Blonde Stereotyping

Stereotyping is when you judge someone by his or her looks, hairstyle, voice, actions, attitudes… the list is endless. Among today’s society so many stereotypes occur every day. People judge others based on the visual representation they see and sometimes even make accusations based on these judgments. Sure some might think we live in a society where this doesn’t happen, but the fact of the matter is its not, and it needs to be realized.

How many times have you heard a joke about blondes being Dumb? Too many times. When we start expecting certain group members to behave, think, or feel a certain way, based on hasty generalization, we are stereotyping. When children are born they start off with no opinion at all, but as they get older they start to form opinions on what they have learned from their parents, friends, and peers. There are many types of stereotypes. All blondes are dumb and Glasses mean intelligence. This is ridiculous... And all these opinions are from people we surround ourselves with and the media.
What may surprise you is that even so-called positive stereotypes can have a negative impact. Consider these… “Asians are good in math.” “African Americans are good at sports.” “Men are good leaders.” “Women are good nurturers.” Stereotyping affects both the person who holds the stereotype and the person being stereotyped. By seeing all people in a group as the same, you deny people their individuality. If you apply fixed beliefs about a group to an individual, you distort your ability to get a clear view of that