Fun With Stereotypes
Stereotypes are now off limits; they are politically incorrect, don’cha know. But if we’re honest, we’ll admit that stereotypes develop with some little kernel of truth.
A black colleague and I were ordering lunch.
“Want the fried chicken?”
“I don’t eat fried chicken.”
“Don’t like it?”
“It’s a stereotype that black people like fried chicken, watermelon and sex.”
“It is?”
“Yes, and I won’t fulfill their stereotype. No fried chicken or watermelon for me.”
“Huh…how about sex?”
His only response was a sheepish grin.
Here’s a story from They Thought They Were Free, written by a Jewish journalist who went back to Germany ten years after Hitler. He wanted to see what regular Germans had been thinking at that time. Speaking of national traits, he said there was a Europe-wide rule that windows on trains could not be opened until after June 24.
It was very hot on June 24th and the German noted the date and continued to sweat. Rules are rules. The Frenchman yelled, “Liberte!” and smashed the window out with his suitcase.
The American opened the window.
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