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Friday Fun Thread for February 16, 2024

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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To what extent do you conform to cultural or ethnic stereotypes of your people?

Conforming to the stereotype of an asian male, I have trouble finding a romantic partner.

Why do you think that is?

My suspicion, and forgive me if I wade right in, is that it has to do with most people's deep rooted preference for dimorphism. They want men to be as manly as possible, and women to be feminine. For women this is less of a problem as a lot of men will simp for anything with a pulse and a hole. A lot of Asian women have plenty of femininity. Asian men come up short due to being less physically extreme. Less height, less muscle mass, smaller penises. Or so the stereotype goes.

Edit: typo

Yeah. Also autism or whatever

A lot in some ways, less so in others. I think much of this is part of social class, actually, and because I am from the Southern US--if you believe writers like Nancy Isenberg--we are all reprobate chawbacons with prole collars whose tastes define the term "lowbrow."

I am a white dude, though growing up my friends called me hispanic as a kind of jokey epithet because I am olive-skinned like my mother and probably got that from something something Native Merican. They always said Cherokee but I have my doubts because everyone says Cherokee. So anyway White Southern (US) Male.

I was raised united methodist but eventually went to a Southern Baptist church then later a Catholic church, both of the above because of females.

In the a lot category:

  • I like grits, as well as the usual southern foods like black-eyed peas, turnip or collard greens, etc. I regularly long to eat these foods and cannot because I'm far from them. (I am in Thailand on holiday at the moment and literally one hour ago bought a bag of black-eyed peas to take back to Japan.)
  • I dislike tattoos.
  • I own a bible that I took time and trouble to get, and I read it.
  • I quietly judge most people but attempt to hide this.
  • I wear jeans a lot, though the T-shirt jeans and sneakers look I try to avoid.
  • I enjoy drinking beer and don't really care how poor quality it is. I will drink it if it is there and cold and I have someone to drink with, though the latter part is not a requirement.
  • I own a blue blazer and wear it often. With khakis.
  • I wear neckties often and see no inconvenience at all in doing so.
  • I have short hair and wear it probably conservatively.
  • I am somewhat homophobic in that I become uncomfortable if I think a gay man is showing indicators of interest towards me. Ditto if I am touched by a gay dude in that way. This does not happen often at all, which suggests it is some hang-up I have.
  • Lesbians annoy me. Not always though.
  • I like action movies and watch them regularly, more than once.
  • I like almost everything about women, who endlessly fascinate me. They also annoy the shit out of me (not just the lesbians).
  • I am probably trans-phobic as used in the popular sense. To be specific I suspect being trans is a kind of pathology, which if harmless doesn't bother me, people should be free, yes? But currently the trans thing drives me up the wall and if I were in the US many people would write me off as bigoted (Though I do not feel I am--I much prefer dealing with individuals instead of conceptualizing big groups.)
  • My wife is Asian (Japanese.) <- This is only stereotypical in that some white women in particular will scoff.

In the not so much category:

  • I listen to classical music, including opera. My music tastes in general aren't very dudebro. One old girlfriend looked at my CD collection and said "This is chick music." She often put on that kind of cool girl affect. But she wasn't wrong. (Sadé's greatest hits was one such CD if you're wondering, which you probably aren't.)
  • I read a lot of fiction, and not just Jack Reacher formulaic fiction, though I do read that, too. (I have a lot of commute time for reading.)
  • I am in no way overweight and probably relatively fit, at an age when my peers are all fatasses with beer bellies. (But good people, probably, in ways.)
  • I read poetry.
  • I don't get into fights, even when I probably should.
  • When home, I am the one cooking 5 out of 7 dinners during the week, as well as doing the washing up and various other domestic tasks. I * see no problem with this and think I do things well. (My wife would be laughing to read the last sentence there.)
  • I have hazel eyes which I think biologically I should not, according to my high school biology teacher. But he was a degenerate and probably going on what is now considered a dated view of genetics.)
  • I enjoy reading The Motte.
  • I live in Japan.

Extremely disagreeable? Check. Purveyor of gastronomy? Check. Never ever tip? Check. Outlandish philosophy for its own sake? Check. Always complaining about the government? Check. Art and literature snob? Check. Paranoid about debt? Check.

All I'm really missing is loose sexual mores, a penchant for strikes and an outrageous accent.

I care about it so little I don't even know the stereotypes apart from hard-drinking, catholic and gregarious, of which I'm neither.

What stereotypes do people have about Turks?

Hairy?

Mostly check

Dislike of Greece, fondness for cosmetic intervention/surgery.

I go to Greece almost more often than Turkey. But it’s always a bit cringing to see how they are obviously a fundamentally Balkan/Near East people but will pretend to be Europeans with baklava and kebab (trademarked greek food since Alexander).

Nope for cosmetic surgery. It’s a female thing though

Aggressively patriotic.

Half check. Not aggressively but definitely a bit

I'm Irish, I have red hair, I'm not religious but I'm still riddled with Catholic guilt (one of the reasons I drink so much).

I'm a third culture kid. So practically none.

  1. Wave to everyone and say hello

  2. Own several guns

  3. Viciously capitalist

  4. Only speak English, poorly

  5. Confidently ignorant about other countries particularly

5.a Considers all ethnic conflicts in other countries to be junior varsity shit

6 Drive a pickup

Yup, I'm American.

  1. Large nose, check.
  2. Work in law, medicine, or entertainment, check.
  3. Good with money, ish? I understand money but I'm more of a spendthrift than a tightpurse, so let's say half and half.
  4. Hairy, no.
  5. Overbearing mother, check.
  6. Mild mannered father, check.
  7. Either stereotypically meek and gentle or has spent life actively pursuing the opposite, (the latter) check.
  8. Peppers language with yiddish phrases, occasionally but I'll say check.
  1. Check, obviously

  2. You accidentally missed finance, so yes

  3. Same as you, so I’ll say yes

  4. Moderately, although I’ve always felt we do better than the Italians and Greeks

  5. I have a pretty mild-mannered mother, surprisingly. Or rather high string, but not really towards her children, whom she’s pretty relaxed toward.

  6. Of course! My dad speaks almost in a whisper, unless he’s on a work call or giving “a talk”, then he’s a charismatic presenter

  7. If the stereotype is “ultra neurotic”, Check

  8. I don’t do this, but I should. (Weirdly I do this online, but I think it’s just a fun affectation.)

  • Eat pasta and pizza every day. Pasta yes, pizza one or twice a month
  • Obsessed With Food. I checked my instagram saves and 100% of them is food, 93% pasta and pizza. So I guess is a yes.
  • Speak with their hands (gestures). How would you enphasize words otherwise?
  • Drive like crazy. I hate driving.
  • Obsessed with fashion. My "Outfit" Pinterest board has 875 Pin. It's a yes.
  • Connected to the Mafia. No, sadly I would probably have a more succesfull life if I did.
  • Very attached to their mothers. Of course.
  • Creative and artists. Well, I play three instruments, my sister dances, almost every high schoola and university classmate and almost every colleagues have an artsy or artisanal hobby despite being a math-heavy STEM course. Despite my hate for the art world I am an art hoe and I love searching 𝔸 𝔼 𝕊 𝕋 ℍ 𝔼 𝕋 𝕀 ℂ pinterest boards. I would like to get into photography but I'm poor. 😭
  • Always late. On the contrary, excessively on time even when some tardiness would be called for.
  • Love coffee (Espresso). Of course.
  • Impulsive and passionate. On the contrary, I'm very high inhibition in real life. But while daydreaming at home alone, listening to epic classical music that I use as soundtrack for my adventures... You should see me.
  • Effusive and touchy. I hate touching people and I hate being touched. Disgusting habit.
  • Soccer Fanatic. Most boring sport ever.
  • Can't Speak English. Self explanatory.
  • Extroverted and Loud. I think I'm more Finnish in this case. It has caused me many trouble to be silent in a culture where you're expected to be loud.

7/15

I was actually expecting worse, given how much I would like to leave this place.

  1. Never smiling unless it's something funny? Check, but I try to smile more.
  2. A big drinker? No.
  3. A tracksuit connoisseur? No.
  4. Preference for simple haircuts? Check.
  5. Direct and blunt in technical discussions? Check.
  6. Patriotic homophobe promising to fuck NATO in the ass? No.

50/50

Yes.