The Truth About Stereotypes

By Teyonna Ridgeway | VOX Staff

Art by Teyonna Ridgeway | VOX Staff

"You got your freshmen, ROTC guys, preps, J.V. jocks, Asian nerds, cool Asians, varsity jocks, unfriendly black hotties, girls who eat their feelings, girls who don't eat anything, desperate wannabes, burnouts, sexually-active band geeks, the greatest people you will ever meet, and… the worst. Beware of the plastics.”

When social misfit Janis Ian described the various cliques in the 2004 smash hit “Mean Girls,” she could’ve easily described a trend at many of our schools. As much as we like to believe that we’re open-minded, we still label others and allow stereotypes to keep people from understanding who we really are too.

“Just like any other human being, I have stereotyped people and still do, but I am learning that, like me, people are not how they appear on the outside,” said Jalisa Smith, a 17-year-old senior at Miller Grove High (MGHS). “When people find out that I am a drum major, they assume that I am just one of the guys. But I’m still a girl. I still like to shop and date. I am unique. I’m just me.”

Too many teens label others based on what activities they do or how they dress. We may not be able to change other people’s minds, but we can change our own by getting to know others before judging them.

Dare To Be Different
As cliche as stereotypes may be, movies that exaggerate stereotypes play on what audiences may actually think. Most of the time, cheerleaders are portrayed as mean and arrogant eye candy for idiotic yet handsome jocks. Goths are draped in black, blasting heavy metal on their iPods. And nerds are the losers of the school, commonly found in the library reading science fiction books or at home playing video games.

These transparent labels may seem innocent, but in the real world, they can be malicious and cruel.
“I once heard that someone thought that I worshiped the devil because I don’t dress like everyone else,” said Olym Khounxay, a senior at MGHS. “They automatically think that I’m gothic, but I’m not. I am [not] a Satanist or an Atheist [either]. The clothes that I wear do not determine my religion.” People who don’t get to know Olym will never know how kind and free-spirited she really is.

Fellow MGHS senior Dion Pettus has heard hateful comments about everything from his hobbies to his sexual orientation. But he does not let gender-based stereotypes deter him from his dreams.

“I enjoy being a male cheerleader and a dancer because it is what I love to do,” Dion said. “I don’t pay attention to what other people say about me because they don’t know what it’s like to walk in my shoes. People sometimes assume that I am stuck up because I am well known. But I’m an average person who is not afraid to be myself.”

Teens like Olym and Dion have learned to accept and live with stereotypes because they understand that the labels do not to define who they are. They also get to know others before passing judgement because they know what it’s like to be judged,

Instead of fighting the inevitable, MGHS senior Danielle Pompey takes pride in being called a nerd.
“If you knew me, you’d know I am the average teenager who likes to have fun and joke around,” Danielle said. “But school will always be my main priority. No one should be ridiculed for wanting an education.”
Unlike many peers, Danielle has the maturity to see past the stereotypes and focus on her future.

True Identity
The ability to be you regardless of how you are perceived defines your true character and strength. Changing how others see you starts with altering your own perspective.

“As humans, we're naturally judgmental.” said DeKalb School of the Arts junior Raven Gibson. “What really matters is, do you take the time to get to know a person? Do you think through not so much who [others] are, but who you are and why you make the observations you make?”

If we were all more comfortable with ourselves, we wouldn’t be so quick to stereotype or worry so much about what others think.

Teyonna is a senior at Miller Grove High who hopes she gets accepted into college before Christmas so she can stop being such a worry bug!