# What about stereotypes?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-about-stereotypes/181376>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 12, 2003, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-about-stereotypes/181376 "2003-06-12T17:07:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![insider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@insider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/insider)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2003, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-about-stereotypes/181376/1 "2003-06-12T17:07:50Z")

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What keeps stereotypes viable in our culture today? Why do some people feel so assured that stereotypes are true? Is it possible that some people see in others the stereotypical characteristics and apply them to all of that group? Do stereotypes make life simpler for some people and thus life more predicatble?

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**Author:** ![Ill\_Logik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Ill\_Logik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ill_Logik)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2003, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-about-stereotypes/181376/2 "2003-06-12T17:15:05Z")

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Well… yeah.

If someone hears a stereotype about a certain group of people and then sees someone from that group behaving in said way, they most likely feel the stereotype has been confirmed.

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**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2003, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-about-stereotypes/181376/3 "2003-06-12T19:54:16Z")

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What makes you think this stereotype is restricted to “our culture today?” Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice” is full of stereotypes of Jews. In the Bible, the reason for “The Good Samaritan” being an effective story is that Samaritans of New Testament times were held in contempt by other groups. I bet groups of cave people told each other things like, "You can’t trust the Ooga tribe in the other valley – they’re lazy and dishonest, and their women are terribly bossy. "

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**Author:** ![yoyo3500](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/5daacb/32.png) [@yoyo3500](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyo3500)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2003, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-about-stereotypes/181376/4 "2003-06-12T20:41:54Z")

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The types of stereos I like are usully made in Japan. They have good sterio types.  
😃

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**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2003, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-about-stereotypes/181376/5 "2003-06-12T22:39:14Z")

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Well, Stereotypes are based on truth, even though they don’t apply to an entire group. That’s probably one of the reasons

Also, Stereotypes are easy for entertainment to use. South Park and the Simpsons(just to name a few show) make a lot of use of Stereotypes.