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How Comic Fans & Shops Are Stereotyped
brumgrunt writes "Why do TV shows, such as 30 Rock, The Simpsons, Heroes, and Everybody Loves Raymond, persist in so ferevently stereotyping comic book fans and stores? Den of Geek has pulled together eight examples, with video evidence to back them up ..." Minus one point for doubling up on Malcolm in the Middle. Plus 10 points for referencing Spaced, which I hope you all have seen.
It may be a stereotype but if you walk into most comic book/anime stores and look around at the people in them, the vast majority will match up to the stereotype.
Why do TV shows, such as 30 Rock, The Simpsons, Heroes and Everyone Loves Raymond, persist in so ferevently [sic] stereotyping comic book fans and stores?
Well, the article didn't help me answering that question, it just illustrated the stereotype.
... even when they've become your boss. Other stereotypes hurt: i.e. "Math is hard."
... although perhaps there's not much to break down.
My guess would be (1) because it's funny and (2) even someone like myself who spent tons of time in a comic book store get a kick out of it. A lot of other stereotypes like hair brained teenage cheerleader will catch you a lot of criticism in the media. Those geeks you make fun of in high school? The ones that are hyper obsessive with social disorders that spend more time in their room reading than anywhere else? Those are the people running a lot of stuff today. So I guess it's ok to make fun of them all you want
I do wish this article had broken down the social stigma it has associated with it though
My work here is dung.
Folks get stereotyped on television? You don't say?
I've never seen athletes stereotyped as bumbling morons.
I have never seen good looking women stereotyped as airheads.
I have never seen Christians stereotyped as clueless and out of touch.
I have never seen factory workers stereotyped as beer guzzling, bowling addicted rubes.
I have never seen Southerners stereotyped as trailer trash.
I have never seen rich folks stereotyped as constantly stepping on and using others.
Comic book folks are the only ones stereotyped on TV. Call your congressman.
See my journal for slashdot ID's by year. Mine created in 2005. http://slashdot.org/journal/289875/slashdot-ids-by-year
Thing is, most of the Simpsons writers are geeks and nerds. That's why the show's so full of pop-culture and science in-jokes. The League of Extraordinary Freelancers, for crying out loud. It's not "us versus them", it's self-denigrating humour.
No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
The frightening thing about this is, a court of law just got to decide that a comic book doesn't have serious literary or artistic value. The comic book in question is perfectly legal in other countries (it's available for sale in Japan). As far as we know, this guy has never molested children, doesn't have any desire to molest children, and finds the practice despicable. If he's a "prolific collector", one can assume that his primary reason for collecting manga is precisely the literary and artistic value that the court just ruled it doesn't have.
Because of this decision, a man who (as far as we know) isn't guilty of any other crime will now be branded a sex offender for life. In addition to sitting in jail until he reaches retirement age, when he gets out he'll have to find a place to live that isn't too close to a school, and he'll have to warn all his neighbors that it's not safe for him to be around their children.
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Were any child exploited in creating the cartoon? No. So how exactly is it "exploitation"?
Lesbian Nazi Hookers Abducted by UFOs and Forced Into Weight Loss Programs - -all next week on Town Talk.
And people look back at the Salem witch trials, and wonder how that ever could have happened, and wonder why nobody stood up to stop it, and are thankful that we've come so far since those terrible times, all while completely failing to see the irony.
Child exploitation depicted in Manga is no more ok than person on person violence depicted in literally any TV show is. The fact is that in the United States we get very crazy about certain types of inhuman, unethical or immoral behavior and totally ignore others.
Since I'm not willing to ban the depiction of all human violence, I find it unethical to ban the depiction of (however monstrous) human lust. How about you? Do you feel that the depiction or examination of a depiction of any immoral act is cause for legal recourse?
[Ego]out