Stereotypically Screwed

I was watching a video on You Tube where Drake invited this black girl from the audience on stage during one of his concerts. He hugged her and gave her a kiss on the forehead which resulted in her almost fainting with joy. I scrolled down to read one of the most annoying comments I have ever seen in my entire life.

Someone said: ‘She probably smelled. You know how black girls are.’  Ewo! I sat in my little room and the things I wished on whoever wrote that comment, I cannot even begin to express them. The anger I felt was enough to get me to produce a post like this and sensitize others about stereotypical comments like that. Stereotypes come across as very biased, discriminating and even racist.

Have you ever thought ‘Look at that white guy with the baggy low rise jeans and all that bling bling trying to act black’ or ‘Oh, he’s white so he can’t dance’. Or thought all women who wore too much make up, had fake hair or any enhanced body parts were easy dumb bimbos?  If yes, then you are guilty of stereotyping others.

A stereotype is a popular belief about specific types of individuals. Stereotypes are standardized and simplified conceptions of groups based on some prior assumptions. Another name for stereotyping is bias. Stereotyping can turn into discrimination if we misinterpret a bias and act upon it in a negative manner. Just because people come from the same cultural background does not guarantee that they share the same interests, have the same hobbies or the same mannerisms.

Many at times we do not realize when we use stereotypes on others like when we think the funny talking and slightly effeminate guy with a ‘too good to be true’ fashion sense is gay. But the minute someone uses a stereotype on us we retaliate immediately. A common annoying stereotype is the notion that all the people that live in Africa live in huts. If anyone asks me that one more time, I will bitch slap them to hell. Or that all black people love fried chicken. I was at work one day when a Madonna song came on the radio and I started humming to it which made a colleague who was standing next to me do a double take. After listening in for a few more seconds to make sure he was actually hearing what he thought and yes, I knew all the lyrics, he asked:

‘You know that lady?’

Me: ‘Um, yeah.’

Him: ‘How come? I thought you were from Africa.’

Me: ‘So?’

I have friends in Africa who listen to music from 3 Doors Down, Coldplay and U2, I would love to see your reaction to that…I didn’t actually say this but I was thinking it oh. I was stereotypically screwed. But seriously? Stereotypes are just so annoying. And while we’re at it, Africa is not a country. Baam!

Seriously, just because you watched ‘Coming To America’ and saw those girls jumping to some African song and dance routine doesn’t mean because I am African I can do that.

And what is it with body types? I have heard things like, ‘You know for a white girl you have a really black bum…’

Some of the most annoying stereotypes I have ever heard are

-Women in power are mean, lonely ass, sex-starved bitches.

-All men are strong. Really?

-All white people are racist.

-Black people especially men are good at sports. All black people can dance. All black people love rap and hip hop music. All black people have a ghetto background.

-Women are neat and like to cook and clean.

-All Middle Easterners are terrorists. How can that be fair?

-All blondes are dumb. This is one of the most popular stereotypes till date. Funny to think that it is based on something as mundane, insignificant and unbinding as hair colour.

-Pretty girls are never lonely.

-All Jamaicans or people with dreadlocks smoke weed. Another pathetic stereotype based on hairstyle.

-All black people are related.

-All step-mothers are wicked and evil.

-All women love to shop. Women are always late. Women take hours to dress up. Women spend hours gossiping.

-All black men are good in bed or have big, for lack of a better word, instruments. (And men, please stop using this one to your advantage. Allow a girl to testify).

-All West African men are 419.

-All lawyers are crooks. (This one could actually not be far from the truth, lol).

-All teenagers are rude and hate old people.

-All white people are rich.

-All Italians are in the mob.

-Wild animals such as lions, tigers and giraffes commune with Africans and live among them in their normal day to day life.

There are more than enough stereotypes out there. From gender stereotypes, to cultural ones, to sexual orientation to racial stereotypes. Please learn to know people for who they are instead of judging them based on concepts formed from prior knowledge that you have about a certain class that they might fit into.

Before stereotyping someone next time, think, would you like to judged based on your background, hairstyle, fashion sense or skin colour as well?

Stop stereopically screwing others.

What are the most annoying stereotypes you have ever heard? Or if you a story please share it with us.

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Thanks for reading and have a fun-tastic day!!