Stereotypes

Stereotyping is taking a description of an individual and applying it to a group as a
whole. The media has the power to stereotype and to change the views of its audience. It can
perpetuate a sterotype of a certain group in which it causes an indefinite perspective that the
viewers will remember and apply to real life. Also the media can reflect a given stereotype or
give evidence that one has acted in a given way. The media perpetuates many stereotypes of an
assorted number of groups. To be an Italian, Jock, or Homosexual in this era you have certain
expectations of how you are supposed to act, and look like. The majority of the Italian people
have been forgotten by the media. Italians are recognized in America as greasy-haired,
gangster, maffiosos. The media perpetuated this stereotype through movies such as Goodfellas
and The Godfather. Athletes are known to most as stupid, violent, egotistical people who get
by on their athletic ability alone. The media has drawn this picture using commercials and
isolated incidents. To be a homosexual man in America means to be feminine, permiscious, and
the bearer of the aids virus. This stereotype has been spawned by the media's constant

homosexuals to have aids and be permiscuous. Even though it seems that aids and infections

able to graduate from such a high inteligant school. Statistics show that jocks have graduated

not taking in account what sports they play. Another commercial perpetuating jocks to be

players being a shenendehowa graduate Greg Koubek. All jocks are not as dumb as the