I would not only have not guessed that you were black, I also (*koff*) had assumed you were female. Because of the username and that awesome default icon.
I'm glad to see you address this topic from your perspective, because I think yours is one that needs to be heard more often. You are a person first, and how that person is expressed (geek, braniac, compassionate, male, educated, Cajun-aware, etc.) should very much be up to you. It IS you.
Other people's expectations should not be your problem, though I hate to see a black person asking if you're ashamed to be black just (I assume) because you're not embodying stereotypes. I worry more that those people might assume that stereotypes are who THEY should be.
Love the awesome conclusion to this very well-written piece.
The reason I use the minion Icons is a sotry unto itself, thank you for reading my piece. I never thought of it as they assume they should fit those stereo types. I will have to think more on that.
But they're allll good. Who doesn't love the minions (other than my daughter, and I truly don't understand why. She doesn't find them funny. How it that possible?!?)
There is also the "reading fail," problem, where half the time I used to read the name as "Mama's minions" instead, so I assumed the user was "Mama" rather than a kind of minion.
I don't think LJ will let you do that. It has a limit to which characters it will allow in a username.
It is just my personal failure to read what is actually there rather than rush over it. There are a couple of people on my friends' list whose names I have to come to a completely "halt" on before I can spell them correctly.
I'm glad to see you address this topic from your perspective, because I think yours is one that needs to be heard more often. You are a person first, and how that person is expressed (geek, braniac, compassionate, male, educated, Cajun-aware, etc.) should very much be up to you. It IS you.
Other people's expectations should not be your problem, though I hate to see a black person asking if you're ashamed to be black just (I assume) because you're not embodying stereotypes. I worry more that those people might assume that stereotypes are who THEY should be.
Love the awesome conclusion to this very well-written piece.
Reply
Reply
Oh good... I wasn't the only one! *blush*
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
I don't really like what I consider to be "stupid humor" either, but the minions are not in that category!
It's mind-boggling to all three of the other family members. Minions are wonderful!
Reply
I need to read slower, sometimes. :O
Reply
Reply
It is just my personal failure to read what is actually there rather than rush over it. There are a couple of people on my friends' list whose names I have to come to a completely "halt" on before I can spell them correctly.
Reply
Leave a comment