U.S. Marines want to kill your baby!
I’m a former U.S. Marine Sniper.
I have learned not to mention this fact in conversations with people I do not know.
Invariably there is one idiot that wants to know how many people I have killed…and “what’s it like to kill babies?”
bleh.
I have never killed a baby, I have zero desire to kill babies.
I have two children of my own, and I don’t even have a longrifle in my house!
Marines don’t want to kill your baby.
True, true, sadly true. My first impressions of America were (unfortunately) what could be gleaned from the television channels coming out of Western New York. I thought “Buffalo” was the most important American city because it was always on my TV set. And the most important thing to know about was (a) fires and (b) the Buffalo Bills. I’m glad you told me about the volunteer fire dept culture - now it all makes sense ! I think (hope) my attitudes towards America has evolved since then.
My own pet peeve: Yes I am vegetarian and I am an ‘environmental studies’ student. This does not mean I will attack you for eating that burger. I will not yell at you if you don’t recycle. I couldn’t care less that you wish you didn’t have to drive your SUV so much, or that you had a thermos mug once but you lost it and keep forgetting to go buy a new one. Know what? Your lifestyle choices are just not that important to me. I DON’T CARE. Also: Please do not expect me to defend some wacky “lefty” idea you’ve heard. It’s not like we all read the same paper and absorb our ideas, wholesale, from that one source.
Oh, and the worst one: African friends of mine occasionally find people (in Canada) to be pleasantly surprised that they speak English so well !!
Well, just feel fortunate that at least you are an incredibly successful individual who has accomplished much more than many people have. I get the ‘geek’ stereotype too but my grades are anything beyond mediocre. I prefer to learn at my own pace; I have a hard time with structure learning (like school/stardardized tests, etc.) but I love to read/learn up on things in the library.
The stereotype I hate is the workaholic stereotype. People ask me what I do. I tell them I’m a full-time student who works two part-time jobs and teaches beginner piano. They gasp and say something like “Why that’s way too much! you’ll overextend yourself!” which is total BS because despite all that I still have PLENTY of free time. I’m lazy at heart, and a procrastinator. If anything, I have to give myself something to do to keep from getting bored. One of my part time jobs I do mainly for fun. The reason I don’t get enough sleep isn’t because I’m studying/working, its because I’m playing computer games. Trust me, I’m as lazy as any other couch potato, I just give myself some things to do during the day to kill time 
Invariably, when people tell me that Saskatchewan is ‘flat’, ‘boring’ and ‘full of hicks’, they have never left the #1 highway. It’s a lot like claiming New York State has no wilderness while never leaving Manhattan.
I’ve got three. and they mostly have been mentioned. Maybe Angua can relate to one. What is it with scientists in movies? Quick, name the last movie in which the scientist, and usually there is only one, is pretty much your average movie guy, except really bright? We’re either Dr.-Strangeglove-evil, or Back-to-the-Future-strange, or some combo of both. Buckaroo Bonzai was the last one I can think of that had outside interests. (And Angua, relax. I’m a white male, former physicist, and people are always surprised. “you have a Ph. D.?!!” I don’t think it is because I come across as stupid. 
)
I’m all over the dad thing too. In my experience, it is mostly in sitcoms and movies that dad is assumed to be a nitwit. (Although, even my kids assume I can’t cook, because I’m always serving the leftovers. My wife hates leftovers, so finishing them is my job.) I always chuckle when someone complains that there are no female role models on TV. Exactly which TV father would you want be? :dubious:
Finally, the crap with blondes. The fact that it was actually an issue with my blonde girls as early as second grade just pisses me off. Bright girls have enough difficulties in school, without other kids assuming they can’t be smart because they’re blonde. Doesn’t seem to affect my boys, though. (For the record, I’m not blonde. But, Sven our milkman …)
Assumption #1. For some reason everybody around here assumes that everybody else hates George Bush. Complete strangers will walk up to you and start complaining about the President. Once while I was at work at the Staples Copy Center this guy had me run off some copies of a flyer for his anti-Bush bumper stickers. The entire time I was running the machine, he was rambling on and on about how great it will be to get him out of office and how he wasn’t actually elected (the way this is said around here implies that NOBODY AT ALL VOTED FOR HIM ANYWHERE, he just stole the election out from under Al Gore’s landslide) and it was all a big scam and blah biddy blah. Order is processed, I’m ringing him out, he asks if I’d like to buy one of the stickers, they’re only $2. My manager was standing near the counter too, and was included in the offer. We both said “No, thank you,” and my manager said “In fact, I voted for him.” The look on the guy’s face was priceless - my manager must’ve been the first Republican he’d ever met.
For the record, I really have no opinion on the matter. I was two months’ shy of voting age at the presidential election, don’t know who I would’ve voted for anyway, and tend to support whoever’s in office because I don’t see myself as having any other choice until at least the next election… but these people just ASSUME that EVERYBODY HATES BUSH EVERYWHERE. Which is asinine.
Assumption #2. I live in a trailer park, therefore I am white trash, a future star of Jerry Springer, have seventeen broken-down pickup trucks and Camaros in the side yard, am going to end up marrying my cousin, and basically don’t deserve to breathe the same air as normal human beings.
Nope. I’m proud to say that I have all my teeth, and a rather good (if mostly self-taught) education, and my fiancé is not a relative at all.
Assumption #3. I admit I often act ditzy. I am rather a klutz, and I have an extremely silly sense of humor. This doesn’t necessarily mean I’m stupider than the Devil’s pinky toe. I guess if you’re going to derive a great deal of pleasure from a daisy chain and some ducks in a pond on a sunny day, you should expect to be considered simple, so I bring it upon myself, but it still annoys me.
My partner’s Latina. She’s dark skinned, has a pretty working-class job and therefore wears an industrial uniform. Yes, she’s educated. Yes, she speaks English quite well, probably better than you do. No, she doesn’t like hot food at all.
And yes, she’s my partner. Not my roommate, not my friend, no, she’s my life partner. And no, you don’t get to watch.
And yeah, that’s a mullet on my head. I look like Wilson the volleyball with short hair and I like to keep the front of it short so it doesn’t get into the way. Yeah, everybody thinks it’s ugly but hey, partner of 10 years above there? She likes it alot.
BTW, just because I’m white don’t think I share your racist views (only a few people have ever done that, thank the heavens). And yep, I like living in San Francisco, the “fruits and nuts” here are quite fresh and can be readily found at the local Farmer’s Markets. No, I can’t get AIDS from hanging out with gay men. Actually, they’re the most fun to hang out with.
And yeah, getting a degree in math makes me wicked smart. I actually kind of like that stereotype.
(For the record, I’m less pedantic in real life.)
I thought of another one.
Kids are better off with their own family members, no matter what the situation and how abusive their parents might be, than in a foster home. Foster parents are horrible people who abuse the kids in their care and are only in it for the money.
And another one. All Muslims are terrorists and fundamentalists. We’re all suicide bombers, and all mosques are recruiting grounds for Al-Qaida. As helped by things like this :rolleyes:
The stereotype that muscular people are incredibly stupid and narcissistic is bothersome. I know alot of people like that and they are humans too with personalities, not gorilla (although there is a strong minority of narcissists and bouncers). One guy i know who is has 20" arms tells me stories about how when women get to know him they are suprised that he has a deep, thoughtful personality. they all thought he was a dumbass oaf until they actually got to know him. Makes you wonder how many desirable women passed him up because of stereotyping.
Also the stereotype that people who care about stereotypes are oversensitive is really bothersome.
Jumping on the Southerners aren’t idiots/racists/etc. bandwagon . . .
I’m Southern and my family is Southern (yes, we capitalize the S). This doesn’t mean that since my family was white and that we are from an area that one of more unfortunate civil rights incidents occur in it that my family had members or supporters of the Klan. To people that get that curious, my family was actually one of the ones out providing food for visiting protesters/civil rights workers and on the other side my grandfather was instrumental in helping to integrate the local schools. More importantly, they taught me that every one – regardless of race, money, etc. – deserved the same respect and kindess.
I particularly detest the “white trash” stereotype. Being poor and Southern doesn’t automatically make you a bad person anymore so than being middle class and a Yankee. Some of the most genuinely good people that I’ve met didn’t get the opportunity to have the material possessions or education that many of us do – this doesn’t make them any less of a person.
Also living in a small town doesn’t make one culturally deprived. Living in NYC make it easier to have access to a wide variety of museums,plays, etc., but one could easily live there and do nothing but watch tv. Likewise, one can live in a small town and eagerly seek out books, local museums, etc., to expand one’s horizons.
A final stereotype that being single is the same as always being alone. Sure I don’t have a husband/significant other but it isn’t like my parents, siblings, cousins, grandparents began shunning me as soon as I turned 21. I’m living my life now and not waiting until I get some ring to start it.
Spoken as a true independant person Clipper - Good show.
Some have assumed that because I’m adamantly against animal rights I must be a puppy-kicking, kitten-drowning sicko who delights in tormenting any poor creature who gets in my way. (Well, maybe that’s a bit of hyperbole.) Fact is, even though I hate PETA, I still love animals. 'Specially kittens. The thought of harm coming to my own cats really does wound me.
And just because I like kittens - and use kitten and puppy folders, and have a raccoon-head coinpurse hanging from my backpack - I must be at least kinda fruity. Jeeez. Not that there’s anything wrong with being gay, but I’m most certainly not.
A few people seem to think that my libertarian politics result from simple lack of empathy. Nothing could be further from the truth. I believe that government interference causes more aggregate harm than benefit - doesn’t mean I like to laugh at and otherwise torment homeless, quadriplegic vietnam vets.
I don’t think there are any stereotypes I don’t dislike. Any educated person would at least make an effort to avoid making any sort of sweeping generalization about any religion, culture, gender, etc. However, stereotypes are rooted in some degree of truth. Then, of course, it gets blown out of proportion to the point of extreme ridiculousness which becomes the source of humor…
I’m with Contrary.
“My, aren’t you pretty, my dear. And a natural redhead, too? Wow. Um. Just out of curiosity, who’d you sleep with to get that cush job?”
Thanks awfully, “sisters,” I worked my tail off to get here.