Is it the dumb blonde? The asexual gay dude? Or the Long Duk Dong-like Asian background player? Which sitcom stereotype can you just not abide?
Mic’s Nico Lang has a lot of examples for the nine stereotypes that need to die. For instance, he’s not a fan of the woman who tries to have it all, a la Liz Lemon, or the adorkable heroine (*ahem* New Girl Jess Day). The thing is, Lang has a point in pointing out the archetypes—problematic or not— that these characters fall into, but many, in my opinion, are three-dimensional people, anyway, whether through good writing or acting or both. What would our TV landscape be like without 30 Rock’s protagonist, or even Gilmore Girl’s Kim family, whom I think were more than just their good daughter/strict mother tropes.
This is where you come in, dear reader! We want to know, in the comments:
- Which stereotype do you just hate and wish would go away? Why?
- Which character comes to mind when you think of such a stereotype and does he or she save it for you or not?
- Please provide a picture of said character at their most stereotypical
To get you started, here are Lang’s list of nine. Bonus if you come up with your own, though:
- The One Whose Asperger’s Is Hilarious
- The Adorkable Gal
- The Asian Character Who Is Practically Long Duk Dong
- The One Trying to Have It All
- The Woman Whose Weight Is a Punchline
- The Guy With the Inexplicably Hot Wife
- The Gay One Who Isn’t Having Sex
- The Black Character Who Gets Forgotten
- The One Whose Hair Color Determines Her Intelligence