My collection of stereotypes comes from books, magazines, newspapers, movies, television shows, radio programs, news shows, conversations, podcasts, etc. Sources can be 10s to 100s to 1000s of years old.
Stereotypes and categories overlap at times. I create categories of stereotypes as I have stereotype examples to put into those categories.
The research into gossip goes back at least to the middle of the 20th century. Both men and women research gossip. Putting all of their research together, this is my definition:
Gossip is talk and writing about people
— both other people and ourselves —
in family, social, workplace, and public settings.
Much of the research shows that gossip is both positive and negative. I define gossip as good, bad, or ugly. Good gossip ignores or breaks stereotypes. Bad gossip uses stereotypes. Ugly gossip manufactures stereotypes.
Negative stereotypes exist about everyone, no matter their age, gender, race, religion, profession, etc. These stereotype blog posts will help you understand the negative stereotypes about you.
If you use negative stereotypes about people who are different from you, you are inviting everyone who hears you to use negative stereotypes about you.
Stereotype Updates
I add stereotypes as I come across them.
I will add the new stereotypes at the bottom of each listing, putting ~~~~~ between the older stereotypes and the new stereotypes.
More Stereotypes
Negative Stereotypes Behind Bad & Ugly Gossip: Ethnic, National, & Racial Identities
Negative Stereotypes Behind Bad & Ugly Gossip: Workplaces
Negative Stereotypes Behind Bad & Ugly Gossip: Romance
Negative Stereotypes Behind Bad & Ugly Gossip: Poverty
~~~~~~~~~~
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~~~~~~~~~~
Adults
College Students
clueless about their careers
Debutantes
snotty
stuck up
Male College Students
childish
irresponsible
stupid
Sororities
superficial
ridiculous
Young People Who Don’t Vote
lazy
apathetic
ignorant
disengaged
Middle-Aged People
lack motivation
Elderly People
incompetent
sad
lonely
ill-tempered
demanding
selfish
stubborn
nosy
slow moving
snobbish
prejudiced
hypochondriac
bored
miserly
incapable of making effective decisions
too old for business success
deserve to die
Unhealthy Old Age Is…
a punishment for living “wrong”
People With Superior Sounding Vocabularies
idiots
Children
Adopted Children
screwed up
troubled
delinquent
burden to the family
yearn to find birth parents
Children From Single Parent Families
end up in trouble
low self-esteem
behavior problems
Child Nerds
friendless
book-smart sissies
suck up to authority figures
Infants
extensions of women
Only-Children
spoiled
maladjusted
selfish
lonely
prone to imaginary friends
Preteen Boys
mean
rowdy
aggressive
Preteen Girls
selfish
promiscuous
jealous
Teenagers
juvenile delinquents
brainless
bubble gum chewers
hormone laden slobs
wild
rude
irresponsible
tacky
video gaming loafers
Families
Birth Mothers
bitches
irresponsible
abandoned her own flesh and blood
sinners
whores
sluts
prostitutes
dopeheads
weak
poor
unhealthy
uneducated
AIDs carrier
slick manipulator
Birth Fathers
drop out of sight
weak
poor
unhealthy
uneducated
drug users
alcoholics
AIDs carriers
slick manipulators
Mothers Seen As Successful Career Women
bad moms
Mothers Seen As Dedicated To Their Children
washouts in their professions
Mothers Who Are Employed
have children who get fat
Single Fathers
deadbeats
clueless about cooking, housekeeping, laundry
can’t handle pressure
not nurturing
resentful
no good with infants or toddlers
emotionally inexpressive
ineffective at jobs
harm their children
ignorant
Single Mothers
promiscuous
immoral
leeches
not trustworthy
selfish
dangerous to married women
strippers
raise children who resent and hate them
have questionable income
gave up on marriage too easily
desperate for a man
milking the system
Single Parent Families
broken
Surrogate Mothers
baby sellers
gold diggers
hicks
opportunists
unemployed
deceitful
Women Without Children
selfish
superficial
poor decision makers
Generations
Baby Boomers
whiny
spoiled brats
not discerning about employment opportunities
destroyed the environment
enjoy living off the government
Gen Z
don’t want to work
Men
Muscular Men / Body Builders
thick-headed
villainous
thugs
dummies
homosexual (assuming homosexuality is bad)
cocky
conceited
constantly looking mirrors in self-admiration
Women
Muscular Women
lesbian (assuming lesbian is bad)
mentally ill
after other women’s men
Single Women Attending Parties Alone
lesbian (assuming lesbian is bad)
mentally ill
after other women’s men
~~~~~~~~~~
Appearance
Beautiful People
adulterous
vain
egotistical
greedy
status-seeking
arrogant
aloof
self-indulgent
rotten lovers
too impatient to work at relationships
Unattractive People
political radicals (which stereotypes political radicals negatively)
homosexual (which stereotypes homosexuals negatively)
Note: Most hair color stereotypes are about women.
Blondes
dumb
less trustworthy
can’t be taken seriously
vain
promiscuous
Brunettes
mousy
boring
less attractive
plain
Black Hair
untrustworthy
cold
ruthless
Afro Hairstyles
out of place
wearer can’t be taken seriously
not looking put together
Redheads
mean
wild
hot-tempered
brash
vampires
demons
witches
aggressive
promiscuous
~~~~~~~~~~
Plus Size People
smelly
dirty
lazy
failures
unable to control self
unable to maintain personal health
take up too much space
Plus Size Men
lazy
low self-esteem
lack will power
few friends
unattractive
sloppy
dirty
slow
unhealthy
Plus Size Women
few friends
lazy
slow
unhealthy
unattractive
low self-esteem
lack will power
must answer intrusive questions
gluttons
undisciplined
lack self-control
People Who Have Difficulty Losing Unwanted Pounds
not really trying
Short People
arrogant
defensive
perverts
Thin Men
few friends
Thin Women
vain
flirtatious
egotistical
have an eating disorder
~~~~~
full of themselves
cold
bitches
Behavior
Cross Dressing Men
sickos
Female Body Builders
unattractive
unfeminine
disgusting
Geeks (Nerds)
real pains
know-it-alls
uninteresting
social outcasts
~~~~~
socially awkward
male
unattractive
Helping Poor, Outcasts, & Marginalized People
leftist
Men Not Interested In Sports
wimp
gay (which stereotypes being gay as bad)
Nice Men / Sensitive Men
less competent
less hirable
lower performer
less likable
weaker
not assertive
not independent
Male Body Builders
flakes
Loners
creepy
pathetic
Newspaper Readers, Television News Audience, & Radio News Audience
unintelligent
uninformed
morons
uninterested in good news
uninterested in hard facts
want soft news, uninterested in world news
only interested in crime
People Who Recommend Kindness
needy
insecure
People Not Part Of Organized Religions, Conspicuous Consumption, Car Culture
weird
mentally ill
People Who Live Alone
antisocial
antifamily
need charity company
People Who Report Being Abducted By Aliens
masochists
inclined to fantasize
have a propensity to daydream
enthralled by novels
People Who Save Money
cheap
selfish
SUV Owners
selfish
stupid
dangerous
unpatriotic
unChristian
rollover waiting to happen
Television Audience To Advertisers
lying
cynical
mindless boobs
Terrorists
represent everyone in their ethnic group or religion
feel racism and hatred without reason
Truth Tellers
naive
suckers
fools
War Dissenters
unpatriotic
give aid and comfort to the enemy
Western Societies
decadent
materialist
exploitative
Women In Jane Austen’s Time
laughing is a sign of sexual availability
showing teeth is a sign of being garrulous, plebeian, vulgar
Events
Nonalcoholic Weddings
god awful
boring to death
soulless
worse than watching
paint dry
Health
Adults Living With Mental Illness
willing it on themselves
all in one’s head
pretending
seeking attention
Children Living With Mental illness
in a phase they will grow out of
should be able to control themselves
Crack Babies
hopeless
lost generation
permanently damaged
People Living With Allergies
selfish
whiny
deserve to be exposed to their allergens
People Living With Physical Disabilities
less than human
unhappy
need to be fixed
menacing
full of rage
hostile
immoral
choose to be disabled
fakers
liars
slobs
have a chip on the shoulder
obstinate for not doing what abled people assume they can do
~~~~~
not trying hard enough to live a normal life
choose to be poor
~~~~~
couldn’t possibly feel more pain than abled people feel
People Living With Epilepsy
drink
do drugs
vagrants
have a malady of the soul
witches
cause their own seizures
cursed by gods
possessed
associated with the devil
heretics
People With Tourette Syndrome
behavioral problem
possessed by the devil
Hobbies
Bowlers
big
fat
square
wear unflattering shirts
Life Situations
Autistic People
rude
abrasive
quirky
unworthy of equal compensation
Nonprofits: Autistic people should be grateful to be included as a
volunteer speaker without any expectation of promoting their own
work or form partnerships
Corporations: Autistic people should be available for free labor
Neurodiverse people have obsessions
Neurotypical people have hobbies
Homeless People
want to be homeless
single men
drunks
worthless
thieves
LGBTQ+ People
promiscuous
nonreligious
godless
mentally ill
determined to ‘convert’ others
lesbians are masculine
lesbians hate men
gay men are feminine and flamboyant
gay men are sexual predators or pedophiles
transgender women are drag queens
Little People
deaf
contagious
selfish
People Dependent An Others
immature
weak
shameful
uniquely feminine
Prison Inmates
liars about health problems
Unemployed People
lazy
freeloaders
Politics
Democratic Politicians
self-appointed elites
Democratic Voters
ignorant
bad Christians
bad Jews
bad Muslims
lazy
immoral
dishonest
unintelligent
closed-minded
Republican Voters
lazy
immoral
dishonest
unintelligent
closed-minded
People Who Want To Debate The Tactics Of The War On Terror
fringe of society
Pro-Life Advocates
hillbillies
ignorant extremists
greedy
misogynist
oppressors
Women Seeking Abortion
kissing cousin relationships
ignorant about sex
childless
irresponsible
thoughtless
feckless
unmarried
didn’t bother with birth control
Religion
Atheists
immoral
stupid
not citizens
not patriots
Hare Krishnas
greasy
scarred
Third World
weasel-looking aliens
skanks
creeps
rejects
deluded scammers
Jews
primitive-minded
Points To Ponder
Pay attention to shared stereotypes and opposite stereotypes. You can see who you share stereotypes with and when people see opposite negatives in you. Many stereotypes can be similar, but I highlight only shared exact word stereotypes here. The date for this analysis is February 22, 2024.
Examples of opposite stereotypes for the same group follow the shared stereotypes.
Shared Stereotypes
Shared Stereotypes #1
Plus Size Men
Plus Size Women
Thin Men
few friends
Shared Stereotypes #2
Elderly People
Little People
Only Children
People Living With Allergies
People Who Save Money
Preteen Girls
Single Mothers
SUV Owners
Women Without Children
selfish
Shared Stereotypes #3
Beautiful People
Thin Women
egotistical
Shared Stereotypes #4
Blondes
Preteen Girls
LGBTQ+ People
Redheads
Single Mothers
promiscuous
Shared Stereotypes #5
Democratic Voters
Plus Size Men
Plus Size People
Plus Size Women
Republican Voters
Unemployed People
People Living With Disabilities
Young People Who Don’t Vote
lazy
Shared Stereotypes #6
Atheists
Democratic Voters
People Living With Disabilities
Republican Voters
Single Mothers
immoral
Shared Stereotypes #7
Democratic Voters
Republican Voters
lazy
immoral
dishonest
closed-minded
Shared Stereotypes #8
Preteen Boys
Redheads
mean
aggressive
Shared Stereotypes #9
Democratic Voters
Newspaper Readers, Television News Audience, & Radio News Audience
Republican Voters
unintelligent
Shared Characteristic #10
Beautiful People
Short People
arrogant
Shared Stereotypes #11
Elderly People
Only Children
lonely
Shared Stereotype #12
Teenagers
Autistic People
rude
Opposite Stereotypes
Opposite Stereotypes #1
Thin Women
flirtatious ≠ cold
Opposite Stereotypes #2
People Living With Disabilities
need to be fixed ≠ fakers
Opposite Stereotypes #3
Birth Mothers
weak ≠ slick manipulator
Opposite Stereotypes #4
Muscular Women
lesbian ≠ after other women’s men
~~~~~~~~~~
Because medical professionals misdiagnosed my childhood spinal injury for 33 years, I’ve lived with the stereotypes about people with disabilities. No one alive has any guarantee that they will never become disabled. How many elderly people confined to wheelchairs planned to be confined to wheelchairs at the end of their lives? None, of course.
You face the same stereotypes if you become disabled. Break stereotypes about disabled people to protect yourself in the future.
Strategies For Shattering Stereotypes
Choose a strategy based on the level of danger in the situation. Talk to the target in front of the harasser only if the situation is safe for conversation. If the situation is dangerous, create some kind of distraction. I now carry a personal alarm with me for creating distractions quickly.
Talking to the target instead of the harasser allows the harasser to just walk away. If harassing situations come up regularly in a workplace or other common location, you could also use these strategies at calm times to increase understanding about the consequences of using stereotypes. Just tell stories to your coworkers/colleagues as opportunities come up.
Adapt the strategies as you need to. Write about other successful strategies in the comments section.
Surprise The Harasser(s)
If you can possibly do so, give the harasser(s) a moment of dignity. People harassing others will not expect positive statements. The positive statements might be enough to stop them in that situation. One example:
“It’s obvious —– is having a bad day. Let’s give him/her/them time to
calm down and ease the strain on his/her/their heart(s). Let’s hope
tomorrow will be better.”
This statement tells the harasser(s) that they are under stress and deserve to feel better. By expressing concern for their health, you are letting them know you consider them valuable. They may not feel much value in their daily lives.
Visit the website below for resources on opening doors that give moments of dignity. Read People Success Example #5 on the People Success page. You’ll learn how I turned a bad relationship around using moments of dignity, and reaped an unexpected reward.
Make Yourself An Example
This works best if you are not whatever is the reason for the harassment, not Muslim, not black, not Jewish, not Hispanic, not whatever. If you can identify any commonality between yourself and the target(s), talk about them to the target.
“Excuse me, but I noticed that we share a taste for … How would you
recommend cooking it?”
Your commonality will at least partially shatter the stereotype.
Provide Information About Stereotypes
If you can connect to the Internet, bring up the appropriate stereotype blog post and tell the target what the stereotypes are about you and why they are wrong. You could start with:
“Did you know there are stereotypes about everyone? The stereotypes
about me are …, but they don’t fit me because …”
You would be shattering a stereotype in front of the harasser.
Talk About The Consequences Of Creating Failure
Visit this Success & Failure Choices page to read about various types of success and failure. If you can think of an example from your own life, tell that story. Otherwise, use one from the blog below.
You could use this example from “Standout Success For 19 Year Old Joey Prusak”:
“A Dairy Queen customer saw manager Joey Prusak stand up for a
visually impaired customer. The bystander customer sent an email
to Dairy Queen. The story ended up on Facebook. The owner of Dairy
Queen, Warren Buffet, called Joey to thank him. Queen Latifah invited
Joey to appear on her show and gave him money for his college fund.
NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick invited Joey to a race. Good things can
happen to people who take care of other people.”
Talk About The Benefits Of Living The Golden Rule
Remind the harasser of the Golden Rule:
“Since the Golden Rule is important to me, I’m going to treat you
the way I want to be treated. I also know that being kind to others
is good for my health.”
My favorite version of the Golden Rule comes from Buddhism, “Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.” See these Golden Rule statements in 21 religions, 5 philosophies, and 2 moral/ethical systems to pick your favorite version.
Read up on the health benefits of kindness for details to talk about.
And again, write about other successful strategies in the comments.
~~~~~
Critical Thinking Questions
1. What’s happening?
2. Why is it important?
3. What don’t I see?
4. How do I know?
5. Who is saying it?
6. What else? What if?
Stereotype Thinking Questions
1. What is threatening my beliefs?
2. How can I make it unimportant?
3. What can I reject?
4. What can I laugh at?
5. How can I attack people who threaten my beliefs?
6. How can I deflect?
The stereotype thinking questions are mine, based on my observations of stereotype thinkers.
~~~~~~~~~~
Paula M. Kramer
© 2015 to the present
All rights reserved.
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