Stereotypes suck!!

Can I ask you something?
What comes to your mind, when you see a really pretty young woman, dressed snazzily in a short dress and looking her glamorous best, ready to party at midnight at the best discotheque of the city? Or a salwar kameez clad demure woman, with long pleated hair, returning from the local temple? Or how would you categorise, a young guy and girl, having a happy, good time together, but who aren’t dating each other and aren’t even remotely interested to do that?
I know the answers. The first lady is anyway, not a good girl. The length of her dress has determined the character sketch of hers and her disc roaming habits have proved that she’s not the disciplined, homely woman, which she ought to be. The second lady is an exemplary example for all womanhood to follow. She is the cultured, God-fearing, traditional woman; parents’ pride, neighbor’s envy. And please don’t you dare say that the guy and girl aren’t into each other. Obviously, sooner or later, “something” will inevitably happen. How stereotypical??
Exactly.
Stereotypes. If I follow the dictionary, then it is just about “standardising a type of person and thing.”
But stereotyping or stereotypes have gone beyond person and thing. Our reactions, beliefs and behavioural patterns have stereotyped. The example I gave right in the beginning was an attempt to reflect on our stereotypical behaviour. The moment we see, listen or observe anything, we categorise and standardize it. “Film actresses…..hmmm, oh! They have no morals.” ”Gays…..giggles, followed by blushes and embarrassment.”
Stereotypes have crammed our lives. Anything that is unconventional; anybody who is off the road and challenges the established thoughts is written off. In spite of the fact that through time and again, stereotypes have been questioned and defeated, we keep and want everyone in queue. Right from Gandhi to Bose to Tagore to Einstein, every great on this earth has been a non-conformist. But, we have remained incorrigible.
Educational choices are stereotyped, Science is preferred over commerce and humanities. Why? Because of the eventual monetary benefits and apparent success in life. Ironically, engg+MBA is the most potent combination to give that push to the career. So if commerce is not such an exciting career path, why does the qualification matter?
The insanity over rat race has intensified so much, that excellence is at the back seat and stereotypes are at the steering. Interest, honesty and brilliance don’t matter, because even the definition of success and happiness has been severely stereotyped.
Moreover, education is stereotyped on the basis of gender. If you’re a guy then anything (engg/medicine) works. But if you’re a girl, then what career choice will be convenient for your future spouse and in-laws is major consideration, not what you’re good at. And yes, teaching is the best option available for you. Not because you’re keenly interested to teach and mould young minds, but because you will have ample time to devote at home.
In India, regionalism is so dominating that every citizen of this country is majorly stereotyped. Sardars are dumb, north easteners are low on anything related to morality and character, Bengalis are high on intellect and honesty, etc, etc,.
Completely ignoring the fact, that the Prime Minister and deputy Commissioner of this country happen to be Sardars, north eastern Indians have impeccable work ethics and dedication of people like M.J. Lyngdoh(ex EC of India and one of the first people to publicily criticise Narendra Modi’s role in 2002 Gujarat riots), Soumitra Sen, a Bengali and a judge on way to be impeached, a rarity in Indian Judiciary. There are innumerable examples and yes, I know you’ll say these are exceptions and I’ll counter talk and reason, that not every Sardar is dumb and every Gujju, a miser. It all varies from person to person.
And then there are gays. Homosexuals are the biggest victims of stereotyping. They are imitated, misunderstood, mimicked and so scandalously stereotyped, that it has become painful. Every possible sick joke is cracked at them. Why sexual orientations are are laughed at? Are heterosexuals typified? No, they aren’t. Then why LGBT? Does society and people in general, have any idea that how much they struggle and fight of prejudices and sarcasm to establish and maintain their individualities?
Take hindi films for that matter. Abhay Deol is wrong when he says that it’s not difficult to be different in the Hindi Film Industry. The characters in hindi films are so particularly stereotyped that the moment a film is devoid of glamour or is sans any pan-caked face, it’s termed “different”. There are no lip-synced songs in the film; film is “out of the box”. For long, we’ve had “hero”, “heroine”, “villain”, “ma”, blah, blah. Far removed from the reality of life, a parallel universe of whites, blacks and happy endings were created. So in the era of multiplex cinema, when we have foul mouthed leading characters and rural India as the backdrop, instead of snow covered Alps; we gleefully term it non-stereotype. Whereas, as an art form, that is what films are supposed to do- be the mirror image of society.
I can write off a dozen more stereotyped victims, but that is not the point. The point actually is how parochial our minds have become, how predictable our outlook is, as if there is no unpredictability left in life, no more surprises (even they have become cliché) and no exceptions. I completely understand that they are after all a consequence of experiences and practicalities involved in life. They are derived from our accumulated knowledge. A typical experience repeated over a period of time, has made us stereotype it. But at the same time, how can the essence and colour of life be typified and categorized? Why have we stopped accepting things like they are and give them the benefit of doubt? Why can’t we accept people around us for what they are and believe that each one is different and it varies from person to person? Instead of that we end up with the cliché line” All men are the same”, “all women are the same”, “all sardars are braindead” and all.
Rancho in 3 Idiots was a non-conformist. We loved him. Rizwan Khan in My Name Is Khan was anti-stereotype- we joined in his struggles and cheered him on. Howard Roark, probably one of the most iconic characters, was against everything that was cliché and stereotype. They aren’t just creations of brilliant minds, they are all at the end of the day inspired by many who are different and believe in being a one.
There must someone around you too, a rebel, a non-conformist; do you know him/her?