It's very PiC (Politically inCorrect) to place any stock in stereotypes these days. Well let me correct myself, it's PiC to put stock in negative ones about minorities. White males are still fair game. Just watch TV. Any commercial with a goofball and a smart guy will typically have a black or Asian smart guy and goofy dumb white guy. Any commercial with a husband and wife will portray the wife as the smart one who knows about the right product or service and the husband (also usually white) as clueless.
Since whites are not going to be the majority in a few short years, but rather the plurality, i am interested to see if this will be the norm in 10 or 15 years. Will it be harder to make fun of white males since they too will be a minority, or easier since it's already the norm and the more marginalized you become, the harder to fight stereotype or injustice.
Today, a stereotype saved my life. i was riding my bike home from campus. As i pulled to the head of a street and was about to cross it and turn in, i saw a flashy new Lexus. i noticed that the man driving was wearing a nice striped polo and expenseive sunglasses. i autmotically assumed this was a man who was self-important and cluessless. i assumed that he wouldn't see me or pay attention and that even if he did, he wouldn't care or give me the right of way, despite his stop sign. i slammed on my brakes to wait, although i had the right of way and no stop sign. Lucky for me. Sure enough, he slowed for the stop sign saw no cars coming from his left (i was on the right) and pulled right on out. As he began to again pay attention to the direction his car was going, he saw me slammed on the brakes. He wasn't in danger of hitting me (he was a couple feet in front of me), but he didn't know if i was moving or stationary because he hadn't been paying attention. He then of course, glared at me. Anyone surprised? i wasn't.
Do i feel bad about stereotyping him? Yes. And why should i? Because society says so? Do i feel bad enough to change? Absolutely not. i like living too much for that. And for that, i make no apologies.
Since whites are not going to be the majority in a few short years, but rather the plurality, i am interested to see if this will be the norm in 10 or 15 years. Will it be harder to make fun of white males since they too will be a minority, or easier since it's already the norm and the more marginalized you become, the harder to fight stereotype or injustice.
Today, a stereotype saved my life. i was riding my bike home from campus. As i pulled to the head of a street and was about to cross it and turn in, i saw a flashy new Lexus. i noticed that the man driving was wearing a nice striped polo and expenseive sunglasses. i autmotically assumed this was a man who was self-important and cluessless. i assumed that he wouldn't see me or pay attention and that even if he did, he wouldn't care or give me the right of way, despite his stop sign. i slammed on my brakes to wait, although i had the right of way and no stop sign. Lucky for me. Sure enough, he slowed for the stop sign saw no cars coming from his left (i was on the right) and pulled right on out. As he began to again pay attention to the direction his car was going, he saw me slammed on the brakes. He wasn't in danger of hitting me (he was a couple feet in front of me), but he didn't know if i was moving or stationary because he hadn't been paying attention. He then of course, glared at me. Anyone surprised? i wasn't.
Do i feel bad about stereotyping him? Yes. And why should i? Because society says so? Do i feel bad enough to change? Absolutely not. i like living too much for that. And for that, i make no apologies.
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