We have all been judged based on a stereotype at some point in our lives. Whether it is because you have red hair, are an African American, Jewish, or Blonde, the list goes on forever. Pretty much what I am trying to say is that no matter who you are, you are bound to be put into at least one stereotype category even if you do not reflect it.

For me, I always get stereotyped as the dumb blonde. Not to be confused with the dumb blonde bombshell because I definitely do not have the certain “assets” to fit into that category.

I know my stereotype is not as bad as some of the other more severe ones out there, but it still has affected me in negative ways. Everyone knows the blonde stereotype: super quirky, not the brightest crayon in the box, and always super attractive Elle Woods-type girl, so it is not always a bad thing to be associated with girls like her because it is such a lovable character. But on the other hand, when I am speaking to someone and the talk to me in a way that make me feel like they are talking down to me just because they don’t think I am as smart as they are it makes me feel like shit. I am sure anyone else out there that is a blonde can relate, it is infuriating when almost everyone has these automatic thoughts about you just because of your hair color, that in no way reflects h0w intelligent or unintelligent you may be.

Don’t get me wrong, not all stereotypes are harmful. I have learned from taking multiple sociology classes that some stereotypes are helpful for many different reasons, but that is not circumstance the majority of the time. That is the reason why I am writing this article. It really irritates the hell out of me when people judge others based on what they expect that person to be like because of a specific idea they have in their mind.

For example, just because someone is African American doesn’t mean they are a criminal, just because someone is a Muslim doesn’t mean they are a terrorist, and just because someone is Mexican does not mean they are here illegally.

These are the type of ignorant judgments that drive me crazy. It amazes me that people actually think that each and every person from a certain race or ethnicity fits the exact description that some asshole made up forever ago. I am not saying that certain people don’t ever match the stereotype, but the likeliness of someone being the exact reflection of the category is very slim. You have to be extremely narrow-minded to even begin to think this way (no offense, just kidding).

Stereotypes do not only exist for different races and ethnicities, but for gender too. There are still people that think females need to be the perfect housewife that wait on their husband’s hand and foot. Also, that a woman should not wear men’s clothing or be caught looking even slightly unfeminine, are you freaking kidding me?! On the other hand, there are still people that think all men need to be the image of masculinity. They think that it is not okay for men to cry or show any emotion like, really people, women and men can do whatever the hell they want, if a woman wants to shop in the men’s section she can and vice versa.

It is 2016, it drives me insane that there is still this blatant ignorance existing in our society. This goes hand in hand with racist, sexist, and homophobic remarks like I wrote about in an earlier article. If we don’t stop making jokes and making light of these stereotypes then the will never go away and that it not okay. It will be hard, but we need to get rid of these expectations and thoughts that are attached to the way we think of someone or these stereotypes will continue to exist.

The post Reasons for the RBF: Stereotypes appeared first on KRUI Radio.

When I moved to Iowa City to attend the University of Iowa, which is known for being a VERY liberal campus, I was surprised to find that I was still hearing homophobic comments and racial slurs on a daily basis like I did back in high school.

I am from very suburban town in Iowa so it was no surprise that my high school consisted of primarily white students with barely any minorities or openly gay people. Anyway, I figured when I came here that people would be more accepting of the LGBTQ+ community and minorities, but boy, was I wrong.

I can remember one of the first Fridays of the semester when I was at a house party and I heard a frat boy call another kid a f*g.

It wasn’t in a joking way (which isn’t okay either) but in a way where he actually meant it. I was instantly filled with rage and walked my pissed-off ass right over to him and asked,”what the fuck did you just say to him?” The frat boy who had been hitting on me earlier in the night looked scared for his life (I can be pretty intimidating when I’m angry). He tried to play it off like a joke but I cut him off and continued to ream his ass on why he’s an ignorant asshole and told him if I heard him say it again that I would not be afraid to teach him a lesson. Admitted I had a few drinks in my system but I do not tolerate ignorant-ass people, especially frat guys.

This brings me to why I have RBF (Resting Bitch Face) because there are still racist and homophobic

people, especially college students, in this world. Like honestly people, it is 2016 get over yourself and your ass-backwards beliefs. Stop making excuses for yourself by saying, “it’s how I was raised.” That’s bull crap. There are plenty of people out there that have different beliefs than their parents or grandparents. There is no reason why you should call someone a name or be rude to someone for something they cannot change. Using racial slurs or making anti-gay comments to them will not change who they are so get over it.

You may say, “what they do is disgusting and immoral” when referring to gay marriage but is it really any of your business? In the wise words of Jenna Marbles, “What the fuck do you care what other people do with their genitals?”. Does it really affect you that much that you have to make it clear to everyone that it bothers you? It is legal and there is nothing you can do about it, get with the program.

On a daily basis I hear comments about the international students on campus specifically the ones from Asia. One the particularly grinds my gears was from one of my personal friends when she said, “why don’t they

just speak English? It really irritates me that they don’t” as we passed a group of Chinese students speaking to each other in Mandarin. I immediately gave her a look that resembled the picture on the right. After staring at her in amazement because of the comment she just made, I proceeded to ask her why we speak English even though we can speak Spanish and she said “well because English is the language we always speak” and I responded with one simple word. “Exactly.” That shut her right up, and she never said anything like that in front of me again.

But seriously though, it never ceases to amaze me that there are still Americans out there who think all other people in our country should speak English just because they cannot understand what they are saying. Well, all I have to say to that is why don’t you learn their language instead of being a typical lazy American and expecting everybody to bow to your wants??

That was a tad more ranting than usual but I am sure I’m not the only one who feels strongly about this subject. It is a serious issue that is very relevant in today’s society especially among our youth. If we do not teach the young people of this country and the world to be more tolerant of people that may be different than them, we’re screwed. So please raise your future children to be kind and tolerant human beings; you’ll be glad you did.

The post Reasons for the Resting Bitch Face: Homophobes and Racists appeared first on KRUI Radio.