American stereotype
By alnilam
@alnilam (969)
United States
January 19, 2009 3:15am CST
I was just wondering, I have seen thousands of teen movies, high-school movies and they all show that in America there are always groups in schools: the cool kids, snobs, jocks, geeks, cheerleaders, weirdos... I find it funny and I am interested in knowing what is the actual state on high-schools in America. And from people that are not from US what do you think that schools are all about there.
1 person likes this
4 responses
@shamsta19 (3224)
• United States
19 Jan 09
I always used to laugh at those movies that stereotyped American teens. I grew up in New York and while our schools were diverse, we never had those labels. The "jocks", or "cool kids" just didn't exist. There were just cliques. Everyone stuck with their crews.
It wasn't until I moved down South that I witnessed more of that type of stereotyping. The kids down here have those groups, including the emo kids! I never even knew what an emo was! I guess in retrospect we all have our different groups we hang out with but it is not really like the movies at all, especially where I am from!
@alnilam (969)
• United States
19 Jan 09
Thanks. Btw, do you think that such movies help making a negative image on American youth? I mean I know they can not be 100% truth but I thin they can create a certain image in the person (non US) that watchess them. I never believed that the situation is as shown on the movies but one thing had stuck in my brain that is often showed in these movies - the level of education in highschools, as shown in movies it is equal to our primary school level, I am sure that can not be the case, but it makes a strong stereotype.
A lot of my generation thinks that Americans are stupid (no offense, I do not share the opinion/stereotype) and I do think that this belief comes out of movies. (I went offtopic in my own debate huh, but this just hit me).
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@shamsta19 (3224)
• United States
21 Jan 09
It's not that it's negative, but misleading I think. I never realized people might see this and assume we are all like that in school. At the same time this type of stereotyping does exist in some schools in other places in the US. I personally didn't experience this (not to that degree anyway). I used to laugh at these portrayal of American youth but as I said , in The Bronx (New York) where I grew up, life just wasn't like that. And even in more suburban environments I don't think things are exactly like the movies.
The thing is there is some truth to the movie stereotypes, I think it is more exaggerated in the cinema though.
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@shamsta19 (3224)
• United States
21 Jan 09
Overall we are not stupid but the general level of education is declining here. There are many factors for that though. We are so caught up in materialism, education has become less important for our youth of today. Our educational system is failing our youth as well. It just isn't "cool" to be smart anymore, a sad fact I think needs to be revolutionized.
The entire nation is slowly getting "dumber" if you ask me.
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@aisaellis22 (6445)
• United States
19 Jan 09
Hello alnilam! I guess based on what I have observed, american high - school teens are more agressive compared to our school here in the Philippines. I mean the high school student are more open about relationships and about being intimate which is not morally correct here in our country.
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@aisaellis22 (6445)
• United States
19 Jan 09
Well it is morally incorrect to our society..oour society still have many conservative people..
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@kometer (151)
• China
19 Jan 09
The Chinese students are asked to be disciplined,not allowed to do this and not allowed to do that.High schools in China are more like a cemetery or a barback.American high schools are much more free than those in China.Students in America seemed can do a lot of things they want and are more active to the activities.
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