Any stereotypes that bug you and why?

I'm annoyed by this as well---what few cartoons that *do* show gay characters (thanks to the "gays aren't suitable for children!" erroneous mentality) seem to either show them as closeted and wary about coming out (Smithers) or the usual flamboyant stereotypes (Big Gay Al, etc.). While live-action shows these days show a diverse range of gay characters (when they *do* show gay characters that is), it seems like animation's stuck where live-action TV and movies were in the 70s toward gays and lesbians.

Not just limited to animation, but as a related complaint: A) lesbians aren't there just for the straight guys to drool over and/or too-butch-to-stand "man-haters" and B) yes, there's non-White gay folk, too...

-B.
 
Now as much as I like Recess, Spinelli is the best example of this sterotype. In addition to being turned off by girly things, she hates being refered to as a girl even if the word is used in a nonderogatory term.

Two counters to this sterotype:
1. Reggie Rocket (Rocket Power)- Definitely into sports, but isn't an aggressive hothead. She doesn't even look like a character that would be a tomboy.

2. Timmy Turner (Fairly Odd Parents)- Not sure if the show kept this aspect of Timmy intact, but in The Boy Who Would Be Queen, it's shown that Timmy enjoys super hero comics and soap operas, and is disgusted by a dead frog. Even when turned into a girl, he still retains his enjoyment of super hero comics.
 
I agree. That's one depiction of girls in shows that has bothered me as well. Especially when certain shows make it seems like girls are only girls if they like what is appropriate for girls to like, or just being basically "girly." One thing that specifically annoys me is how girls are almost always focused on fashion and their physical appearance, especially if they are in their tweens or teenage years. Granted, I think I've seen this more in recent live-action series than in recent animated series, but it still kind of annoys me. I think it's because I've seen it fairly often and it also perpetuate this idea that girls have to be focused on their clothes and physical appearance in order to be accepted as girls to me.
 
For me, I only hate stereotypes if these characters who posses these stereotypes have little-to-no character development due to bad writing from the shows. IMO, it's best to stay away from Disney kidcoms on the Disney Channel or any shows you don't like.
 
Adding to the discussion of gender roles, my complaint would be against the "tough girl turns to mush whenever she meets a guy" thing that often goes around. In case one isn't sure what I mean, it's this scenario: strong, confident, feminist-minded girl (which is also an annoying stereotype) meets a boy who is pretty much the male version of her - he's strong, he's athletic, he's confident (to the point of arrogance). But she falls in love with him anyway. And it becomes a scenario of whenever he's concerned, all the things that made her "tough" soon disappear. My reason for hating it is that it often goes against the previous characterization for this person simply for the purpose of getting the usual male-dominant message across. I'm not a hardcore feminist or women's right's pusher, but I hate when people in any show - animated or otherwise - go against their characters just for the purpose of this plotline.

I'm also not fond of the one-dimensional bully character who exists merely to give the main character a hard time and get away with it. Unless actually given some depth, they simply become aggravating to watch. A good example would be Francis from the Fairly Oddparents.
 
A few more ways where cartoon just can't seem to balance the gender stereotypes.... Mostly brought to mind by Avatar: the Last Airbender.

Girls cannot simply be 'tough', they must be the toughest. They cannot simply be good at fighting (or sports or whatever) they must be the best. They cannot be smart or wise, they must be the smartest and wisest. To break the old stereotypes, the characters must go overboard in the opposite direction, beyond any logic or realism. And woe be to any many male who thinks he is better than said woman, even if his opinion is based on superior experience (at whatever task/skill) or common sense, he must still be proven wrong, just as if his opinion was based on base chauvanism. (A woman with a model's physique armwrestling a stocky guy who probably works in the fields all day? Ha! The woman will win without a breaking a sweat!)

Girl characters may occassionally be given character flaws, but usually only the 'good' ones that come from good intentions run amok. Any the writers never really let anyone rub these flaws in the characters face. Rarely do they get scolded or karma-kly punished for said flaws. Male characters, on the other hand, rarely get coddled like that. When they have flaws, it gets pointed out pretty clearly.



And more generally, I get a kick out of many of the live-as-one-with-nature messages that come from a lot of shows. Nature has a way of killing those who live in it. Predation, disease, famine and disasters and pestilance, 50% infant mortality, death in childbirth, infirmity-coming-with-age...I know those are all pretty heavy for kid shows, but it still bothers that the benifits of not being one-with-nature are glossed over so thoroughly...
 
It does seem a lot of writers fall into that trap; usually strong females tend to feel completely forced and just there to meet a quota, and/or it's their main character trait to be the "girl who is on par with all the guys, and they wont hesitate to remind you" (usually in the form of a 'Battle of the Sexes' episode, which I loath since they are almost always patronizing and tend to just further enforce gender roles and stereotypes even more, though some are amusing because they tend to send the wrong message)
 
I would also like to add "Girls vs Boys" to the gender stereotype. I don't like how in some cartoons, they have to make it look like the girls are always winning while the boys are losing. Being a girl doesn't mean everything in life will be easier for you. :shrug:
 
This I completely agree on! I'm a girl and I don't have an easier life. In fact, I get treated like a guy sometimes. I also get annoyed when girls win most of the time in "The Battle Of The Sexes" plot. There are some cartoons where guys actually win like in Total Drama Island and I'm okay with that.
 
I'd like to see an "Battle of the Sexes" plot on a cartoon where it comes down to a draw, neither side winning nor losing, and the characters take from that that both are just as good.
 
I must agree. Just because girls should be treated equally does not make them better at everything, especially sports. The focus should be on sportsmanship and that females have the same opportunity, not on which gender is the 'toughest' or the 'best.' And sometimes there should be some acknowledgment that males, biologically, are made to be stronger (or at least it's easier and more natural for them). That isn't to say a female can't be strong through hard work and that they can't match a male...But a group of guys who have played basketball all their lives aren't going to just be defeated by a group of girls who rarely, if ever, play and want to show how strong they are. It can be difficult even if it's girl who have played basketball all of their lives, just because of biological differences.

I'm really tired of twiggy girls with no muscle mass whatsoever defeating a guy 5+ times their size. Seriously, most people could snap them in half without breaking a sweat. Which brings me to another topic: Not all girls have little bone structures! Mine is naturally larger, but it fits with my body type. Why not make a girl whose bone structure is larger than a bunch of guys, but isn't unhealthy? I honestly notice more of a variation in males than in females....
 
I only got one, but i will think of more later

Jews- Surprised nobody mentioned this yet. What irks me about cartoons having Jewish stereotypes is that their are not funny or not very clever. I cant even find a jewish character in animation that is even perfect without it being a joke on jewish people. If a jew character is on the screen of any animation, its usually a lawyer or somewhat other thing. I know Family guy and South Park had its share with jewish stereotypes but this had made it reach to my level of annoyance and disliking. Speaking of lawyers, how many lawyers out there are actually jewish anyways?


There is one Duckman episode that has what your talking about, but I cant seem to remember the name of the episode.
 
Sort of a variation on the "Boys vs. Girls" thing. I hate in cartoons when they make it boys and girls enemies becasue they are different genders like the boys hate girls because they think they are "icky" and vice versa. This is usually followed by the usual gross boys and prissy girls stereotypes. This also suck because usually one gender will be the protagonist and the other will be antagonist. So pretty much what happens is boys are good guys because they're boys and girls are bad guys becasue they're girls (and vice versa). Yes, THAT'S what we want to teach our children!!:mad: Also, I've never thought boys were gross or whatever. I've had friends who were guys since kindergarten and I don't know anyone else who's had that problem either!
 
Originally Posted by Dantheman
I'd like to see an "Battle of the Sexes" plot on a cartoon where it comes down to a draw, neither side winning nor losing, and the characters take from that that both are just as good.


That would be "Exile in Guyville". One of my favorite Duckman rants is in that episode.
 
The whole "street-smart"/thug/ghetto/sassy persona of black people in animation is a terrible stereotype here in the States. On the flipside, the whole soft, sensitive, meek persona of black male characters is another stereotype I'm getting bugged by. D.J. from Total Drama, Wyatt from 6teen, and Truman from Martha Speaks are seen as such, almost making them look very weak, almost cowardly and almost effeminate in every episode they're in.

Maybe it's just a Canadian thing. If so, I blame Quddus. And Corbin Bleu.
 
I remember Jodie. She was basically a 'Franklin' (Charlie Brown reference). She didn't get much screen time overall, and she had no real personality other than being the black girl. However, she did manage to be black without conforming to the "sassy, in your face" black girl stereotype.
 
I liked Jodie as she was one of the few popular people who could often see Daria's side of things. Watch the episode "Gifted" if you really think she has no personality.
 
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