stereotypes news stories on Newser

Michelle Obama Has a Right to Be 'Angry'

Mark Russell — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 08:59:30 CST

The latest round of attempts to portray Michelle Obama as an "angry black woman" are enough to make any sensible person angry, writes Kathleen Parker in the Washington Post . Parker says the various political operatives and former staffers she has talked to, including Republicans, "without exception" have all had strongly...

'Anti-Semitic' Hanukkah Vodka Ad Pulled

Rob Quinn — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 03:27:05 CST

A New York City billboard selling cheap vodka with the slogan "Christmas Quality, Hanukkah Pricing" was taken down after a flood of complaints, including one from the Anti-Defamation League. "In a crude and offensive way of trying to make a point that their vodka is high quality and inexpensive, the...

Video Pokes at 50 State Stereotypes

Kate Schwartz — Mon, 30 May 2011 16:40:05 CDT

Every one of the 50 states will no doubt be teeming with barbecues, parades, and fireworks today. But that shared love of corn on the cob isn't the only thing the 50 states have in common. Each lays claim to a specific stereotype. Like, for instance, Indiana: "You have to...

Teen Fakes Pregnancy, Fools Family, School

Matt Cantor — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 10:26:05 CDT

Month after month, as her baby bump grew, fellow high schoolers talked behind Gaby Rodriguez’s back—until they found out she’d never been pregnant at all. Instead, the 17-year-old faked a pregnancy, complete with a wire-and-cotton belly, as a social experiment at her school in Washington, the Yakima Herald-Republic reports....

Pleas, Protests as Islam Hearings Loom

Matt Cantor — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 07:36:32 CST

The White House is calling on Americans not to stigmatize all followers of Islam, as Congress readies hearings on al-Qaeda’s attempts to radicalize US Muslims. In the US, "we don’t practice guilt by association," a top national security official said yesterday in what Politico calls a "public plea" at a...

Italy Demands Apple Store Ditch 'Offensive' App

Kate Schwartz — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 08:28:00 CDT

Italy is home to many things, but a sense of humor may not be one of them. The country's tourism minister is demanding that Apple bar the "offensive and unacceptable" What Country app from its store, and has instructed lawyers to take legal action against its creators. The app, which...

We Hate Vuvuzelas, But Condone Tomahawk Chop?

John Johnson — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:19:04 CDT

The constant drone of vuvuzelas is annoying for people watching the World Cup, but Derrick Z. Jackson thinks American spectators should apply their "outrage to more serious sports matters." Specifically, the stereotypes about American Indians that still abound. Consider the tomahawk chop at Atlanta Braves and Florida State games, not...

New Jersey: Hey, We Don't Stink

Sun, 20 Jun 2010 17:07:43 CDT

Don't believe everything you see on Jersey Shore: Tired of boorish comments and jokes about New Jersey, residents and business people have created a website to express their Garden State pride. The site—JerseyDoesntStink.com—is designed to rally those who are tired of the putdowns about pollution, wisecracks about...

Anti-Gay-Adoption Org Mixes Lesbian Photos

Will McCahill — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:25:21 CDT

A Florida group that opposes adoption by gay couples is guilty of using stereotypes in its “scare tactics,” blogger gwen writes for Sociological Images . The Florida Family Policy Council used a photo of an “androgynous-looking, angry, mannish lesbian couple” to alert members that a different pair had been allowed to...