Dishing Junk: Stereotypes in Fiction
Today’s dishing junk is a little more political then the usual topics. Let’s dish it out about book stereotypes.
Here are some of the stereotypes in fiction that drive me mad:
While I did enjoy the book Beautiful Creatures, I found the view of the towns people to be very stereotypical and judgmental. But, this fueled the plot.
1. Southerns are portrayed as racist, stupid and white trashesque
I’m a sucker for a Southern Gothic, but you can sometimes tell the Southern Gothic written by someone that has never lived in the South. They might have visited for a few weeks, loved the charm and decided to write about the South. But, they never really lived here and understood the mind set. This usually leaves them with very stereotypical Southern stereotypes peppered throughout their novels. Personally I find this distasteful. Yes, I know we tried to break away from the US because we wanted to keep slavery going. But, that was a long time ago…and last time I checked, those people that did that have been dead, for a considerable amount of time. And judging Southerners as racist — isn’t that rather racist in itself? Then to compound that with showing the majority as dumb, inscestual and succumbing to things like beastiality – makes things so much more screwed up.
Grrr…I do shoot people…but don’t label my whole party! *that was lame, I know*
2. Evil Politicians always portrayed as Republicans
If there is an evil, old white, politician guy, he is going to be a Republican. I’m an equal opportunity judge of politicians, I believe they are ALL corrupt and feel that their portrayal as evil should be spread around to both parties. There are just as many crusty old white guys that have evil intentions in the Democrat party as the Republican party. Am I wrong? Can we at least have an evil Latino Independent?? Shake things up a bit.
3. The Gay Sidekick
“That’s Damian, he’s almost too gay to function.” The gay, maybe overweight, side-kick tends to be the comic relief of a lot of young adult books. He is the one that provides great gay “quips” and fun over-the top sayings…because every gay teenager goes around saying things like, “Fabulous!” and “You go girl.” This character is actually one of the “stock” characters that authors will pull from; The dumb jock, vain blonde, virginal Christian hater…those type of characters. But, I guess the gay sidekick is the one that is the most aggravating to me. Like we can only accept this sort of character unless they are entertaining us with their hilarity.
What stereotypes in fiction stand out to you?
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Interesting how these sort of mirror real life…
I have to agree and disagree about the southern stereotypes. I grew up in a very tiny town in Georgia and could see some things that were alike to beautiful creatures but not alot. There were rebel flags year round and i lived near a battlefield and everyone knew each others business. but id like to think our town wasnt as narrow minded as gatlin made southern people look like. I live in a southern city now and it is a huge difference to living in a country town setting. So people that live in a southern city setting might not understand that. However i do agree that southern people are not racist and like you said i dont think they have been in quite awhile..great post!
Love this post! That comment about Beautiful Creatures is the ONE and only thing that irritated me about the movie! It has been a really long time since I’ve read the book so I can’t comment on that.
On to a topic on the side from this…I hate when I feel like an author is trying to strongly preach their political beliefs that it seems extremely TOO obvious in a UF book. I felt like I wasn’t very nice when I wrote my review of here —->>> http://www.magicalurbanfantasyreads.com/2010/08/captivate-by-carrie-jones.html because it irritated me so much.
I might not live in a small southern town, but a lot of my relatives and friends do. And they seem almost the opposite of what is sometimes portrayed. Half the time they are dying for some different things to liven up their small town and a genuine interest in the unusual or different. Oh well, I guess that is my stereotype. I’ll go and read your stuff
YES! I am SO with you 1& 2. In fact I’m writing a review right now and that was one of my pet peeves. The evil politician is a republican. Sooooooo cliche and offensive.
OMG totally agree with you on all of them. I don’t need a stock jock or gay guy as a sidekick. I want the story to make sense
Okay so it’s been awhile since I read BC so I don’t remember that stereotype. But oh my gosh V.C. Andrews, yeah, some of those stories are rampant with Southern stereotypes. Personally I think there is just as much racism in large Northern towns as small Southern ones, so I hate the stereotypes in fiction.
Although didn’t you say something about Cajuns and bad teeth?
And I always prefer politics to stay out of fiction novels that have nothing to do with it. I’m with you on the being an equal opportunity politician judge. In general IMO anyone with that level of hubris to run for elected office has that potential for corruption.
And while I’ve read one or two books with the gay best friend stereotype, there are way more books with the “nice guy” best friend stereotype. The overlooked sweet boy, mild-mannered, bookish. So I can’t really dish junk about that stereotype.
I think they should start casting the super sexy HOT best friend – gay or straight – to really mix things up, make the love interest work a little harder. Okay, I went way off topic.
Great “junk” this week.
I agree. Here’s one that I know of… I may have bumped into it in a book before, but not sure, lol.
Asians always gets A’s.
(I’m living proof that it’s not exactly true… lol.)
I’ve run into racist people from all over the country…and I totally agree with you about the politicians. The gay sidekick is a good one too. How about the annoying sibling? Why can’t a sibling be cool and nice and helpful?
I wanted to read Beautiful Creatures until I saw the movie trailer – ridiculous Southern stereotypes really turn me off – people who speak with a Southern accent aren’t automatically racist or stupid.
I thought about watching the movie til I saw the cheesy looking trailer. I never read the book and now I have no desire to read or watch it.
I was thinking I might watch the movie very soon, but now I’m not sure if I should bother…
Number 1 is my absolute pet peeve!
I grew up in a tiny town just outside of Savannah, Georgia and I must say, in my South, we don’t place a premium on pigment. That’s all I’ll say about that one.
As for wearing “rebel flags” as someone commented, it isn’t meant as anything racist for a lot of people down here. At least, not in my experience. I think that flag symbolizes a lot of things for a lot of different people, so while someone up North would see the Confederate flag bumper sticker on my car and think “Wow, what a dumb redneck racist”, for myself and a lot of people down here we view it as a symbol of pride for our heritage, not hate.
I’m seriously tired of authors who have NEVER lived in the South writing novels about us and our way of life, then slapping the name ‘Southern Gothic’ on it. Um. Seriously? They paint a very embarrassing picture of us.
Don’t you just love how the gay sidekick in books is the stereotype-child of the black sidekick in movies/TV shows?
Of course in some cases the two combine to give us Lafayette of True Blood. It’s like the HEA of stereotypes there, lol. And he ends up killed too. Obviously, he’s gay and black in the South right? I never thought about that until now, lol.
(But then again there are the nekid Skarsgård redeeming qualities of the show, so I won’t complain that much…:D )
Rampant stereotypes for the win. Not. Though politicians are evil, vast majority of them, lol.
I’m really tired of how the “female best friend” is always ditsy, bubbly, and chatty. Why can’t we have the main heroine be that way and her best friend be the depressed Bella type.
And, why is it that every single love interest has dark hair and blue eyes. I’m so tired of that combination.
As far as the southern stereotype, well, it’s not entirely accurate but die hard country hicks do love that rebel flag. It doesn’t mean that they’re racist. To them, it’s a part of their history and a reminder of when they “stuck it to the man”. Rebel flag = racist…that’s the stereotype I hate.
Evil Politicians = Republicans…I think it’s a liberal conspiracy. Big Brother is watching.
“That’s Damian, he’s almost too gay to function.”
Mean Girls quote for the win.
I’m honestly tired of the “nerdy girl” stereotype. I was a nerd, but I wasn’t tripping all over myself all the time. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still drawn to these books. Perhaps it’s my past self wishing the overly attractive new guy at school would have noticed me when no one else did
Ugh the gay sidekick really bugs me. particularly when the character is incredibly underdeveloped and doesn’t serve any real purpose in furthering the plot along. It’s like the new token black guy.
Yes, yes and yes. I remember doing BC for the Blog with Bite…(lol) and remember hating the book mainly for that reason, the Harry Potter book burning republican Christian portrayed in the book. And its in tons of literature, its always an old white nasty republican, never a hot young democrat or a crazy metal head Libertarian. One of my best friends is gay I’ve never heard him say Fabulous, just saying….
Disclosure: I’m a novelist and I got pounded on my last novel because my heroine is (as far as many readers are concerned) “too weak.”
These reactions were striking. I have reviewers who fantasized about beating up my poor protag for being such a “pushover.” =-O
I was badly rattled by this at first, needless to say.
But here’s the thing: I’ve also had readers who say they can totally relate to my protag. Because she approaches life like many women do in real life. We try to be nice. We avoid conflict. We find ourselves buffeted by circumstances and people. And we muddle through . . .
I realized that my real mistake was in positioning my book as a romance/para romance, when it’s something else entirely. (Not sure what tho…not sure what I could do differently…I’m sort of screwed iow! Book doesn’t fit any category, and next one probably won’t, either.)
Which comes to the whole stereotypes topic. People read fiction for different reasons. In many cases, I believe they read fiction as a kind of intellectual and emotional “comfort food.” They do not want to be . . . bothered, I guess is the word . . . by the characters or situations or narrative arc.
The kinds of stereotypes you cite in this post are there because they fit the assumptions of so many readers — and writers, whether consciously or not — know that if they wrote books with enlightened Southerners or kindly heroic Republicans, there would be readers who would be turned off — and would say so, publicly.
My two cents . . .
THANK YOU for #2. Ahem. *goes back to being a non-evil conservative*
I actually did a blog post today that fits in with the third one; I do like to look for books with characters like that because one, I’m bisexual myself, and two, variety is the spice of life. But it sorta discourages you when you get nothing but “flaming queens.”
I just read beautiful creatures and I couldn’t agree more having grown up in the south..a lot of people’s responses to that were well I am not from the south so it didn’t bother me. I think that isn’t a good attitude to have..if it is a stereotype it is just bad character development and writing!
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