Reinforcing prejudice and stereotypes

This week I saw a video being circulated, in which students at an American university campus were interviewed about basic facts regarding US history - who won the civil war? who did the US gain its independence from? who is the current Vice President? They all drew blanks and hemmed and hawed as they tried to rack their brains for the answer. They laughed and giggled in embarrassment (and sometimes with no embarrassment at all) as they openly admitted that they had no clue.

They were then asked several questions about celebrities and pop culture and the correct answers came out automatically, quick and fast without a moment’s hesitation, the kind of innate knowledge you have on your fingertips. Who was Brad Pitt married to before Angelina Jolie? What show is Snookie on? You get the drift.

The comments below this video were very predictable, scoffing at how stupid and ignorant Americans are. Now I know it is easy to bash Americans; it is something I see all the time, starting from the fact that they don’t speak “real” English to the way that they come across as loud, arrogant and bigheaded. A part of me always gets slightly miffed at this anti-American backlash but I try to resist answering back.

For one thing, it is undeniably true that there many Americans who are hopelessly uncultured and uninformed. And the fact that Trump has swept through all the primaries and will be the Republican candidate continues to reinforce the wildly-held belief that the stupidity quotient is quite high.

But, on the other hand, the “dumb American” stereotype which is so often shown in the media is not the whole picture. Educated, sophisticated, well-spoken, well-informed and culturally rounded Americans also exist, but because intelligence also goes hand in hand with being low-key, these are not the type of Americans who are usually all over the media and “in your face”.

It is an unfortunate truism that uncouth loudness is often directly proportional to one’s lack of emotional intelligence. Those who yearn to be in the spotlight at all costs, even if they have no talent to justify their fame, have continued to perpetuate this phenomenon (Thanks for that, Reality TV).

On the other hand, it is also quite unfair to dismiss all Americans as being utterly stupid about current affairs, when, if the same type of questions had to be asked at random here in Malta (or indeed anywhere), I think that the results would not be too different. Pop culture trivia is the reference point for a lot of people with which they are bombarded 24/7, while history is something to be studied by heart and forgotten the minute the exam is over.

Just look at the headlines of major news networks where celebrities are given as much (if not more) prominence than the various conflicts all over the world. When Beyonce’s new album Lemonade is discussed with the same seriousness and analysed to death with the same intensity as the depressing Syrian war, then no wonder that the man-in-the-street is more interested in the former.

While the “dumbing down” not only of America, but of the world, is given the most attention, those who are intelligent and articulate continue to be snubbed. Sometimes this is done because it is comfortable for us to feed into the stereotype and to latch on to a video such as the one mentioned, as “proof” that our opinion of a nation and its people is correct. It suits our purpose, for whatever reason, and makes us feel better about ourselves.

What is interesting, however, is that human nature being what it is, we can dish it out, but we find it hard to accept criticism and mockery ourselves. For example, I would imagine we would hotly object if what passes for television discussion on Maltese TV is branded as a true reflection of the entire Maltese nation, and yet, using the same yardstick, that’s exactly what would (and sometimes does) happen.

I can see the same parallels when we zoom in with our prejudices against those in our own country who are different to us. It so facile and amusing to be scathing and cruel about a young girl wearing a tight red T-shirt proclaiming her staunch loyalty “to the death” of a Labour Prime Minister, and yet when the daughter of people who are prominent within the Nationalist party was similarly targeted because of her semi-naked photos and tattoos, all hell broke loose.

Sure, one may be an easier target than the other, because it feeds into existing bigotry, egged on by relentless incitement. But these tit-for-tat personal attacks are not only ugly, they have set us on a slippery slope which is going to end badly. Because if we are going to say it’s OK to cyber bully people based on Facebook photos, it’s either always OK, or never OK. No one likes it when “one of their own” is at the receiving end of abuse. After all, in the end, they are both somebody’s daughter, right?