Stereotypes and Humor
Out-groups are often shown in stereotyped ways which emphasize their imperfections. This prevents us from seem them as individual human beings with the normal unimportant of virtues and vices. Stereotypes enable us to apply a double standard under which we assume the best of our own group and Ute worst of others. Stereotypes form the basis of ethnic humor, Some years ago comedians ached many ethnic stereotypes ‘(thrifty Scots, money-grubbing quarrelsome Irish, dumb Swedes) Sometimes white’ Americans would. be made blacks minstrel ‘shows in order to present the liable, yet somewhat cunning ‘behavior attributed to blacks At other times dialect shows emphasized the inability of immigrants to speak prop.
Several predominantly black programs uses stereotypes as a put-down in confrontations between their characters. At one time stereotypes in drama and story were accepted “as true portraits. Today they are funny because they are regarded as burlesque rather than truth. Stereotypes are important because people treat members of other groups in terms of, the stereotyped views they hold of that group. they interact, at least initially, with the stereotype rather than with the true person. This results in many individual injustices” since only some persons in a group fully fit’ the stereotype
