's as simple as that.[/color] [/B][/QUOTE]

[color=deeppink]Eh? But didn't you say that you think "offending" someone with a racial joke is wrong? How can someone be prejudice if they're bothered by a generalization that is most likely true?

o_O I apologize, for this subject confuses me.[/color]

[Narius]

to think these stereotypes to yourself is natural, you can't controll what you think. BUT to say that These people brought the stereotypes upon themselves? I think thats the worst thing I've ever read in my life. Im sorry to trample on any view point you may have, but simply because the African American people these two knew were a certain way in no way intails that all African Americans should be seen the same. People are people, you don't get born and simply because you're black your a criminal, same with every other race, the way people are is a direct relation to how they were raised and who they associated with, Race has absolutely nothing to do with it, its been genetically proven that one race is not more likely to have personality "defects" than another. And to say most African American people are Criminals Breaks is possibly the most ignorant thing I have ever seen in my life.

[BabyGirl]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Narius [/i]
[B]And to say most African American people are Criminals Breaks is possibly the most ignorant thing I have ever seen in my life. [/B][/QUOTE]

[color=deeppink]He was merely giving an example. As for your opinion, I thought a lot like you did until I heard more of what these guys had to say. I slowly started to accept that, while you can't judge a person simply because of stereotypes on their race or gender, you CAN see why stereotypes were produced in the first place.

If you let yourself be more receptive to other opinions, you may learn a thing or two.[/color]

[James]

[color=royalblue]Well, stereotypes are simply the uneducated viewpoint.

I mean, a stereotype develops as a common perception. But more often than not, it's untrue.

Once again, think about the stereotype of Australians. We are often shown or depicted as cowboy-like characters who live in the outback with very little in the way of sophistication.

But that stereotype is 99.999% untrue. About 98% of Australians [i]do not[/i] live in the Outback...and that same number (98%) live in metropolitan regions.

So you have to ask, how did that stereotype occur? It occured largely via media and entertainment. The popular view is not always the [i]correct[/i] view.

The same goes for black people or whoever else. If your parents bring you up and teach you that stereotypes of black people are true...then you will believe it. And until you have black friends, you probably won't even question it.

So, you have to look at the cause of stereotypes. Sometimes the highly publicized actions of a few will create a blanket stereotype for the entire group.

That is why stereotypes are most often wrong, because they are based on an uninformed generalization, rather than being based on an informed and experienced perspective.[/color]

[Narius]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by BabyGirl [/i]
[B][color=deeppink]He was merely giving an example. As for your opinion, I thought a lot like you did until I heard more of what these guys had to say. I slowly started to accept that, while you can't judge a person simply because of stereotypes on their race or gender, you CAN see why stereotypes were produced in the first place.

If you let yourself be more receptive to other opinions, you may learn a thing or two.[/color] [/B][/QUOTE]

I need not learn a thing or two from racists factions who dislike African americans, I would rather see people as what they are, not what other people pretend they are thank you very much, do not belittle my ability to judge people without the use of color of skin, it degrades me and make me wonder why I bother talking to someone so close minded that they would agree with people who are descriminate towards colors of people.

Now You can't simply see why stereotypes were created through people of today, people of today ARE NOT STEREOTYPICAL. Individuality is at a point where if you follow a group you are an outcast. African americans are not all hanging out on the street shooting people, there are more well renouned, highly intelligent, hard working african americans than there are Gansters now a days, though you would not hear about them over the killings in South Central L.A. My point stands judging people by skin color is wrong and I'm amazed, appauled and sickened by the fact that so many people on this board agree with it.

[Adam]

Stereotypes might exist for a reason right now but perpetuating them helps to make them exist in the future. I think that sometimes people subconsciously mold themselves into their stereotypes if they hear them often enough...So I think they're a dangerous thing. (Though I still laugh at the jokes...)

[Charles]

Well, I've learned that there's a little bit of truth in every stereotype. But, it's the harsh generalizations that arise out of stereotypes that lead to discrimination and racism.

When people associate superficial biological differences with variations in psychological, intellectual, and behavioral makeup, they may feel justified in treating members of a distinctive group in discriminatory ways. When they begin to assume all people of a particular gender, ethnicity, shape or size act or live in a particular way, they're exhibiting ignorance.

Presently, many people stereotype Muslims as terrorists. It's okay to believe such nonsense. But, when individuals act upon these stereotypes and discriminate upon Muslims and infringe upon their rights to obtain jobs or enjoy privileges in society, [I]then[/I] stereotyping is wrong.

So, yeah, my belief is that [b]everyone[/b] believes certain stereotypes, no matter how small. I suppose it's human nature. As long as these stereotypes don't affect the treatment of a certain people and result in discriminatory actions, then stereotyping isn't necessarily a big deal.

[BabyGirl]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Narius [/i]
[B]My point stands judging people by skin color is wrong and I'm amazed, appauled and sickened by the fact that so many people on this board agree with it. [/B][/QUOTE]

[color=deeppink]Slow down and take a closer look. I didn't mean to offend (aha, that word) you, but no one on here has actually agreed with stereotypes. If I'm closed minded for accepting (and yet not fully agreeing with) two different points of view, then I'd hate to think what you consider people who only accept one point of view.[/color]

[wrist cutter]

The main problem with stereotypes is they create a group of holier-than-thou people who go around playing cop with everyone else.

Example:
"So, yesterday I went to a Mexican restaurant..."
"Excuse me, you went [i]where[/i]?"
"A Mexican restaurant."
"You incosiderate a-hole, it's [i]Spanish-American[/i] restaurant."

That specific example has never occured with me, but equally ludicrous ones have. It's not just skin color either... lotsa people out there hot on the spot to break to protect all kinds of minorities.

[Dan L]

My main problem with stereotypes is that they're all bad. I have NEVER known a good stereotype. Some people are stereotyped to be stupid, fat, violent, dull, arrogant, and all sorts of other things. You don't have a "smart but nice" stereotype, you have "geeky" and "stuck up". The main problem is, they lead the way to prejudice. It's like BabyGirl said, those two guys don't have much love for African Americans [i]WHY THE HELL NOT!?![/i].. you [i]can't[/i] generalise a group of individual people and think that it's going to be anywhere near universally true. And in the same way, you can't act upon a generalisation in the same way to every individual you come across.

Now, I do half agree with you here.. these stereotypes do come from somewhere, otherwise they wouldn't exist. The trouble is we don't take absolutely everything into account. There are a large number of black criminals, which is where that stereotype comes from. What we often forget is that there is also a very large number of white criminals, but we just forget about them, because they're in a completely different "criminal" stereotype. Generally, we make stereotypes of pretty much everything [i]except ourselves[/i]. Lots of black people in South Africa follow white people around, My mum knows someone who was hijacked at his home in South Africa, by black people. Why do they do that? Because White people went over there and decided to take over for a long time. Again, it's due to [i]more stereotypes[/i], and you can't say that the stereotypes black people use are any less valid than white people's stereotypes.

So yeah... stereotypes came from somewhere.. and I don't fully object to the odd joke about it, as long as it's tasteful and not meant in an offensive way, but I do NOT IN ANY WAY believe that there is ANY absolute truth in stereotypes, as you can't generalise a group of people.

To illustrate, I'll stereotype the entire human race: Ignorant, destructive, arrogant and greedy.

There are countless examples of people who are actually like this.. so you can't really say it's untrue without dismissing any [i]absolute[/i] (i.e. no exceptions) truth in stereotypes as a whole.

[Mitch]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by BabyGirl [/i]
[B][color=deeppink]Eh? But didn't you say that you think "offending" someone with a racial joke is wrong? How can someone be prejudice if they're bothered by a generalization that is most likely true?

o_O I apologize, for this subject confuses me.[/color] [/B][/QUOTE]

[color=red]That has nothing to do with me. It isn't my fault people are prejudice, but that's the way they are. Just because I think offending is wrong doesn't mean people don't do it. It actually happens quite often. Heck, a little bit ago I was walking to my locker and someone ran into me and said "****er get out of my way," so it does happen. Even though that is kind of a weak example, I'm certain that in your life, Jenna, you've seen how prejudice people can be. [/color]

[Darkness]

[color=blue]I do believe that there is some truth in some stereotypes, but not in all. Like someone said earlier, alot of the stereotype material comes from popular media, which for entertainment reasons, usually takes things to the extreme.
What bothers me about all this is that you (BabyGirl) mentioned that you are starting to lean their (your two friends) way. Whereas I don't know their reason (ignorant parenting, childhood tradegy, or whatever) for disliking Black people, I also don't know what reason you would have for accepting their hateful train of thought. Right now, I think you're one of the nicest individuals on the boards, and this simply surprises me. Regardless of stereotypes, national stigmas, etc. I figured that you of all people would judge someone based on how they act and what they do. I've always liked you, but frankly I'm disappointed.[/color]