Regional identity stereotypes and counter types

Regional identity stereotypes and counter-types

 

Scottish:

There are many stereotypes associated with Scotland and the people that originate from there.

 

One of the most well-known stereotypes of the Scottish is alcohol. It is known worldwide that the Scotts are big fans of drinking.  This obsession of theirs is one of the first things that most people think of when we hear the word ‘Scotland’.  A prime example of this stereotype being put into action is Groundskeeper Willie from ‘The Simpsons’.  He is a keen drinker throughout the show and as a humorous characteristic; he always seems to be either slightly or heavily intoxicated.

However a counter-type to this is Amy Pond from Doctor Who. She is a full on Scott yet she seems to be an exception from this profound stereotype. It is very uncommon to see this character drinking alcohol and it is almost unheard throughout the show that the character is drunk. 

A second stereotype of Scottish people is that they are all predominantly ginger. There are many and many Scottish TV characters that possess red hair but I picked Amy Pond because she is very well known character that was part of one the biggest TV programs in the world.

A counter-type to this character is The Hound from the HBO series Game of Thrones.  This 6ft 6 warrior possesses a brown head of hair which is often usual amongst Scottish TV characters.

 

 

 

Liverpool:

A large stereotype of people from Liverpool is that they are members of the working class; this is usually represented through Mise-èn-scene and their dialect. We often stereotype people who come from Liverpool as those who wear cheap clothing such as tracksuits and who swear a lot and religiously use slang.  Two TV programs that would show these stereotypes are Benefit Street and Brookside.

A countertype to this would be the comedian John Bishop. Although, strictly speaking, Bishop is not a TV character, he does act as a clear opposite to these stereotypes as he is mostly seen wearing smart clothing such as a suit and during his stand up comedy shows, he very rarely uses slang. However one stereotype that John Bishop does play up to is the fact that he supports Liverpool Football Club. This is a common stereotype for those who come from the Merseyside.

Newcastle:

A widely spread stereotype of ‘Geordies’, specifically females, is that they use a heavy amount of make-up and fake tan. A TV show that contains multiple female Geordies that wear a large amount of make-up is Geordie Shore.  

Another stereotype of Geordies is that they wear a lot of black and white. This is often linked to the classic colours of the football club Newcastle United. Again this stereotype can be seen in the show Geordie Shore.

 

 

 

Yorkshire:

One of the most common stereotypes of someone who is from Yorkshire is their dress sense. We often associate, specifically males, from Yorkshire as people who wear flat peaked caps alongside some form of tweed jacket or coat. This combines with another stereotype, which is that we often all people from Yorkshire as farmers since their general surroundings is the countryside.  Another stereotype of people from Yorkshire and how they behave is the food that they eat. We often associate them as people who eat foods included with in a Sunday dinner, especially Yorkshire pudding.

 

Birmingham:

A common stereotype of ‘Brummies’ is that they are predominantly working class and sometimes-violent individuals. These stereotypes mainly arise from the surroundings that they live in. Many people know Birmingham as a rough area that mostly contains small houses and a high rate of crime. Linked to the distinctive accent of the Birmingham population, another wide spread stereotype is that Brummies are not the most intelligent.

 

Welsh:

A widely spread stereotype of the Welsh population is they are all big fans of Rugby, especially the men. This is largely due to the fact that Rugby is the sport that the Welsh are best at. An example of this is Liam from the MTV show ‘The Valleys’. Another well known but highly controversial stereotype of the Welsh is that they are overly fond of sheep. It is believed that some of the Welsh population engages in sexual activities with sheep however this is not a known fact.

 

Irish:

One of the main stereotypes of the Irish is that they are heavy drinkers. A clear representation of this stereotype is Father Jack Hackett from Father Ted. One of his few single worded catch phrases is literally “drink!” He is an alcoholic who is intoxicated almost 100% of the time. A counter type to this would be another character from the same show, Father Dougal. He is virtually never seen drinking alcohol throughout the whole show. Another stereotype of the Irish is that they all have ginger hair however this is obviously not true. A countertype to this again is Father Ted. None of the main characters in the show have ginger hair.

 

London:

There are often two views upon London and it’s residents. One view is of the much more wealthy areas. Most people think that the people that live in these much richer areas as posh, wellspoken and well mannered. Whilst this may be true in some cases, it is not always. The other views we gain of people from London are from the poorer areas of London. We often associate these areas with high rates of crime and vandalism. Many people also believe that people who live in these areas are thuggish and ill mannered. This again is true in many situations but not all.

 

Essex:

A very common stereotype nower days about people from Essex is that they severally lack intelligence. This stereotype has emerged partly due to the ITV show The Only Way Is Essex. An example of this would be any of the people in TOWIE. Another stereotype of the population of Essex is that they are all heavily coated in fake tan. Both the men and women in TOWIE are examples of this. Specifically regarding the women of Essex, many people associate ‘Vijazzles’ with Essex.  This stereotype again has mainly been brought about from The Only Way Is Essex.

 

Cornwall:

A very common stereotype of people from Cornwall is that they are ‘backwards’ meaning that they are behind in society and are different from most places. As well as this, a very controversial stereotype of those from Cornwall is that they are inbred. This is obviously not the truth but still is widely believed.