First, I must establish just what a stereotype is. My good friend Webster claims that a stereotype is �a fixed or conventional expression, notion, etc.� I would go even farther to state that stereotypes enshroud a victim with a pre-conceived generalization of who that person is. It is a short-cut through the whole getting-to-know-someone issue. Someone who is a typical reliant on stereotyping to stone-step their way through life�s social aspect would follow this up with acting upon this stereotype.
For example, let�s say that we�re walking along a deserted street in New York City. Along our walk, we encounter an obviously aged grandmotherly type woman grasping a plastic purse in one hand and a cane in the other (let�s throw in a limp for good measure). Without socializing with this woman, we would assume that she is relatively harmless and we would continue along our way. After passing the woman, we happen across a teenager clad in black clothes with a black cape draped over his shoulder, leather boots, and chains up the wazootie (we shall pretend that this is an actual word for this scenario). What would happen next? Would we calmly keep walking, or would we become extremely wary of this man? Perhaps we would ignore the man, as if he never existed, and secretly hope that he wouldn�t eat us. Perhaps we would go out of our way to avoid him.
Society (the mass of people that constitutes our population) discriminates. Society nudges people into neat, little categories for future reference. The masses say, �This guy wears (insert type of dress associated with stereotype). Definite (insert stereotype), I tell you. He will, of COURSE, display every negative characteristic that we associate with (insert stereotype). That way, we won�t REALLY have to deal with him!�
To enlighten you on some of these categories, these stereotypes that I speak of, I will begin with �Cowboys�. I will focus mainly on how a male will fit into this category by listing several external traits and personality traits gathered from extensive scientific research that was gathered two seconds ago by myself:
HOW LOOK AND ACT LIKE A COWBOY:
� Wear extremely tight wranglers. Wear them so tight so that if you were to sit cross-legged, you would indeed sterilize yourself.
� Sport about a belt buckle the size of a cow�s rear
� Take pride in the fact that people call you a �hick� because of your plaid shirts and funny looking hat
� Lose all of your teeth except two (make sure they are yellow)
� Make certain to carry a container of tobacco with you wherever life may take you
� Never be seen driving anything but cattle, or a truck (make sure to drive horribly when you are in a vehicle) (and remember to keep your headlights off from 5AM to 10PM)
� Seduce a lonely housewife
� Perfect that drunken swagger to a T
� Live out in the boonies with nothing but the stars and an outhouse
� Lose all sense of grammar and other proper English
� Never have aspirations higher than working the farm, and drinking various alcoholic beverages come sundown
� Assure the other cowboys who challenge you for your leaning-spot against the local barn that, �My momma says your momma says you suck,� and pursue from there
For my next category, I will move on to �Punk-Rockers�, focusing this time on both genders. Once again, I will follow this with my sure-fire way to look and act the part.
HOW TO LOOK AND ACT LIKE A PUNK-ROCKER
� Dye your hair obnoxious colors that will cause old ladies to faint upon seeing them
� Wear metallic objects wherever possible � remember, the longer the spikes, the better.
� Listen to loud and abrasive music that the older generation will frown upon
� Do anything and everything to rebel against the boundaries that society has drawn
� Tip over old people
� Act irresponsible and reckless
� Rest assured that you will soon be on a first-name basis with the local police department
� Acquire as many body-piercings as possible. The more metal lodged in/on your body, the tougher you look!
� Remind yourself that the world does indeed revolve around you
� Wear dark colored clothing or anything that makes you look like you lack self-respect
bFrom overhearing the conversations of various people from a vast range of backgrounds (and even coming to these conclusions myself before I acquired a bit of logic and tolerance), these are the most prevalent characteristics that have been attributed to the �Cowboy� and the �Punk-Rocker�. I have a different take on these stereotypes, or, more simply put, the people that are shoved into these stereotypes.
How do they express thrill-seeking desires and feelings? I would think this depends on the level of thrill-seeking desires. For a �Cowboy�, it would be a definite �thrill� to sit atop a bull and attempt to ride it without becoming a mangled corpse. The �Cowboy� would then pursue this type of activity in order to attain this thrill. He would desire this. For a �Punk-Rocker�, maybe they seek the thrill of �living on the edge�. Being reckless, experimenting with drugs, and shrugging off logic for vandalism and poor work ethic is indeed something that is worthy of achieving, right? (insert loud, sarcastic cough at this moment.) It might be a thrill to inject every vein in their body with drugs, feeling like their mission in life is complete now that they have thwarted authority�s rule of �drugs are bad for you!� The question that would be running through the �Punk-Rocker�s� minds would be, �How far can I push society?�
Achievement and aggressive desires and feelings could indeed be pursued with both of these stereotypes. Following from my hefty lists that I have compiled, a �Cowboy� and �Punk-Rocker� are indeed aggressive while achieving their ambitions. A �Cowboy� might place value on seeing who can down the most alcohol in the local bar. By achieving this he would acquire the appreciation and respect from his fellow colleagues. Anyone who dares get in his way would bear the brunt of his aggression by either a fist to the face or a paddle to the bum (whichever is handy).
�Punk-Rockers�, on the other hand, exhibit these same principles. It all depends on what they specifically value. If a �Punk-Rocker� values failing school, than it would become the ultimate achievement � this would certainly prove to the masses that he/she indeed is proving him/herself to the world by failing school (whatever sumptuousness this entails, I will never understand). A �Punk-Rocker� might be aggressive with anyone that will interfere with this value, or with anything else that may be valued. This would challenge them to be forceful and belligerent to the extreme to get what they want.
Are these people REALLY human? Is it possible for these people to somewhat uniquely appear to express desires and feelings? Yes. As aforementioned in my guide of how to become a specific stereotype, I did indeed say that these two stereotypes exuded desires and feelings. Whereas the �Cowboy� prefers the seduction of the lonely housewife, the �Punk-Rocker� doesn�t care what he/she has a jolly good romp with so long as drugs are available (and maybe if a good crumpet is available as well).
There is indeed the scenario where certain individuals strive to look like a certain stereotype, but lack some of the psychological traits often attributed to members of these specific stereotypic groups. Perhaps someone will wear skin-tight wranglers and seduce lonely housewives, but he won�t exhibit psychological traits of the �Cowboy�. Maybe this so-called �Cowboy� doesn�t even live on a farm, but he fancies the particular dress, or admires the tough-as-nails approach to life. Maybe he�s just in it for the lonely housewife. In either case, the conflict could be in what this person chooses for a code of ethics, or, how this person conducts their life.
Why would anyone want to look or act like a �Punk-Rocker�? Perhaps what the person who looks and acts like a �Punk-Rocker� is attempting to do is fit in with a specific group. If only they put eggs on windows and dress like a �bad-ass�, they will be accepted as such and treated like the �cool-kid� (how fantastic). Perhaps this person would feel that their life would be complete if they fit into this specific crowd.
What really matters though is this: ANYONE can dress a certain way. Anyone can wear black clothes, dye their hair, or have noxious relations with bumpkins, just as anyone can wear boots and repulsive belt buckles. What can prove the masses wrong is what a person is doing with his/her life and how he/she is as a person.
The question remains: Do all dogs REALLY go to heaven? I haven�t a clue. But in the meantime, how DOES a towel stand up?
