Walking across campus, I look around and see people dressed in everything from gothic black to almost church attire. I have been taught by today’s society who is supposed to be whom, and that I can judge someone simply by what they wear or look like. OK, well I really can’t, but this is the type of attitude that leads to many of the stereotypes plaguing this wonderful student community we call college.
I have been a target of stereotyping since I arrived at LSU. I am used to responding “no” to the question “Are you in a fraternity?” that I hear every time I meet someone new. Their response usually goes something like: “Oh, well you have that frat guy look.” But what is that look? Now I’m not saying being in a fraternity is a bad thing or that the aforementioned is a negative stereotype. However, it is an example of how we tend to label people based solely on appearance.
According to Robert Shea, co-writer of “Popular Culture: An Introductory Text,” “stereotypes are frequently negative, and because a culture bases its actions upon beliefs and values which characterize the cultural mindset, negative stereotypes can be associated with actions of an exceedingly negative, harmful nature – ugly emotions and even worse behavior.”
Whether you dress like a typical sorority girl, a person who attends Ichobod’s on a weekly basis, or someone who watches Dragonball-Z and plays role-playing games, there is bound to be a stereotype that adheres to you. Unfortunately, these stereotypes placed upon students by today’s society are causing a decrease in camaraderie among students as well as others. A person is not going to want to meet someone who isn’t cut from the same mold as they are, even though whatever it is that separates them may be based solely on how they look.
For example, I don’t expect to see a fraternity guy having dinner with a Marilyn Manson fanatic with blue streaks in her hair. Admittedly, these two probably don’t have any interest in talking to each other at all and would not get along, but who are we to assume that? The problem with these barriers appears when we start to pass judgment on someone we don’t know, and their negative stereotype becomes a blind chastisement.
Overhearing people talking in class is disturbing. I remember one conversation between two girls where girl number one wanted to set her friend up with a guy she knew. She told her friend that he was in a fraternity, and her friend’s response was: “No way, fraternity guys are (expletive).” What is it that made this girl automatically assume the guy was no good just because he was in a frat? The girl’s response to my question would probably be: “I know from personal experience.” But if the girl hasn’t met every single guy who belongs to a frat, this still is stereotyping.
Shea says “acquired secondhand, where people acquire (and absorb) stereotypes from cultural mediators rather than from their own direct experience with the groups being stereotyped, is where most stamping individuals come from.”
I’ve heard people talking about how the two guys sitting on the bench across the Quad must be Satan worshipers because they are wearing all black clothes and have on black fingernail polish; and that girl walking into the bar is a “slut” because of her low-cut shirt and RuPaul-like makeup job.
Why do we feel it is necessary to penalize someone for supposedly belonging to a particular group or dressing like someone we view in a negative light? Or penalize them for, dare I say it, being themselves? I think it is great when people have their own style and don’t follow the crowd; it shows independence and confidence.
For some people it is important to be trendy and have the newest and best. Many students simply want to look good, and they see the newest stuff as what looks best. But there are some people who go along with the trends simply so they will not feel like they stand out. They want to be stereotyped as a “one of these” or “one of those.” That is one of the reasons stereotypes exist, people want an identity; even if it can be bought at the mall. The geeks do hang out with the geeks, and the rednecks do hang out with other rednecks. But please don’t cast judgment on someone based solely on superficialities. Get to know someone before you dispel the idea of them being an actually OK person.
In the end, I really do not care how many trucker hats, big belt buckles or solid Polos someone owns, or if Hollister Co. puts a sign in front of its store saying “Mainstreamers Welcome.” I say be yourself, have an open mind, and dress to kill.