American stereotypes?

Have you seen the movie "Easy Rider"? heh
dam rednecks

 

that's an awesome movie

 

I believe you. Other countries seem to like to pretend that The U.S. is the only place with stereotypes, but human nature is the same wherever you go. And stereotyping is apparently part of human nature, unfortunately.

 

Easy Rider is a very racist movie. Seriously, real "rednecks" aren't violent evil people, they're just people, some are violent and evil, but no more so than any other broad group of people.

It sucks being part of the only racial group (rural white americans, commonly referred to by the racist term "redneck") that it is socially acceptable to be racist against.

Oh wait... I forgot, it's not racism if you're talking about those stupid inbred rednecks

 

Monkey, thats not quite correct...you are also allowed to make fun of fat people, and a fat redneck...better watch out!

and French people, for some reason you can make fun of them to.

 

Oh yeah, I forgot about fatties and frogs.

Overweight french-cajuns must have it the worst!

 

Dude!

Here in sunny southern California, we start the day with a bowl of granola, offer a ritual greeting to the sunrise, and then go to the beach to spend the day surfing.

or

We preen our ponytails, load the blondes into the red convertable, and make movie deals on our cell phones as we drive up and down the Sunset Strip (always, somehow, in sight of the Hollywood sign).

 

Thats funny, when I lived in LA you had to start your day by going to Starbucks...and that was only because you would trip over 3 of them within a minute of leaving home.

 

You can also make fun of skinny people. Actually, someone's weight is just a great way to make fun of someone!

 

Here in Northern California we all just sit around and smoke pot and talk about how we hate the government and then hug some trees. Oh wait, that's not a stereotype, that's how it really is...

 

that must be the sterotype for pennsylvania too then

 

Thank you, Gary. I don't know WHY dizzy feels the need to keep saying that.... it's like.... I've met English people that have racial stereotypes too.

Seems like dizzy is living in a bit of a dream world....

 

my grandmother was imported from england. she was just as much a victim to stereotyping as EVERY OTHER SINGLE HUMAN BEING ON THE PLANET. it takes a conscious act of will to break that habit. it's how our brain is set up to process all the input and diversity we have to take it every day. that's not the bad part, it's being critical of the PERCEIVED, but not necessarily true, patterns we use, and denying infinite human variations of a theme.


btw, i'm a fat redneck. frankly i'm ashamed of all of you. i'm not a hater. and i smoke, i don't chew. and waht's wrong with beer? germans and brits drink just as much, if not more, than your average redneck. i only eat meat twice a day, and that's only when i have leftovers and don't want to waste them. and yes, i drive a truck.

 

i watched it only looking at the point of the movie (in my perspective) of how the bikers and hippies were looked at so horribly. and i just enjoyed jack nicholson.

 

Most everything has been covered, lol.

I think alot of American stereotypes are true, for many people. But in truth these are only stereotypes, and tends to apply to less than half the population. I do, for example, use the term "rednecks", not because of where people are from but for their beliefs or because of their actions. It's something mental to me, not geographical. I hate people who tend to think of everyone in one region as being cut from the same cloth. One thing I completely disagree with that you mentioned is having no sense of humour! That's something many people think about the English but I know it's not true for most of you, and I've heard tons of stereotypes about the English (blothcy skin, bad teeth, that you're all uptight and that all English women have tons of cellulite, etc.) but I know you're not all like that, or even the majority of you.

 

I was talking about stereotypes based on race rather than origin. Yes, there are stereotypes of almost every part of the country (from red-haired, tight-fisted scots; down to the nymphomaniac girls of Essex), but what I meant was there are no stereotypes here based on race (skin colour). If there are, I'm not aware of any. There is no "stereotypical black person" in this country for example.

People from Pakistani people are not "stereotyped" — they have their own cultural identity because they are from Pakistani. That is not a stereotype, it's an accurate generalisation based on observations about their culture. What I meant was there is no stereotype for British people who are black, white, Asian etc, because they are all part of the same culture. Whereas there would seem to be in America.

If you think there are racial stereotypes used in the UK then please name some. I'd be interested to learn because I've never heard any. The only British stereotype I've heard that's even remotely based on race is the 'blonde' stereotype, which could be (very loosely) stretched to all white females I guess. But that's it.

You're the one bringing up old conversations. This topic has absolutely nothing to do with racism. Stereotypes can be used in a negative way by racist people, but they are not intrinsically racist, they're usually just a joke and nobody actually believes them. I use stereotypes all the time and I am not racist. If I wanted to draw a cartoon of a frenchman, I may well draw a stripey top, a beret, and onions around his neck. I may even make him miserable. That doesn't mean I honestly believe all frenchmen look like that, and it doesn't mean I hate the French or I'm trying to insult the French.

And to bring up something mentioned earlier in this thread, I don't think it's acceptable to insult the French or to insult people who are fat, under any circumstances. I think that's offensive.

 

I like you. You're funny. And hot!

 

Here in Japan, I've been exposed to some American stereotypes: Americans are violent, gun-toting wackos, we eat like pigs, and...

Wait a minute, I fuckin' eat like a pig at a buffet

 

...all asians are supposed to be very serious and smart....people from iran/iraq/pakistan, etc etc all have to be taxi drivers or own a gas station...mexicans are slow and lazy....gypsies steal everything....black people are all gangsters or rappers....white people are either nerdy and uptight, or half witted, inbred morons...

 

'Ere now, me little woggie, whot's that yer sayin'?

Why the interest in American stereotypes? Want to join in on the fun? Ya gotta live here, first.