But The Stereotypes Are True
As I was watching the movie "Finding Neverland" there were several references to "Injuns", which stood out because of its politically incorrectness. In today's social climate, this is a definite faux pas when referring to Native Americans.
I'm very conscious of negatives stereotypes, having for so many years dealt with many of some rather unpleasant ones. Consequently, I make a concerted effort to get beyond my own biases. This is not to say, I don't still make some judgements based on those very stereostypes I find inappropriate. Some of the stereotype are true.
Are stereotypes okay if they're positive? You often hear people proudly identifying with certain "positive" associations. But this, too, can have a negative effect. Imagine the plight of the Black guy, with the small penis, who can neither dance nor play basketball? Oh, the horror!
What stereotypes are you [consciously or unconsciously] perpetuating?
There is a uniquely humorous treatment of this subject featured in the blog post "Bill Maher Is My Hero". Although two of my favorite comedians are Richard Pryor and Chris Rock, much of their humor involves the comparison of groups of people ...Black people vs. White people. This is very common among ethnic comedians who compare the traits of their own ethnicity to those of anothers. The comedian Carlos Mencia is currently enjoying success as an equal opportunity assailant of all cultures and stereotypes. His humor is so insulting that you're forced to see the ridiculousness of all this political correctness.
Admittedly, I respond to the humor; some of the stereotypes are true. However, I reject the notion that all the people of any group are of a single mindset. I long for an America where people, still drawing their sense of self from their respective heritages, incorporate all that into just being American.
We draw a lot of strength from all this diversity, but we give so much credence to those diverse elements that we end up being a conglomeration of disparate factions ...each with its own culture, language, attitudes, and biases ...and as it turns out, some with considerable disdain for America itself.
After all, if you're so steep in your culture, so unyielding to change, then why the hell are you here. Go back to where that culture exist. It comes down to the old adage, "American, love it or leave it". You want to avail yourself of the socio-economic benefits of this country? You should be willing to be a part of it.
I consider myself an enlighten American, an enlightened human being, but I'm constantly being taunted by internal whispers and nudges from past attitudes, attitudes I thought I'd outgrown and overcome. Why does that shit from the past still linger on.
For the answer, I draw on this analogy. If you can imagine a jellyfish, floating on the surface of the water, looking rather benevolent and serene, you're unaware of all the tentacles below the surface. At the end of each of those tentacles is a painful experience. For each of us, that experience is tied to something in the past, which is never really past, and is therefore tied to our present. It affects our being, our perceptions, and colors our reality. The only way to become untethered is to re-visit the "sting" of that yet-unresolved experience.
So when I take my enlightened approach to so many of societies circumstances, I'm always being surprised that somewhere, beneath the surface, I'm still reacting in a manner that's the very antithesis of what I claim to believe and stand for, what I aspire to.
I don't thinks it's hypocritical to cling to one's "aspirations" even if they've not been completely realized. After all, perceiving one's self as successful, (in whatever area), is necessary to create the reality in which this can come to fruition. The ends are, in fact, always inherent in the means. Successful people have always thought of themselves as successful. This is a stereotype that is true.
I'm very conscious of negatives stereotypes, having for so many years dealt with many of some rather unpleasant ones. Consequently, I make a concerted effort to get beyond my own biases. This is not to say, I don't still make some judgements based on those very stereostypes I find inappropriate. Some of the stereotype are true.
Are stereotypes okay if they're positive? You often hear people proudly identifying with certain "positive" associations. But this, too, can have a negative effect. Imagine the plight of the Black guy, with the small penis, who can neither dance nor play basketball? Oh, the horror!
What stereotypes are you [consciously or unconsciously] perpetuating?
There is a uniquely humorous treatment of this subject featured in the blog post "Bill Maher Is My Hero". Although two of my favorite comedians are Richard Pryor and Chris Rock, much of their humor involves the comparison of groups of people ...Black people vs. White people. This is very common among ethnic comedians who compare the traits of their own ethnicity to those of anothers. The comedian Carlos Mencia is currently enjoying success as an equal opportunity assailant of all cultures and stereotypes. His humor is so insulting that you're forced to see the ridiculousness of all this political correctness.
Admittedly, I respond to the humor; some of the stereotypes are true. However, I reject the notion that all the people of any group are of a single mindset. I long for an America where people, still drawing their sense of self from their respective heritages, incorporate all that into just being American.
We draw a lot of strength from all this diversity, but we give so much credence to those diverse elements that we end up being a conglomeration of disparate factions ...each with its own culture, language, attitudes, and biases ...and as it turns out, some with considerable disdain for America itself.
After all, if you're so steep in your culture, so unyielding to change, then why the hell are you here. Go back to where that culture exist. It comes down to the old adage, "American, love it or leave it". You want to avail yourself of the socio-economic benefits of this country? You should be willing to be a part of it.
I consider myself an enlighten American, an enlightened human being, but I'm constantly being taunted by internal whispers and nudges from past attitudes, attitudes I thought I'd outgrown and overcome. Why does that shit from the past still linger on.
For the answer, I draw on this analogy. If you can imagine a jellyfish, floating on the surface of the water, looking rather benevolent and serene, you're unaware of all the tentacles below the surface. At the end of each of those tentacles is a painful experience. For each of us, that experience is tied to something in the past, which is never really past, and is therefore tied to our present. It affects our being, our perceptions, and colors our reality. The only way to become untethered is to re-visit the "sting" of that yet-unresolved experience.
So when I take my enlightened approach to so many of societies circumstances, I'm always being surprised that somewhere, beneath the surface, I'm still reacting in a manner that's the very antithesis of what I claim to believe and stand for, what I aspire to.
I don't thinks it's hypocritical to cling to one's "aspirations" even if they've not been completely realized. After all, perceiving one's self as successful, (in whatever area), is necessary to create the reality in which this can come to fruition. The ends are, in fact, always inherent in the means. Successful people have always thought of themselves as successful. This is a stereotype that is true.
posted 22 August 2006
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