The last post generated some interesting replies, but also some great conversations about stereotypes & roles, conversations that never made it onto the blog. So, I’m wondering if you’d play along. Again. Post a note that details the negative stereotype about the job/profession/role that you do or fill… that is, if it has one. Is there a job/role w/o any negative stereotypes? I wonder…
Stereotyping is easy – just take the extreme (behaviors, actions, identifiers, etc.) about your job/role & lump them together. I think mine is easy, but I’d welcome your input too…
Talks slow, & condescendingly to the flock.
Uses big words & a special version of Christian-ese without explanation – language usage is one of the things that keeps the separation between the clergy & the rest of humanity.
Wears either a) nice suits b) really nice suits, or c) car salesman’s attire (feeding that one too while I’m here.)
Big hair. Beautiful hair. Hair Elvis (Vegas Elvis, not GI Blues Elvis,) would be jealous of…
Keeps people (the laity) at a distance – otherwise, they might get too close & see the emperor’s got no clothes…
Pays little to no attention to what’s happening in the real world
Never met a rant he didn’t like…
Looks for opportunities to remind people how holy he is (& conversely, how holy they’re not.)
Attends every church/city/community social event, fully in the role of pastor – exists to do the benediction & convocation, prayer for the food, etc… If it’s a spiritual exercise that’s needed, he’s the person for the job. (Note: this reminds me of a true story – a church had a softball team, & since it was a church event, the pastor felt it was his duty to be there. And to play. But, in not wanting to let people too close, lest they forget that he’s the Pastor, he would play wearing his suit, tie, & dress shoes. True story.
On that note, I’ll stop for now. Taking a look at my list, I can think of a ton of pastors that don’t fit any of them. But a few (several. many) fit them all, & then some.
the biggest stereotype about stay at home moms is that we don’t have a REAL job and that all we do is sit at home, eat bon bons, and watch soap opera’s. that we couldn’t make it in the career world so we just opted out for the lesser role of motherhood and that our lives couldn’t possibly be very fulfilling or interesting.
I’m a manager with a background in Human Resources. I think the Dilbert comic strip has done a great job capturing the stereotypes around these professions. Managers: lazy, clueless, only interested in looking good. HR professionals: evil, manipulative, eager to cause harm to an employee.
Dilbert has also played on female professionals, receptionists, consultants, customers, marketers, salesmen, and interns. I love it.
Hey, we all know that the emperor has no clothes! :) He he he…
Hmmm… Have you seen the PopCopy skit on the Dave Chappell show? Because that fully embodies the stereotypes of people that work at the Evil K:
-We are rude and intentionally unhelpful.
-We are just standing around doing nothing (or maybe playing computer games) in between customers.
-We are not very intelligent– Everyone knows that monkeys can operate copiers, that’s how we ended up being called “copy monkeys”.
-We are all stoners/come to work high.
That’s all I can think of for the moment… But at least I’m not a car salesperson. ;)
::snort:: I am happy to say the pastors I know well are not fitting of these descriptions. One time we were at a church picnic and my brother, microphone in hand, was approached by a fiesty woman. She yelled at him for not praying sooner and “could we pleeeease pray now! Those people are eating UNBLESSED food!” His look was priceless.
I will say along with No(dot dot)el, homeschool moms have it even worse. Not only am I just faking my way through teaching the kids, I am screwing them up in the process.
Here are a list of gooduns:
I pulled my kids out of school because I think school teachers are idiots,
I don’t actually teach my kids anything, they just watch tv all day,
I feel compelled to shelter my kids from life experiences( I say bring it on),
I have plenty of time in my day to run every ministry need in our church because I don’t have a real job,
I have five kids, therefore, I am irresponsible, inconsiderate, and only thinking of good times in bed, not the consequences. (part of this is in fact true. I really DO think of the good times HA! I can’t help that I am fertile and God thinks I can handle this many kids. I think he is just as crazy as you think I am!)
I love the ministry I came across recently called Homemaker By Choice. It has been the biggest challenge to give in to God and stay home. I am pretty sure every stay at home mom dislikes being poor, but they like their children more, so it is a worthy sacrifice.
A bit more on my job. When I talk to people, away from work that is, they think that I am only talking to them in order to set an appointment to come buy a car. How do I know this??? They ask me if Im trying to sell them a car. This makes me feel a little awkward, thus making me not want to talk to people. Yay for the introvert in me.
ROFL!! sorry, Murdoc I was just feeling imagining your conversations. Plus I was wondering if you could sell me a car. No, really.