What you’ll come to learn about me if you take an interest in this blog is that I have developed a rather strong opposition to all forms of stereotyping. We are all exposed to that phenomenon and inevitably, it starts to sink in most of us. Of course, some will only mention these common stereotypes in comic form, being able to see through it’s grotesque foundations (often fear or an urge for a group of individuals to feel superior). But even so, they could see a part of truth in it. What is worse is that these stereotypes exist precisely because some people blindly believe they are true.
As an American who spent 18 years growing up in France, I have been the target of stereotyping, especially during George W. Bush’s mandate when, Americans were, all of a sudden, deemed plain stupid by a good few. Not to mention other tags like ’selfish capitalists’. Some of you might read this and think “so true”. Well, I beg to differ. Some people’s attitude towards me drastically changed when they learned I was American. Why? Now, why would they enjoy my presence before but not after I casually declared being American. Surely, my behaviour could not have so drastically changed as to fit their mental picture of the “American asshole” ? And why would they not hate me beforehand if my behaviour was supposedly already American ? That’s because I am not acting typically American. There is no such thing as acting American. I am far from daft and I’m certainly not a “selfish capitalist” (who’s kidding themselves anyway ? Capitalism thrives in the Western world). In the end, there is no possible justification for this behaviour of portraying someone by his nationality. It is just a way of creating extra controversy. As if there was not enough of it to start with.
Many of you have been witness to the video circulating on the internet, set on putting American intelligence to test. Of course, as you could expect from this piece of British humour, quite obviously supposed to be a mockery of Americans, the ‘Americans’ fail dismally to tell how many sides a triangle has or what country starts with a ‘U’. If you’re already slightly (or strongly) convinced that Americans have empty heads than you will blindly agree with this video. Otherwise you might be sceptical and come to realise how easily misleading this video can be. How many people are actually seen to be interviewed on the video ? a few. How many people were really interviewed do you think ? A good bunch I’m guessing. Not to mention that, in a country as big as the US, it’s easy to find small secluded cities where people are culturally light because of the frail opportunities for a decent education. All in all, I strongly believe this show could be replicated in any country, may it be France or the United Kingdom, and a couple dozen light heads would stand out from amongst a good thousand interviewed. Proportions also have to be taken in account. Maybe there are much more uneducated people in the US than some country in Europe. Yet, when swung in proportions to each country’s population, is the divide really flabbergasting ? not really.
Of course, I also get some abuse from people because of being French (I live in the UK now). But, there are stereotypes that I hate much more than nationalistic ones. I am talking about those stereotypes that have lead to things such as sexism, homophobia and racism. Of course, people who bring these to the extreme obviously have big issues that disable them from thinking outwards, in the light of rationality. They look inwards, towards their own emotionally romantic driven self for the answer. The compulsion to hate, despise or lower everything that does not characterise them is strong. But most of us more clever and humble types will look very sorely towards these extremists. But at other levels, these discriminations still exist. When France had its episode of slum riots, most people saw this as a simple manifestation of those people’s natural tendency for violence. Needless to say, this assumption came from a muffled tendency for racial discrimination. Because these populations were in majority Arab, it was all to easy for them to make a connection between violence and ethnicity. If you stop to think about it, there is absolutely no connection. Violence obviously sprung from the horrid living conditions in which these people live, which again, they did not bring upon themselves but rather arose from xenophobic tendencies in the workplace and in social life. Unable to express their rage through healthy means, as the educational system in these areas receive very few or no support for improvement, the young minds of the slums have no other resort but violence. If any of us lived in the slums in these dismal conditions, let me assure you, we would have burned cars (you may dismiss this idea for yourself, after all, you have no tendency for violence. But, would your personality be the same if you had been raised in poverty ?). Even the Fox News (which spells ‘biased as Hell’) commentator who foolishly tagged these people as ‘bestial’ would change his views if he lived in slums for a couple of years. Of course, none of these people would openly declare themselves racist, but there is no other word to describe so accurately why they so easily aim their anger towards these people. This is the same behaviour that lead to the holocaust. Thankfully, France is not on the verge of an economic recession in which the scapegoat behaviour thrives. And neither is any other developed country with that exact problem.
I think that at this point, everything I could say about homophobia and sexism on the same level as my depiction of racism would be too predictable. So I shall leave it to this and next time write what I really meant to write about all along: Little assumptions that people make because of certain personality traits one has. This will include the subjects of gender differences and homosexuality. I’ll also explain how it affects me personally. Amongst other things…
