'Kouchtown" Sit down or get out of the way

On the subject of advertising, I would like to bring attention to a show called 30 rock, which is coincidentally another product of Tina Fey's genius.
There is a particular episode where Jack Donaghy is trying to make and sell couches made in america. The couches are a disaster, better fitted for CIA torture chambers than living rooms.
The ad he has shown is such a desperate attempt to hide how bad they are, and still tries to convince consumers to buy it by using american stereotypes.

Mean Girls - Stereotypes

In the movie Mean Girls, Cady Heron is the new girl at school. She first befriends Janis and Damian, two people who don’t belong to a specific clique. As Cady is walking in the cafeteria towards Janis and Damian, a clique called The Plastics invite her to sit with them. They eventually invite her to sit with them for the rest of the week and teach her the rules of being “plastic”. Some of these rules include wearing pink on Wednesdays and only wearing your hair in a ponytail once a week. Gretchen, a member of The Plastics, even explains that “Ex boyfriends are off limits to friends, that’s just, like, the rules of feminism.” Cady is at first reluctant to continue sitting with The Plastics, but eventually gives in when Janice explains it could be perfect sabotage to get back at Regina, the leader of The Plastics.

One example of a racial stereotype in the movie Mean Girls is when Ms. Norbury introduces the new girl from Africa. She automatically assumes it is the black girl in class, but instead the girl is from Michigan. Cady Heron is really the girl from Africa and is white.

Another example of stereotypes are the cliques at school. Some of the cliques include “Cool Asians”, “Unfriendly Black Hotties”, “Girls Who Don’t Eat Anything”, and “Burnouts”.This displays both gender and race stereotypes.

Mean Girls has many examples of stereotypes, as mentioned in the article Stereotypes & Gender Roles.

Bigotry = Normalcy

When Mr. Inloes said that bigotry might be a better word than "racism", I am inclined to agree.
the definition of Bigot is :

 a person who strongly and unfairly dislikes other people, ideas, etc. : a bigoted person;especially : a person who hates or refuses to accept the members of a particular group 

(such as a racial or religious group)

I think this really is an accurate word to use in modern times. Hatred has gone beyond just race, to anyone who you can't describe as "normal".
Normal is, in itself, a hateful word when used to describe a person. There is no such thing as a "normal" person, but somehow, people see it as an ideal, and something that all humans should aspire to be.
And anyone who doesn't is cast out in most societies.

There are little to no cultures in present day that do not have traditional ways of thinking or societal rules of how to dress or act.

When I tried to search for a culture that did revere non-conformity, all that showed up in my search engine was essays and articles about how conformity crushes us.

One particular article caught my eye. It was from Psychology Today, a magazine for all of us psych lovers.
The title was a rather accurate description of todays world: "How Cultures Make People Conform".

Reading it, I was rather disturbed because, when I had hoped to find an example of a counterargument of my statement, I instead found pages verifying my thoughts.

This is one of the many times I wish I was wrong.

Normalcy, Traditions; these are words that add fuel to the fire created by bigots. They are used as weapons to beat down the unique ones and tell us to be ashamed of it, and we should strive to be "normal, even though many of us know that "normal" doesn't exist.

The Simpsons - Malibu Stacy

 

When Lisa heads into the ‘Valley of The Dolls’ with Marge, she warns her mother that it can get dangerous. Lisa automatically starts fighting with the other girls over different dolls, specifically Malibu Stacy. But when Lisa gets home, she is disappointed with her new doll. She is trying to give an address, but all Malibu Stacy has to say is “Let’s bake cookies for boys”, “I’m just a girl”, and “Thinking too much gives you wrinkles”. Lisa knows that Malibu Stacy is sexist and should not be a role model for girls.

Lisa tries to visit the Malibu Stacy plant and voice her opinion about the sexist views of the doll, but when she asks a question she receives no answer. There is even sexual harassment at the Malibu Stacy plant between the female tour guide and one of the workers.

Lisa eventually designs her own doll, Lisa Lion Heart, with the “real life” Malibu Stacy. The doll says positive quotes and looks like a “normal” girl. The doll is popular for a few days until a new Malibu Stacy is released.

Lisa tried extremely hard to voice her opinion that Malibu Stacy is sexist and should not be a role model for girls. Unfortunately, the doll was too popular and the executives at the Malibu Stacy plant did not listen to her.

Any comments on this article?

There are a lot of chef stereotypes that are tossed around in the service industry. Some are real and others couldn’t be further from the truth. Here is a list of some super common chef stereotypes, which ones do you agree with?

10. Chefs are picky - Yes, chefs can be picky, but this is only because they know what a good dish looks and tastes like and they want to get their moneys worth.

9. Chefs are bad spouses - Non-chefs can also be bad spouses, am I right? The only reason for this stereotype is because chefs work long hours and take no time off. The job requires them to dedicate a majority of their time to the kitchen, leaving less quality time for their loved ones.

8. Chefs have bad tempers - Professional chefs may have bad tempers but this is only because they are passionate about their craft and want to make sure everything that leaves the kitchen is perfection. When busy chefs have to repeat directions constantly to those around them you may see a temper rise.

7. They are all overweight - True for some, but not for all. The title “Chef” usually implies that they make good food so some of them indulge in their creations and sometimes they may indulge a little too often. Othertimes chefs are overweight because they have no time to themselves to cook good wholesome meals, so they end up eating a lot of fast food and takeout.

6. All chefs smoke cigarettes - Not all stereotypes are false… Just kidding, I guess there are those rare souls out there who have never touched a cigarette.

5. They are all alcoholics - I wouldn’t go as far as to say they are all alcoholics, but boy can they drink.

4. They have good taste and only eat the best - There are a lot of chefs out there who cook good food all day and then order pizza when they get home. For many chefs, the last thing they want to do when they get home is cook after a 12-15 hour workday.

3. They are territorial over the kitchen - The kitchen is a very sacred place to most chefs where they expect to be able to stay focused and go unbothered. If someone gets in their way, you might witness a territorial chef, so know your boundaries and you won’t feel the wrath of the head chef.

2. The best chefs are men - Yes, there are many great chefs out there who are men, but there are also a ton of killer lady chefs out there. Does the name Julia Child ring a bell? Women may approach cooking differently, but that is what’s exciting about all different types of chefs.  

1. They are arrogant - They may come off as arrogant but this is only because they are seasoned professionals and they know that most people could not handle what they do. They put in more time and effort than most people working in the restaurant, plus they NEVER take sick days.

source: http://www.shiftgig.com/articles/10-common-misconceptions-about-chefs

gender discussion

Personally i feel gender influences on body image can play a huge role. I grew up in a household where you had to suck it up because no one is going to help you. Now if i really injured myself bad that’s a slightly different story then i’d be told not to cry . It made me brush off pain no matter what. Being hurt makes me want to say something but it is natural for me to hide it for fear of being less of a man.Growing up with more of this gender role discussion is slowly helping me think it’s okay to show emotion and show that i care about people even if it makes me sound "not tough".