What if... & Stereotypes

You always think that if you were in a certain situation, you might act or feel differently than what you hear other people doing, or what you observe. Or, at least you'd like to think that you are different, maybe better.

Today, while waiting for the bus, I overheard two women talking behind me. They were talking about a man that one of the woman had been seeing. After a lengthy discussion about some phone calls and how the man seemed indifferent, yet harped on minutiae (indicating some attachment, I suppose), they decided that you can't do anything about men - they they'll try to have a woman and a girl on the side if they could.

I'm standing there thinking, "Naw, I'd never do that." Yet, if I really think deep down, I must admit - I can't say that I would never consider it. I guess it just gives credence to conventional wisdom.

Later, on the bus ride home, there are these middle or high school kids in the way back-two boys and three girls. School just started up again in New York City. These kids were obviously from some prep school, given a) their race b) their dress and c) how they were behaving. They gave off a distinctly pretentious and sophmoric aura. Of course, the boys had tousled, wavy medium length hair, and the girls had braces, pristine, straight hair and perfect complexions. One of the boys was lounging with his head in the lap of one of the girls, and the whole time, he was speaking in half-pseudo-French, which was a bit annoying.

The whole time, all I could think about was the movie Igby Goes Down. And about how much these kids seemed to match the stereotype of stuck-up, pretentious prep school kids portrayed in that movie and what seems to be the commonly accepted image of prep school kids. Why would you act that way, knowing you come across as a rich, spoiled snob? Or, maybe, they don't even realize it.