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Jewish World Review
August 23, 2010
/ 13 Elul 5770
Turn Down The Stereo(types)
By
Malcolm Fleschner
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
If, like me, you follow the news closely (and also employ a broad definition of what constitutes "news"), you probably read about Cha Sa-Soon, the 68-year-old woman who recently passed her driver's test on the 950th try. No doubt many people reacted with relief to Ms. Sa-Soon's success, reasonably deducing that from now on we'll all experience shorter wait times at the DMV.
Me, I was a bit less charitable. Because realistically, anyone who needs 950 attempts to pass a simple driver's test is undoubtedly going to be a hazard on the road. And I say this as someone who can come up with all kinds of excuses for repeated personal failings. But even I, after flunking the driving test after, say, 750 times, would have difficulty explaining away yet another blown test because of poor weather, my trick knee acting up again or the fact that I kept getting distracted by the test administrator's cheap toupee.
Now, admittedly, it's unlikely that Ms. Cha's poor driving will pose a threat to most of us here in the United States, seeing as how she lives in a remote village in South Korea. But hey, I never let a contradictory fact stand in the way of an opportunity to express my righteous indignation.
But what particularly struck me about this story is the way Ms. Cha, as both a terrible driver and an incredibly determined test-taker, manages to embody two common but unrelated Asian stereotypes. Although I'm going to start suspecting something is fishy about this story if I find out that she's also a black belt in karate.
Now before I get myself into a lot of hot water, I should clarify that I believe these stereotypes are pernicious and I don't buy into them. But let's face it, many people do. The sad fact is that stereotypes persist even though there's no conclusive proof that they have any factual basis, much like such other widely reported but unproven phenomena as Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster and the female orgasm. Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Asians are actually better than average drivers, and would have long ago infiltrated the top ranks of NASCAR drivers if the racetracks had not intentionally repelled all outsiders by piping in a steady stream of Toby Keith songs.
Now I will admit that, at least when it comes to other drivers, I am occasionally guilty of being judgmental. But in my defense, my prejudices are remarkably flexible. By which I mean that when I'm on the highway, if I see a sports car behind me speeding, driving erratically, tailgating and weaving in and out of traffic, when the car passes me I always look over and then, no matter who is driving, I act as though I knew exactly what kind of person I'd see behind the wheel.
"What do you know - yet another cigar-smoking, heavily tattooed Franciscan nun driving like a maniac - of course."
And it's not like I've never felt the sting of stereotyping myself. Why, I can't count the number of times that someone I've never met has heard that I'm a humor columnist, and just automatically assumes that I must be devastatingly handsome, have a rapier-sharp wit and live in an enormous mansion. But then these folks are inevitably disappointed when we meet and they learn that my home is actually quite modest.
So we see that even purportedly "positive" stereotypes can hurt. After all, many tall people are probably terrible basketball players, not every Frenchman is a great lover, and countless nerds no doubt suffer cruel taunts from their peers because they're just not any good at Dungeons & Dragons.
The unfortunate reality is that stereotypes aren't going away. Something about human nature causes us to cling to these broad, hurtful generalizations, so any efforts to persuade people to let go of their prejudices is bound to fail. Which is why I believe that reasonable people should instead adopt the opposite approach by actively spreading new, completely made up stereotypes. I suggest taking every possible opportunity to sprinkle your conversation with phrases like:
• "Well, you know how those Portuguese are - they can't bowl to save their lives."
• "All Florida Marlins fans are closet S&M enthusiasts - why do you think they root for a team with black and blue uniforms?"
• "What, you never noticed that people with freckles make the worst ballet dancers?'"
The point is to "flood the market" with so many new, utterly nonsensical prejudices that existing stereotypes get lost in the process. Then, hopefully, people will stop believing in any of them. Except the one about driving instructors and cheap toupees, that is - because that's actually true.
JWR contributor Malcolm Fleschner is a humor columnist for The DC Examiner. Let him know what you think by clicking here.
Previously:
06/24/10: The No Roamin' Holiday
06/08/10: Parenting On A Cellular Level
05/27/10: Older? Yes. Wiser? Not Necessarily
04/19/10: The Bossman Cometh
03/25/10: The Rules of Interaction
01/09/10: A ride of passage
12/26/09: The Family Power Struggle Goes On…
10/26/09: Rapidly approaching fuddyduddy-hood
06/20/09: Waging a backyard turf war
02/20/09: The Sties Have It
04/30/09: Planning of the Apes
04/08/09: No more phoning it in
02/26/09: Tuning in to the English Channel
02/19/09: 25 AND COUNTING
02/13/09: A new life, dead ahead
01/29/09: NOW STARRING ... EVERYBODY!
01/15/09: You know the type
01/08/09: Just in time, here comes 2009
11/20/08: Hotels go for the green
11/06/08: Something does not compute
10/30/08: Early adopters tech their chances
10/21/08: Cyberspace invaders
10/21/08: Keeping up disappearances
09/17/08: Victims of math hysteria
08/07/08: My newfound sense of self (promotion)
06/24/08: Getting the brand back together
05/29/08: Phrased and confused
05/13/08: Take this job and love it
04/17/08: News you can (re)use
04/02/08: Commercial (over)load
02/20/08: An overdose of reality
02/14/08: A developing situation
01/30/08: I can tech it or leave it
01/02/08: Confessions of a coke addict
01/02/08: Our bills are due
12/13/07: Going (to lunch) once, going twice…
11/28/07: Out with the old
11/06/07: My latest pet project
11/06/07: Can't tune it out
10/23/07: Something special in the hair
09/12/07: Can I have your attention, please?
09/12/07: Houston, we have an image problem
08/21/07: In the heat of fashion
08/09/07: Let's get in the game
06/13/07: You gonna eat that?
05/08/07: That's disinter-tainment
05/02/07:You Are (not) Getting Sleepy...
04/18/07: No time like Father Time
03/15/07: Deface the Nation
03/08/07: More gifts? You shouldn't have
02/22/07: Relationships can be such a chore
12/05/06: Who's calling the shots?
11/09/06: I'm taking selling to a whole new level
10/27/06: Some skills are beyond repair
10/18/06: You can't tech it with you
10/04/06: Award to the wise
08/24/06: Phrased and Confused
08/09/06: We're Gonna Party Like it's $19.99
07/19/06: Just Singing in the Brain
05/24/06: Who says you can't go home again?
05/11/06: When nightly news stories go off script
04/26/06: Cents and sensibility: A thought for your pennies
03/16/06: The day the Muzak died
02/23/06: Checkbook diplomacy begins at home
02/15/06: Today's toys: Where learning means earning
© 2006, Malcolm Fleschner
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