Rhetoric & Stereotypes - Essay Example

RHETORIC AND STEREOTYPES Every society is made up of groups of people. No matter how big or small these groups are, they play roles in the society they belong. Each group have stereotypes which they are identified. Let us look at the stereotypes that are associated with politicians, tattooed persons, feminists, and senior citizens. Most of the stereotypes associated with these groups are negative. Taking for example the politicians who are stereotyped as “liars, cheaters, and ear ticklers” (Deanoman777) who are just good in making promises during campaigns but lack performance when already there.

Others stereotyped them as corrupters. And the latest new stereotype is that they are the “new gays instead of hairdressers” (Somelikeitscott) because of laws passed that made homosexual marriage legal. A tattooed male, likewise, is typically stereotyped as “ a punk rocker, or a biker, or a criminal, while tattooed females are stereotyped as either biker chicks, punk rockers, and of course, have loose morals” (Delaney55). On the other hand, feminists were dubbed as man-haters, masculine women, “hard-nosed lesbians” (Deanoman777) who think that men and women should have equals rights.

Senior citizens are stereotyped as “slow-moving, ineffective members of the society,”(Deanoman777) and the latest – “senior citizens are greedy ninnies who will do anything to protect their monthly benefits check.”(Ecenbarger) Although there are truths about these stereotypes, they are still harsh, annoying, and hurting and these groups do not invoke the same image to all persons. While many people see these groups in the negative stereotypes, a portion of the society looked at them in the positive side.

For others, politicians are “saviors,” (Deanoman777) or life changers, as in the case of Barrack Obama, when large portion of the American society voted him as the next President of the United States of America with the belief that he can save and change the sagging economy and image of this country. Tattoos nowadays are becoming a mainstream that even persons in their late 50’s get it done in their body because of the belief that it is a freedom of expression. Tattoo nowadays is looked to as an art.

People are now dying to have it and they feel beautiful if they have at least two or three. People of all ages and sex even idolize people with tattoos like rockstars, actors, and actresses. In the corporate world, it does not matter if you have tattoos to be hired as long as it is covered by your corporate attire. Because of these facts, tattoo also is fast becoming a fad. People might think that you are not “in” if you don’t have one. Feminists are stereotyped as man-haters, masculine women, or hard-nosed lesbians.

Where do you think these stereotypes mostly came from? Your guess in as good as mine. Most of these stereotypes came from men who sees working women as a competitor in the labor market, a man whose ego was touched when he sees a woman who can do what a man can do. Whether we like it or not, women nowadays are big part of our labor force. Gone are the days when only men are allowed to earn a living for the family. In the labor world, women now occupy and are accepted to occupy many positions typically occupied by men such as a police, investigators, carpenters, engineers, doctors, and others.

With the fact also that in our present world, there are tasks that only women could do. In general, a senior citizen is any person who already reached the age of 60. For the past years, senior citizens are looked on as a “drag”(Deanoman777) to the society. However, we can not take away the wisdom we can learn from them. Retirees from work because of old age are usually hired as consultants in business, politics, and others. As other people believed, being old “nearly always is used as positively and implies trustworthiness, value, and character.

” (Ecenbarger) To sum it all, we should not accept stereotypes negatively. Instead, we should accept it as a challenge to strive for the better and to prove to the negative-thinkers that: “hey, you’re wrong! I’m better than what you think.”ReferencesDeanoman777. (2008, July 27). Stereotypes. Allfreeessays.com. Retrieved December 23, 2008, from http://www.allfreeessays.com/essay/Stereotypes/2624.htmlDelaney55. (2008, June 2). Tattoos and Their Stigmas and Stereotyping: Women and Their Ink.

WordPress.com. Delaney’s World. Retrieved December 23, 2008, from http://delaney55.wordpress.com/2008/06/02/tattoos-and-their-stigmas-and-stereotyping-women-and-their-inkEcenbarger, William. Senior Citizen is a euphemism that just doesn’t fit. The Christian Science Monitor. www.csmonitor.com. Retrieved December 23, 2008, from http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1222/p09s01-coop.htmlShak, Amie. (2008, November 11). Feminist stereotypes and the dirty F-Word. Western Courier. Powered by College Publisher.

Retrieved December 23, 2008, from http://media.www.westerncourier.com/media/storage/paper650/news/2002/11/11/Opinion/Feminist.Stereotypes.And.The.Dirty.Fword-442254.htmlSomelikeitscott. Is Politician The New Gay Stereotype Instead of Hairdresser? Hubpages.com. Retrieved December 23, 2008, from http://hubpages.com/hub/Is-Politician-The-New-Gay-Stereotype-Instead-Of-Hairdresser