It depends. Sometimes, yes, some stereotypes get a bum rap. Really, what the hell is wrong with watermelon and fried chicken? I think the proportion of black Americans who like both foods are about the same in white Americans, but whatever. Why is that bad, even if it's sometimes inaccurate?

I think stereotypes are exaggerated truths. They've got some truth to them, but can't be applied to everyone.

Im sorry but the chicken and watermelon thing is true.
Even other races have to agree that they love it. I went to a party with Latinos and watermelon seeds were all over the garden

…on the other hand, when the stereotypes say something of consequence about a person, then yes it's harmful. Examples:
*black people are good at sports
*white people do well in school

None of these things are "negative," but they are all very inaccurate and can make the significant number of people who don't fit them feel bad. It also limits your view of the people. For example, they infer that they can't excel in anything other than the areas that their group's supposedly good at. Malik can be the quantum physicist and Scott can be the star basketball player.

As for food preferences, does that matter?

There are traits more common among certain races, but this does not mean one should use stereotypes. It's narrow-minded. You're straight-up admitting you don't have the mental capacity to assess people individually. And that instead you have to rely on premade judgements.

I'm pretty sure it's not most blacks that like watermelon and fried chicken, but most people. Who the cock doesn't like watermelon and fried chicken?

I hate watermelon. Yeah, I said it. It's grainy and treacly. I adore fried chicken, however, but I'm confused as to how we got pegged with it when I can go to pretty much any culture's cuisine and get my chicken needs met. Kanazawa's the reason I stopped reading Psychology Today. Any mag who prints this guy's articles without rebuttal, and with a "sorry for ya if you get your fee-fees hurt by the tru fax" disclaimer shows a blatant disregard for their readership.

http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article18563

There's some evidence to say that we're pre-programmed to generate stereotypes, even as individuals. It's a defense mechanism- like other animals, our brains tend to profile people who look and act similarly, making a catalogue of impressions that help us act when we encounter something or someone fitting a certain description. To a certain extent, it's an instinct we can't help.

Also, I had never heard about the watermelon/fried chicken thing until I got to college. Who doesn't like fried chicken? I'm completely useless at combating Italian sterotypes- I'm writing this as eat a huge bowl of spaghetti. No joke.

sorry, #8, but stereotypes are a part of racism (which is socially constructed), not an "instinct we can't help". as an italian the danger of stereotypes is not going to impact you the same way that it does folks of color. 100 years ago however, before italians were white, the stereotypes applied to them had more of an impact as they served to dehumanize them, take away their individuality, and hence justify discrimination and violence against all italians.

yes, even food stereotypes play a part in constructing this dehumanized caricature. all cultures might have certain foods that are commonly liked, but to reduce an entire culture to it's food is to take away the wholeness and complexity of said culture. there's also other implications as well: in minstrel shows, black-faced actors would portray blacks trying to steal watermelons from their white masters, while in the famous KKK movie "birth of a nation" blacks are shown to be unfit for self-governance through the image of a slovenly black politician chewing on a piece of chicken while in congress.

finally, it boggles my mind that a blog called "stereohyped" feels it worthwhile to start a discussion on whether stereotypes are true or false. really?

Sterotypes:
1. Don't cover everyone in an entire group.
2. Are usually negative.
3. Gives one a shortcut instead of thinking. Cliff notes for assessing people
4. Black people have the worse of the lot.

RhymesWithSilver said:
There’s some evidence to say that we’re pre-programmed to generate stereotypes, even as individuals.
This I can believe but we have the ablity to think in a way that other animals cannot so we can think past sterotypes if we put in effort.

@Fri- Many stereotypes are associated with gender. Before racism as we know it today was invented, the Greeks stereotyped Northern Europeans and those different from them.

Sure it's true that as conscious, intelligent beings we should be able to think past any biological predisposition we have to stereotype people, but it isn't true that we just use sterotypes to belittle and abuse others. The same patterns of thinking allow us to be tactful and sensitive of others. The same thought process that leads us to conclude "all _____ are _____" also keeps us out of a significant amount of trouble. It's differentiating a good final conclusion from a bad one that requires reason.

And there are plenty of shades of gray when it comes to stereotypes. No one really cares that I like spaghetti, whether or not they think it's because I'm Italian. We're also supposedly greasy, hairy, belligerent and bestial. I know a lot of us who are, and that's why stereotypes will never go away- there will always be just enough people who fit the description to perpetuate them. I don't think anyone relates to every random human being they encounter on level where they can appreciate the individual, so as long as no one is going to hunt us down for our spaghetti and fried chicken habits, there's probably nothing we can do about such stereotypes anyway. It's the ones that diminish our sense of worth (i.e. black kids do poorly in school) that need challenging.

I agree with Ike.