Inspired by "A Nerd by Any Other Name"

[laxduck]

Just based on a lot of the responses in there I have to ask:

Why do people who claim to have been stereotyped against for years proceed to stereotype other groups of people?

Seriously, that thread is like a dedication to the hate sci-fi/video game fans have for sports fans because apparently many of them believe all sports fans are jerks who pick on people and steal candy from babies.

If my momma taught me one thing it was that if you don't like someone doing something to you, you probably shouldn't do it to other people. But that's exactly what this community is doing. I'll straight up say it, I am more of a sports fan that a video game fan. I love sports. My best friend cares for sports a little but he loves video games. We're both nice, agreeable guys and obviously we get along great. We know our interests differ but we didn't let that impact what we thought of each other. If he was like 80% of the people in that thread he wouldn't have talked to me because he'd think I would demean him and take his lunch money or something.

If you don't like stereotypes being applied to you, don't apply them to others.

inb4 trolls who say they like being stereotyped.

 

[delet]

People are hypocrites! What?! I am amazed and surprised by this revelation and had absolutely no idea of it beforehand!

 

[cheeseraven]

*clap clap*

i can agree with that

 

[Lord Beautiful]

I'm not one to take stereotypes seriously. In spite of my nerdiness, some of my dearest friends in high school were indeed "jocks."

 

[emeraldrafael]

MOStly justice, revenge. Its like when parents say they want could make the world better for thir kids, but why hsould they get it off so easy?

But yeha, i sometimes get hypocritical.

 

[laxduck]

People are hypocrites! What?! I am amazed and surprised by this revelation and had absolutely no idea of it beforehand!

ZOMG inorite? Es muy loco hombre. Todo el mundo es muy loco.

 

[delet]

People are hypocrites! What?! I am amazed and surprised by this revelation and had absolutely no idea of it beforehand!

ZOMG inorite? Es muy loco hombre. Todo el mundo es muy loco.

Touché, salvo yo no hablo Español.

 

[itsnotyouitsme]

*Stamp of Approval*

It's not as wide as I'd like it to go. It's like it to go past stereotype and to racism but hey, it's all feathers of the same flock.

 

[Iron Mal]

Just based on a lot of the responses in there I have to ask:

Why do people who claim to have been stereotyped against for years proceed to stereotype other groups of people?

Contrary to popular belief, stereotypes are actually an important part of our social interaction, we need an outline or idea of how to approach and talk to people who we may not nessercarily know on a personal level. We can't always judge people based on their merits or personality, there just isn't always time or oppertunity for that.

Also, stereotypes for the most part tend to be based on observation and experience (even if they are exaggerated sometimes) so most of the time you'll only really be called out on a stereotype if you possess a trait of it (making it somewhat justified).

Most people are very stereotypical, stereotypes often consist of a wide variety of qualities and flaws that are universally possessed. I am a very stereotypical person, I am English, a nerd and a gamer as well as a student, these are things that define me and my personality inadvertantly or otherwise.

Seriously, that thread is like a dedication to the hate sci-fi/video game fans have for sports fans because apparently many of them believe all sports fans are jerks who pick on people and steal candy from babies.

Many nerdy people have (and still do) get hassle from 'sports fans' because of their choice of hobby (or as established, the way they express their choice of hobby), you can't be too supirsed that there's going to be some resentment held towards the people who gives you abuse for liking something different to what they like.

You may or may not be an exception to this (I don't know you) but if you have a problem with this stereotype then sadly it's the behavior and attitude of your fellow sports fans you should blame for giving you such a bad image (the stereotype and resentment is a symptom of this problem, not a cause).

If my momma taught me one thing it was that if you don't like someone doing something to you, you probably shouldn't do it to other people. But that's exactly what this community is doing. I'll straight up say it, I am more of a sports fan that a video game fan. I love sports. My best friend cares for sports a little but he loves video games. We're both nice, agreeable guys and obviously we get along great. We know our interests differ but we didn't let that impact what we thought of each other. If he was like 80% of the people in that thread he wouldn't have talked to me because he'd think I would demean him and take his lunch money or something.

It's good that you have friends from outside of your range of interests and get on well with them (not everyone can say that) but you alone do not make a large enough example to assuage the years of bullying, hassle (and in some cases torment and abuse) and other crap that some 'nerds' have had to put up with from other people who share your interests and sub-culture (I believe the phrase is 'the exception that proves the rule').

By all means keep up the good work but don't expect much to come of it.

If you don't like stereotypes being applied to you, don't apply them to others.

As I established earlier, the distain nerdy people have for sports fans is largely a reactionary thing (symptom, not cause), a response to years of prejudice and mockery from the rest of society (no really, for some people it was very bad).

And the old golden rule of 'do to others as you would like done to you' doesn't always quite work when you find that not everyone is willing to play along with that.

 

[laxduck]

Wall of Text (I did read it, just didn't want to make it longer than necessary)

I understand the usefulness of stereotypes as a means for basing initial interactions but I'm referring specifically to the insulting of a group of people based on their choice of hobby. People bashing sports fans on an internet forum aren't using stereotypes as a means of basing first contact interaction, they're creating that exaggeration of previous experiences you briefly mentioned. If a kid falls off a bike when he's first learning to ride and hurts himself then decides he doesn't like bikes because of this, the more times he tells himself he doesn't like bikes the less likely he will be to ever give bikes a fair shot. Same thing here. The more people post talk of how all sports fans are jerks the more likely they will all agree and never give a sports fan a fair shot.

Or, more fun example, a girl has a guy cheat on her. For the next few months she tells all her friends how much she hates guys and how they're all assholes. Her friends, constantly exposed to the negative stereotype their friend is perpetuating, proceed to interrogate and doubt every guy that hits on them, causing them to be single for longer than they would be otherwise.

Stereotypes can be useful, but their usefulness is not to be negatively reinforced within another group.

I don't know if that made total sense, I'm half asleep right now, but here's to hoping it did.

 

[Iron Mal]

Wall of Text (I did read it, just didn't want to make it longer than necessary)

I understand the usefulness of stereotypes as a means for basing initial interactions but I'm referring specifically to the insulting of a group of people based on their choice of hobby. People bashing sports fans on an internet forum aren't using stereotypes as a means of basing first contact interaction, they're creating that exaggeration of previous experiences you briefly mentioned. If a kid falls off a bike when he's first learning to ride and hurts himself then decides he doesn't like bikes because of this, the more times he tells himself he doesn't like bikes the less likely he will be to ever give bikes a fair shot. Same thing here. The more people post talk of how all sports fans are jerks the more likely they will all agree and never give a sports fan a fair shot.

Or, more fun example, a girl has a guy cheat on her. For the next few months she tells all her friends how much she hates guys and how they're all assholes. Her friends, constantly exposed to the negative stereotype their friend is perpetuating, proceed to interrogate and doubt every guy that hits on them, causing them to be single for longer than they would be otherwise.

Stereotypes can be useful, but their usefulness is not to be negatively reinforced within another group.

I don't know if that made total sense, I'm half asleep right now, but here's to hoping it did.

While it's fair enough to be sick of having a group bash you for having a hobby (trust me as a very nerdy person when I say that I've had more than my fair share of insults and abuse over my interest in video games from various peoples ranging from verbal to emotional to even physical on occasion) you also have to remember that you're preaching to the choir on this one.

We know what it's like to be on the recieving end of a stereotype, we have been since the creation of the nerd stereotype and it's only in recent years that our image has improved in a noticable way. Although there are still people out there who are ashamed to associate with other nerds and gamers out of fear of the stigma attached.

You may be upset with the general 'looking down upon' from nerds and other such subcultures just simply for being a 'jock' or sports fan but you have to remember that this is in no way anywhere near as bad as the perception and treatment of us (you have it comparitively easy).

Look at it this way, it's socially acceptable for you to start talking to someone about your sport of choice (and most people will likely have a good idea of what you're talking to them about) but I'm likely to get some strange looks if me and a friend are talking about Berserk or Mass Effect in public.

I can remember more than a few instances back in school of the 'jocks' making fun of nerdy guys just for talking among themselves, however, I honestly can't remember one case of myself or my friends ever making an example of one of the sporty kids just because of their interests.

I think you're making a mountain of a molehill here.