EditorialMagazine:

Stereotypes

Stere

nou n

Verib

ster-e-o-type; [ster-ee-uh-tahyp]

reot ype :

A widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a par-ticular type of person or thing: “sexual and racial stereotypes”.u n

ib View or represent as a stereotype: “the film is weakened by its ste-reotyped characters”.

‘cliche’.

My hood could be up because I’m cold or may-be I’m having a bad hair day, you see my point?“

”

Media Stereotypes“London Calling”

Do young males in the UK feel like they are constantly being stereotyped in a demeaning way in print and broadcast media? One young man offers an interest-ing take; that some Black males end up fulfilling the media’s stereotypical depictions.

“Of course, young Black males are being stereotyped because the media always say what we are not,” an 18 year old college student, Gerson, who provides only his first name, says. “If you keep saying someone is something; eventually they become it and believe it. For example, the media are always talking about us wearing hoodies so that’s only going to encour-age us to keep wearing them.” Another student, 18 year old Chris, who studies sociology, agrees with Gerson and adds that so long as White males con-trol major media, the stereotypes won’t diminish.

Jamal, 19, who is also a college student, says of U.K. media: “They portray us in a malicious manner and make out as if we carry out crime for the sake of it. I strongly believe that 90 percent of crime is to be rich because the media and the rest of society hold us back in other areas.”

Music producer Sean, aged 22, says the problem is that “Black male” is automatically linked with crime in this country. “If someone is murdered on the streets, the first suspect is a Black man or a gang of Black men,” Sean says. “People always assume that a Black man wearing a hoodie is a criminal; it frustrates me be-cause for all you know, my hood could be up because I’m cold and I left my winter coat at home or maybe

I could be having a bad hair day, you see my point?”

Ryan Daniels, 20, a graphic designer, be-lieves at the end of the day, only Black males can turn things around by taking matters into their hands.

“I believe education starts at home. If you respect your parents and they teach you the correct way to live your life, then you’re off to a good start,” Daniels says. “It’s almost impossible to change the per-ception of White people.

Media Stereotypes

GENDER STEREOTYPES

GENDER STEREOTYPESSuperman

vS

BarbieFact, Opinion, Stereotype?

Males are stronger. Males are better at sports.

Males are players. Males hate reading. Females are moody.

Males are associated with blue. Females are associated with pink.

Females are nurses. Males are doctors.

Females belong in the kitchen. Males should work.

Females should be the housewife. Females are sensitive.

Females are emotional. Males are ambitious. Males are agressive.

Males are better drivers.Females drive too slow.

sogirlsareMessiest?

girlsare

‘stereotypically’.

Messiest?

cliche.

cliche.