"Stereotypes... there must be more to life..."

When I wasn't thinking about couches this weekend, I spent a great deal of time thinking about the nature of stereotypes, and how stereotypes can be valid assessments of people.

I saw Former Roommate who said "I am thinking of getting a motorcycle! Isn't that crazy?" I said "Yeeeeeeeahhhhh!" to appropriately echo her enthusiasm, but inside was thinking "It's not at all crazy, because it was only a matter of time before your made this announcement, as you are so the type of person who would own and ride a motorcycle."

I decided to volunteer for a certain festival for a certain organization that shall, at this point in time, remain anonymous. I thought "It would be nice for me to help them out, since it seems that not a lot of people know about this and I bet they could use the help." In the back of my mind I thought "I might be a little out of place, since I don't have a lot of knowledge about this" but then countered my doubt with "Regardless, they will be appreciative and happy to have me, because they need help."

I arrived at the volunteer's meeting and immediately knew it was going to be a bad scene.

Why?

It was a textbook case of phenotypic stereotype. I thought "Oh god, I am not like these people!"

I then thought "How is it that a personality stereotype can produce a phenotype and how is it that this occurs across the board? Like regardless of where you grow up, you end up looking like this and talking like this because you have a certain hobby. How is that possible?"

Brother does this hilarious impression of himself as a Young Fanboy, in which he talks with the accumulation of saliva and with an urgency that is, well, I hate to say this, typical of even Adult Fanboys. Brother never talked like this, but he knows this subset of the population well enough to know that certain vocal nuances somehow accompany the reading of comic books.

You can tell a theater person from a mile away. For whatever reason, there's a collective sense of humor that isolates them from the rest of the population.

Oftentimes the Fanboys and Theater People run together.

I know I am being overly general. I know that not all Fanboys are like this, and that not all theater people are like this. I am just saying that stereotypes often exist for a reason, and this meeting was a prime example of this.

There's nothing wrong with any of these things. Groups are good. I believe in groups. Groups are nice ways for people to feel comfortable being who they are.

I don't like that I felt like an outcast because I was, well, wearing makeup. I don't like feeling like a dweeb for not knowing about the status of the upcoming Babysitter's Club graphic novel. I don't like feeling like I have nothing to say because I can't speak Simpson's.

I thought "Perhaps I will join the audio visual group, because I bet I could communicate with those guys on some level."

I couldn't, though, because there was much talk of "Well, last year we did..." and "Oh, you should have been there last year..." and "I spend so much time in a dark theater..." and more Simpsons speak.

I felt completely isolated and literally had nothing to say, because I speak in a rather reserved manner and without theatrics and without a lisp and without thinking I am really, really, really funny. I don't make loud declarations to draw attention to myself, nor do I roll my eyes around and wear a black t-shirt and wear a different shoe on each foot.

I was really looking forward to this volunteer opportunity, but now I am dreading it. I am so out of my league.

I tried. I really did. I overheard one of the AV boys talking about the T-Rex 3D Imax movie, which I'd actually seen like 7 years ago in New York City. I thought "Oh! I can totally talk dinosaurs!" so I interjected and said "I saw that... it was awesome." He said snidely "Well, yeah, in an after school special IMax sort of way." I agreed, but said that I thought the 3D was cool. Everyone got mad at me. I was like "No, it's not like 3D effects. The whole thing is in 3D. It's different. The story is lame, but I swear its cool anyway." Blah blah blah and more theatrics. I said "No, seriously, when I took the glasses off I was disappointed that the world was flat. I wished it was still 3D."

OK.

I realize that was a stupid thing to say. I was nervous. Cut me some slack.

Beat.

Theater girl, ever sarcastic and theater-like and proncouncing this to the world, "Isn't the world IN THREE DEEEEE?"

Laughter. Cackling.

"That's not what I meant." Come on. You know what I mean. 3D on film looks different than actual dimensions. I tried to explain this, and mentioned the fabulousness that was the Viewmaster, but they ignored me in order to make fun of me and say things like "Oh, I wish the world was in hologram!" and then snort snort snort at my expense. I wanted to scream "Um, hello? You do not make fun of me. No no no. You are annoying and are wearing all black!"

Instead I just sat down and said nothing for the remainder of our time at the meeting. We left the building as a group. I said nothing in the elevator on the way down while they were all exciteable about something or other about Indiana Jones. As we departed, I walked in the opposite direction from the rest of the group despite the fact that I had to walk the same way.

I was just like "Bye?" and everyone just walked away.

Hmph.

They're like "That girl thinks the world is in 2D! HA HA HA!!!!"

Now. I feel bitchy about bringing up stereotypes.

Do stereotypes exist for a reason?

I think I fit a couple stereotypes.

Is that something to be proud of?

I don't think so.

I don't think it really means anything at all, really.

I'm just disappointed that this encounter went exactly as I'd feared, because the stereotypes actually did play themselves out.

Oh well.