Taking Down the Stereotype

Wed. Feb 03, 2010 | 3:39 PM

Taking Down the Stereotype

It's a stereotype stand-off!

Tyra's doing a social experiment to find out what folks think of each other -- just from one quick look. We'll set up a group of "judgers" and have them tell us what they think of people just from seeing their picture. Then they'll come face-to-face with the people they made their snap-judgments about. Finally, guests confront their family members for perpetuating certain stereotypes.

NEXT: Heather Bauer's Healthy Habits

FILED UNDER \| OMG	238 COMMENTS
\|	EMAIL

Hey Tyra! I saw this episode when it aired and thought it was great. About two weeks later I was assigned a project on stereotypes. Is there any way I can get a copy of this episode for my presentation?

Posted by JackieS 03/12/10 2:11 PM

whats so wrong with the blue haired chick? mine is pink. i have piercings... does that make me strange?

Posted by jessa nichole 03/03/10 4:05 PM

Hello! I think that it's sad that these people can't hold in their feelings about other HUMAN BEINGS. I hate that people always point out the flaws in other people, instead of what's truly beautiful. Personally, the muslim woman really had an impact on me even known I am not of her culture. I don't normally get scared of the people who want to dress in their culture. I think you have inspired these women to go out and feel good about themselves, Tyra. Even though one person says you have a flaw, there opinion is 1 in 6 billion. Not everyone sees what stereotypers see in you. Most people, like myself, look at what people put on the table.

Posted by JoLynn 02/19/10 8:19 PM

hey tyra look ive seen ur show about stereotypes. that was wild but i totally understand lol im judged all the time by others but ironically they dont really know what to think because im pretty. not being conceded but i like myself. im half im indian and half black. long hair that i keep up in a bun lol im tomboyish most of the time sweats and tanks love tanktops! smile when i dress like that people look at me a little different than when i dress up all lady like or whatever. which i dont mind sometimes. jus dont like much attention. at all. like to be, and feel, comfortable. you know. but im gettin old.... just turned 27 and have 3 lil guys. most people cant tell or think im still real young. or lesbian. im bi but not butch or anything. anywho im just sayin i totally understand and respect the way people think. if when they get to know you and they still dont like you, thats when its time to make a real change. wish i could send you a couple pics of myself. as a "boy" and a "lady" lol its crazy. whats even crazier? men respond to me dressin like a dude more than women do. lol even with my hat and/or durag on. im blessed. ttyl oh youre beautiful jus in case you didnt hear it today smile

Posted by lajuan 02/12/10 5:37 PM

Hi Tyra, I saw how the people were treating the muslim woman because of her religon and so many people learned alot about the muslim religon just for that one episode. I wish that you would base a episode on religon so that people could learn many religons in one hour. Im 13 year old mormon and alot of people judge me because of it. im not saying to do an episode about mormons, im saying have multiple people with different religons just compair, talk and answers questions about their religon. i/many people would appreciate it.

Posted by Kristen 02/11/10 7:31 PM

This show could not have been at a better time! I was recently pulled over for speaking on my cell phone. However, my phone was nowhere near me. But the cop claimed that since I was a 17 year old girl, there was absolutely no possibility that I was not on my phone and gave me a ticket. I was livid but to see that its not just my age group that is involved in stereotyping is somewhat comforting. By saying that I do not agree with stereotyping whatsoever, just that I am not the only one that has been hassled by it.

Posted by Rebekah 02/09/10 3:23 PM

Hi Tyra, I watched this episode last week when it was on. I couldn't believe what my ears were hearing while watching the tv. It made me mad to see those people up on that stage making all kinds of rude stereotypes. Especially that man and the african american lady. I felt like out of all the people making the stereotypes they were the worse people up there.That man was talking about one of the ladies being over weight, I think he is very arrogant, and he THOUGHT he was nice looking, when at all I didn't find him the least bit handsome. The lady was just as wrong also. She was a little overweight herself, so she dosen't have any room to talk about someone else. I think the problem with our society is that we focus too much on what's on the outside, rather then looking within.

Posted by Indigo 02/09/10 3:08 PM

Hi Tyra, I am watching the show and I actually had to turn it off after I heard about the thoughts on the Muslim lady. I was so sad to know that we live in a world where we say there is freedom to be who you are and yet people can be so narrow minded. The black girl was the one who shocked me the most because so many fought for her to be free and to cut those stereo types and there she was on national television doing it to someone else. I guess people view Muslims as the new colored folks. The ignorance of the people on the show was to a point of severe lack of education and I do not mean education in school, I mean education as in respect. Practicing Muslims have to wash 5 times a day so they can pray, they wear more gold then anyone I know and the most important they are happy about whom they are and what they believe. If the media told everyone that jumping off a bridge was the thing to do would they do it, would they believe it? USA prides itself on being on top of everything why not get on top of educating people about other cultures and religions. It is sad to think how people can shun people just because they are different. I live in Canada and I come from El Salvador and married a Muslim Moroccan lol lol, I pretty much one big stereo type walking around so glad I live in Canada. But, the reality is that these people can continue to live in their bubble and stay in their ignorance but, in the end they have to realize how pathetic they and how sad they will live thinking

Posted by Mayel Aguilar 02/09/10 2:56 PM

Whether or not we choose to admit it, we all stereotype people....but the people on the right just took it way over the top. Saying that all fat people are lazy????? Haha, I am a bigger woman, I work 2 jobs and go to school full time, I take care of my dogs, my family and also excersize five times a week and eat right and I haven't lost any weight for 2 years, so it is obviously not true. I hate people that discriminate just because they don't walk around thinking that they are the greatest thing in the world. It is total bull and this is the reason why the world is what it is today. PEOPLE ARE SO FRUSTRATING. There is nothing wrong with being you and noone should tell you that there is.

Posted by Vienna 02/09/10 7:58 AM

It seems like the young people chosen to be the "judgers" were cherry picked; all very inflexible and ruled by appearances. Was this intentional, I wonder--to pick people who would be extreme in their judgments? Makes for sensational TV, bigger audiences, higher ratings. OK, I'm going to expose my political stereotype-prejudice: I bet none of the "judgers" were Democrats, Independents, Greens, or of any such open-minded, open-hearted political affiliation.

Posted by miss judged 02/08/10 8:30 PM

Karla I agree with you. But you will never get to prove them wrong if they are never willing to step outside of their own ignorance.

Posted by Forbus 02/08/10 3:23 PM

yea ive actually been judged alooooot... everyone when they first meet/see meeh they think i am conceited and a bi***.. it really bugs meeh cuz even my friends tell meeh that they thot that when they first met me. the only thing i lik is that i always prove them wrong when they get to know meeh

Posted by karla 02/08/10 2:49 PM

So I actually took this in...for once and I should shoot myself for going this far. Have a look at the underprivileged *cussword* panelists. Here we have lil miss country doll, the bougeois used to be black woman, the geeky skinny wanna be cool white kid that got his butt whopped by the basketball team in high school, and the paranoid white mother....How is this even fair or even considered relative to what the general public is?? This is an insult even to me and I'm a non american. But the again America is the only country that breeds and spreads this kind of ignorance freely without limits.

Posted by Forbus 02/08/10 2:21 PM

I was so disappointed to see such ignorant people judging someone based on appearance. I have to say it really affected me with the Muslim girl, I myself am not Muslim but my husband is and I know all too well what people think sometimes. Let me just say that my husband treats me like a queen and is just as American as I am and proud to be in this country. People really need to educate themselves on these kind of issues before just assuming that because a person is Muslim they smell and hate America...this thinking is absurd. Never judge a book by it's cover, we are all Gods children and should be treated as such!

Posted by Elizabeth 02/08/10 1:49 PM

I want to say that ones to tend to judge others just by how they look are the ones that have an insecurity about themselves. Personally I believe that when you judge a book by its cover it is not the way to go. I made that statement because the person that you may judge in the worst way may be the person that one day saves your life or one day you may need that person and not even know. I think that we need to take a step back and turn the mirror on ourselves sometimes and see that we are not that perfect and whether we want to admit it or not we all still have some growing to do and more maturing and we shouldnt just look at people and pass any judgement cause at the end of the day we are not God.

Posted by Whitney 02/08/10 1:49 PM