It's funny how society
likes to put
everything into neat
little categories
so that we can be judged
accordingly?
Just because I may act
or dress a
certain way, listen
to a certain brand of music
[yet another category]
doesn't mean you know me.
Stereotypes create a
standard for
people to live up to.
As if what
they are - perhaps on
a border of a
stereotype, or a combination
or stereotypes makes
them a half person. Straying from a stereotype
or 'subculture' [I use
this term loosely, what does it mean anyway?
that in our culture
there are separate sects of culture?] means to be traitorous, not a true
{insert subculture/stereotype here}. God,
who cares? Sure, there
are aspects of stereotypes that one may find appealing, attractive even
[thick lens glasses doesn’t indicate intelligence or lack of sport interest
it’s just a pair of glasses],
but it hardly means
that if I decide I'd like that particular aspect
in my own life that
I have surrendered my soul completely to that stereotype. Funny that. So
what if someone genuinely loves
country music, do they
have to wear clothes that the stereotype
requires? of course
not. and in doing so does it make them any more
of a fan than someone
that may dress conventionally, or in hippie type clothes? these assumptions
about human character must have come from
somewhere, and possibly
from past experience, possibly not.
One may never have met
a black person before in their life, but
one day see a black
person with long dreads walking down the
street. so they must
be into reggae music...i'm just writing this to
show how ridiculous
it all is. originally, the individuals in these
stereotypes were part
of something original, unique and often
rebelling in the eyes
of the conservative public. but now, nothing
is new, so we're just
surrendering to another faceless group.
allowing others to make
instant judgements - and be correct.
i'd rather others not
be able to form an instant correct opinion of
me before they get to
know me. i'd rather be rejected from all
subcultures and stereotypes
before throwing away my identity
and subjecting myself
to dress the same way, act the same way,
think the same way to the typical template of a subculture.
what’s worse, is that
the subcultures today, particularly the new
age and rebellious types
consider themselves to be individuals
and unique. sure, like
the millions of others that look like you...