After reading Flora’s blog last week, it got me thinking – if Kate Middleton is stereotyped a ‘commoner’ where does that leave me?
Humour me for a moment; I could be a ‘commoner’, born and bred Essex girl, who is renowned for being a tad too honest and likes to let her hair down occasionally by being a bit too enthusiastic with the wine pouring. Or, I could be a less ‘common’, sincere, sociable wine enthusiast from the South East.
I ask, can a stereotype be applied to everyone – is it all just a matter of spin? For example, if Kate Middleton is a ‘commoner’ and Jordan classy, is trying to avoid a stereotype completely futile? Perhaps in truth all stereotypes are completely factless.
Luckily for most however, relating to a stereotype is usually only one characteristic taken to its extreme – most have many other personality traits they can rely on (apart from, it seems, the particularly dense one trick Essex pony in Tool Academy). From newspapers, online media to television, the stereotype has become a form of entertainment. With shows such as ‘The Only Way is Essex’ and ‘Tool Academy’ making awful yet addictive watching, magnifying your characteristics as a pursuit for comedy is only set to increase! Moreover given that even your choice of mobile can define your personality it is no wonder that many are accused of being several stereotypes.
Let me stop for a second however, before I have an identity crisis. We do, as authors of our own personalities, have some control. Whilst pretending to be something we’re not is clearly out the question (not sure anyone would believe that my accent is RP), drawing attention to other, perhaps better, characteristics is now even easier thanks to the internet and social media – why not PR yourself?
Albeit some things do need to be glossed over, and I will try my very hardest to keep my white stilettos hidden away from the glaring eyes of Facebook, but there is opportunity. For example, a Twitter biography keeps those stereotypes that define you, under your control. It seems that social media and the internet have gone some way to making us embrace stereotypes and even identify with them in some instances. After all in 160 characters – how can you not describe yourself as a patchwork of stereotypes?
So for me I’ll reside as an Essex girl, southerner, geek, wino, birdwatcher, historian, bargain hunter and techy!
And, before your imaginations run wild and you’re picturing me as a glasses wearing, white stiletto owning, tipsy tool – I ask, didn’t you learn anything from my rebuke of stereotypes!
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