Can I get your opinions on racial stereotyping?

Question

Here are some questions (please be as truthful as possible. I'm not going to judge you so there's no need to try to sound politically correct):

Is your closest circle of friends racially diverse (3 or more different races)? If so, does the group joke about race?

Do you get offended by stereotypes made about your race?

Do you ever stereotype, whether jokingly or seriously? If so, is it about your own race or others or both?

What do you think about shows that poke fun at stereotypes (Mind of Mencia, Chapelle's Show, many stand up comedians, etc)?

Is it okay to joke about stereotypes if you KNOW that it does not necessarily apply to an entire group?

Lastly, do you believe people that say they never stereotype? Is it possible to go through life without having judged anyone?

Please feel free to add any other comments. And thanks to everyone that takes the time to answer this.

Answer 1

Can I get your opinions on racial stereotyping? Sure
Here are some questions (please be as truthful as possible. I'm not going to judge you so there's no need to try to sound politically correct): Thank you!

Is your closest circle of friends racially diverse (3 or more different races)? If so, does the group joke about race? Just moved here ..not many friends here yet... work is racially diverse and yes, the group does joke about race at times.

Do you get offended by stereotypes made about your race? Not really

Do you ever stereotype, whether jokingly or seriously? If so, is it about your own race or others or both? Yes.. but jokingly and about my own and others..not only race but religion, region etc.

What do you think about shows that poke fun at stereotypes (Mind of Mencia, Chapelle's Show, many stand up comedians, etc)? I recently saw one of the winners of Last Comic Standing at a club .. he did poke fun at lot of stereotypes but he did not come off as malicious or mean. I've seen some comics that go that extra bit ... and come across as seeming to mean what they're saying and at that point, it is NOT humerous for me.. but if you take it that they're just trying to entertain --and sometimes make us aware of what we do unintentionally sometimes..

Is it okay to joke about stereotypes if you KNOW that it does not necessarily apply to an entire group? Yes... since it's done to entertain and that it's not meant to be malicious. I think every race has jokes about them and I think all races tell them....

Lastly, do you believe people that say they never stereotype? Is it possible to go through life without having judged anyone? I think it's human nature to stereotype at times. I think it's impossible to go through life without having judged someone in some way shape or form.. we all do it.... watching the news, talk shows etc.. you form an opinion of some sort. I TRY to keep an open mind ..i.e. O.J. --- I'll never know for sure if he did the crime.. or Robert Blake.. .. did I form an opinion...sure I did...but then had to go back with both cases and say, I didn't hear all the facts but my "gut" is leaning towards...xyz.

Answer 2

Is your closest circle of friends racially diverse (3 or more different races)? If so, does the group joke about race?

Not really. Asian and Caucasian. yep, we joke sometimes. I love to tease the guys with my lame martial arts moves.

Do you get offended by stereotypes made about your race?
Nope. I think its funny. ^_^

Do you ever stereotype, whether jokingly or seriously? If so, is it about your own race or others or both?

Sometimes for laughs. Always jokingly, never seriously. We should all be able to take a non-serious "in good fun" joke. About ourselves, and with friends.

What do you think about shows that poke fun at stereotypes (Mind of Mencia, Chapelle's Show, many stand up comedians, etc)?
Reverse racism, when they're serious. Laugh when its just for fun.

Is it okay to joke about stereotypes if you KNOW that it does not necessarily apply to an entire group?

Mmm... depends on the joke. Some jokes are just rude and not funny at all. So long as its a fun joke, and not a mean one.

For example. You could joke and say that all Asian people can kick your *** because they know martial arts. While not true, its a compliment to the race, rather than a put down. Jokes of this nature, are a positive stereotype. Now, when you make a mean joke, and say something like: Asian people have small genitals. Thats just rude, not true, and not funny. I can't stand that sort of nonsense.

Lastly, do you believe people that say they never stereotype? Is it possible to go through life without having judged anyone?

I do believe its possible. ^_^

Please feel free to add any other comments. And thanks to everyone that takes the time to answer this.

Good questions but you didn't ask what race people taking the test are. I am white (British american) and my boyfriend is South Korean. He loves his Kimchee and Nong Shim, I love my Cadbury and Scones. We tease eachother about our preferences all the time. Still love eachother more than anything. :D

Answer 3

The society I live in is not that racially diverse, so most of my friends are of the same race as I (white), but I do have a couple of Asian friends and I have acquaintances of other races, although I'm not close enough to them to call them my friends. My friends and I rarely joke about races. Actually the subject of race hardly ever comes up.

I'm tired of stereotypes all together. I think they are really stupid. Sometimes they do offend me, but most of the time I don't take them seriously and just shake my head over people's ignorance and move on.

I honestly do my best not to stereotype or generalize about any group of people. Maybe that's because I'm so tired of being labelled as this or that myself according to stereotypes that I'm conscious about not doing the same to others. I have stereotyped (not about races though, but nationality for example), but I don't think I do it much anymore.

I don't know those shows you mentioned.

Joking about stereotypes is fine when you know that everyone involved realizes it's just a joke and is ok with it, but I think that joking about it on TV for example isn't such a good idea, because some people will take it seriously, some people don't realize that those stereotypes aren't true about the entire group and some people get offended. And, this probably plays a part in keeping stereotypes going.

I think everyone stereotypes sometimes in their life. Some people do it all the time, others try not to, but I don't think anyone is completely innocent of judging others and stereotyping.

Answer 4

Everyone I know jokes about races. I wouldn't get offended as long as the people are joking, but I've never heard of anyone seriously making stereotypes of other races. They're funny cause most are true, but you should only joke around with them and not take them seriously. Its impossible to go through life without judging someone. I've judged people in the first 5 seconds I meet them.

Answer 5

Racial stereotype is strongly promoted in media and music. Rap music will only sell if you promote it with gang persona.
Racial stereotype is the only thing you can go on, when you encounter a stranger in the dark alley. Face it, you would rather see an Asian coming the other way then see a Black man.
Group of young black youth...'n you see probably think a gang. Then you see a group of asian youth...'n you see a math team.
To say you don't believe in stereotype means you haven't see a movie or watched a music video. Media has a strong impact on people view on the world...especially if you live in predominantly one race town.

Answer 6

I know this dosent answer ALL of your questions but I do stero-type, I think everyone does to the point where we dont notice it sometimes. No I dont get offended by people when they stero-type me, it bothers me sometimes because people automatically assume that Im stuck up and judge me but it has never made me offended. My general opinion is that stero-typing wouldnt exist if most of the ''stero-types'' werent true. People created sterotypes without even meaning to. For example, if you are in a certain group in high school, you are going to dress a certain way that makes its physically noticable that you are in that particular group. You are not going to see the ''preps'' wearing roca wear....racial sterotyping is kinda different. Im not prejudice (I'm biracial) but around here, most of the crimes that are being commited are being commited by African American males so when I hear that something new happened (around here, where I live) I assume that the criminal is African American and Im always right....ofcourse its going to be instilled in my head that they are because it usually IS African American males. That dosent make me wrong, I go off of what I am shown. Check out my one question about stero typing...some pretty interesting stuff lol

Answer 7

I have friends of different races and yes we do joke about stereotypes etc. and also since I'm gay, sexual orientation. It's nothing mean it's just fun. I think people can get overly sensitive

Answer 8

It's not racial profiling...when all my friends and family get together, and we are mixed as well, black and white; we don't sit around and wonder if we should say fried chicken or watermelon or not and they don't call us crackers or massa'! It was your parents and grandparents faults for making us, the majority, feel racist. It is up to this generation and the future ones to end this ignorant kind of thinking.

Answer 9

I have friends of all flavors. The key is laughing with people and not at them. Race has no more to do with that basic philosophy than orientation, nationality, culture, intelligence, accent, shoe size......

Answer 10

i have quite of few non-white friends.
i hate racial jokes
i no, stereotyping.