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Stereotypes not only apply to adolescents, but to regions and religions. For example, the average Israeli is stereotyped as a Zionist Jew when most Israelis don't follow a religion at all... or just because someone lives in the middle east, they are Islamic extremists.

It can be pretty funny, actually. We can have the a goth's person on what they classify as a 'prep' as being a shallow person, that only cares about aesthetics and all that jazz. At the same time, said 'prep' sees the goth person as someone who loves to dress in black, worship dark gods while hanging out in cemeteries, etc.

Or we can have the american stereotype of the middle-eastern person as a savage terrorist ready to blow themselves up at any minute. On the other hand, in other countries, (I can tell you that for sure, since I'm from Brazil) the americans fall into the warmonger stereotype - that all of them agree 100% with the war and so on.

We, as humans, fear what's different.

You were raised a devout christian, with loving parents whenever you need them; a straight A student - life is just swell. And you are mostly around people just like yourself. But one fine day, you look with the corner of your eye and see someone dressed in black, always complaining about this or that, or that life is pain. There has to be something wrong with him, right? I mean, he's not anything like YOU, like he should be. And you'll start to look down on him.

Not only people tend to separate other people by groups, as terranproby42 mentioned just above me here, we tend to have specific views on what's right or wrong. The way you were raised, the things you do, and more importantly, your beliefs are right; if anyone comes along saying anything that contradicts said beliefs, they're wrong. And not only will you try to prove yourself right, but you'll also try to force the other person into believing the same thing. If that doesn't happen, a spark of angst might come along between the two of you.

Now, bringing the two above paragraphs together, you might get a possible start of stereotyping. If I don't like that kid who dresses in black everyday, I mostly likely have an aversion for anyone who does the same. It's easier to shun or hate that way. Specially if you come up with a name for that 'group'.


However, this is the natural response. Well, maybe not natural, in the most raw sense of the word, since we can't know if someone raised in a completely different environment would express this 'racism', so to speak. By natural, I mean what we all become through growing up in today's western society. And those responses are carved deep in your mind. You probably know better than to be prejudist against this or that culture, sub-culture or whatever. But before the rational side of your brain can tell you that, your first impulse is the natural response. And I'll admit, when I read the 'nail polish' phrase, the first image that came to me was that Draven was either a goth or a more radical rocker (not that I think those are bad).

But, as societies evolve, so do the individual opinions. And some of those were directed to those prejudistic thoughts, and disaprove of them. So they started to spread the word, and try to convince everyone of the irrationality beneath racism and prejudice. Some of us adhered to it, some didn't.

My opinion? We are all the same, we are completely different. Not all black people are the same. Not all americans support war. Not all pro-war people are the same. But in the end, we are just humans.


Phew, that's it. Sorry for the long post, I kinda got carried away in this one. Keep in mind that those are my views here. I don't intend on preaching them as the absolute truth.

Well, I find that I absolutely agree with you on this one. I've been the victim of stereotypes for a large part of the last six years, and I'm quite honestly sick of it.

Oh, I am a radical rocker. It's part of my lifestyle, and for that, yes, I fit the stereotype. I am not your typical g0th, even though I do wear a lot of black. I don't h@te my life, though. I actually quite enjoy it, sicne I have someone to care about who I love very much. I use the energy to get around the stereotyping. That, and I wear blue every now and then.

Oh, MightyHikaru, you're a Dylan Thomas fan? Excellent.

I just noticed something... since the hell when they started to block out "g0th"? Jesus tap dancing christ. Soon they'll be blocking out "prep" and "black" too.

Anyways, I tend to get caught in stereotypes too. Most of the times when I'm nothing like that. I like wearing black, but not all the time. Just to go to the movies or something. And one time, when I was wearing black, this guy came to me and started saying that it was alright for me to be g0th, but to be careful, because there were gangs out there who don't like g0ths. What the hell...

And actually, I only know that poem from Dylan Thomas sweatdrop . But.. it's my favore Dylan Thomas poem already!

I was in the middle of making a response to this thread yesterday and I unfortunately had to log off quickly. sweatdrop So let me try and remember what I said.

Some of it relates to what Ultima Squall mentiones. We have them because they are true. A stereotype is simply a dirty way of saying label, category, or genera. They're all the same thing and all have generally the same function. They are umbrella terms that we stick people under if they appear to fit, ignoring for a moment the ways in which they do not. Funny how people get upset about stereotypes, and yet no so much about labels, categories, and genera. Things require labels for without such description, how do you go about communicating? Stereotypes are meant to facilitate communication in prime. How any individual person uses or abuses this is up to them.

Whoops...sorry.
Hmm...stereotypes in my opinion is how people try to pigeon hole the unknown to maek their world seem less certain, more safe. sure some people love to play the stereotype card but most of the time, we are growing to realise that stereotypes are ebing broken. for example. gay men are no longer effeminate men (and vice versa). Goths do not wear black EVERYWHERE they go etc.

While I agree that stereotypes are useful in communication, I also think that, in part, they were created so that the mind doesn't have to worry about any and all variables that come with individual people/items/objects, resulting in a mindmelt.

To go with the individual example;
Considering the amount of individuals that exist on this earth, and the limited amount a person meets in their lifetime, it's apparently of use to us stereotype those that are similar than it is to view them all as unknown individuals.

Labelling is a way to define something unknown. By defining it, you make it 'known' (or at least, tell yourself that, but hey..). If it's known, it's not a threat. Or at least not one you can't take precautions to that you perceive as appropriate.