Chill. Lazy. No job. Not smart.The “beach bum” stereotype is a single story for surfers--particularly males. This story is perpetuated primarily through images and videos (which highlight surfer-speak).
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| "Sometimes we can be late because we are surfing." |
As can be seen in the images, surfers are usually tan with shaggy
blond hair. They look scruffy and unkempt. This leads into the story that
surfers are unlikely to have a good job. They do not look like mature, working
adults. Their presented "chill" attitude also feeds into this story.
As can be heard in the
interviews, surfer lingo includes a lot of “dudes” and “brahs” as well as
random surfer jargon like “thrasher,” “got worked,” and “barrel.” This language
does not sound intelligent, which leads to the idea that surfers are not smart.
The message that surfers are lazy and dumb matters because it unfairly
pigeonholes people who enjoy a sport. While some surfers may fit this
description, certainly not all do.
This single story is limiting because it is
self-perpetuating. Surfing is a culture and surfers identify with that
culture—the image, the language, the attitudes. The danger in this single story
is individuals can single-story themselves. Surfers can limit themselves if they
buy into the single-story. The media does not help to change this story. Some social implications could be that surfers and
surfing may not be taken seriously.
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Media presents a single story about surfers—they are lazy, unintelligent people. Images show surfers as unprofessional and too chill. Interviews with surfers often highlight their perceived unintelligent speech. Movies, like Chasing Mavericks, and books about surfers show characters that fit stereotypes. And surfers themselves perpetuate the story.
This is a great example of a single story! I guess I used to view surfers this way, even though I lived in Idaho and had never even met a surfer! But funny enough, I married a man from California and all four of his brothers are avid surfers! Yet, I have never heard any of them say "dude" or "brah." In fact, they are all engineers with great professional careers. It's so funny how surfers get this rap for being so chill and lazy, even though a lot of them are "normal" people who just happen to enjoy surfing.
ReplyDeleteHahaha I chose to write about Southern Californians as well. They make such a great single story. I think it's important to look past the single story and realize that surfing doesn't have to be a sport for the unintelligent and lazy.
ReplyDeleteI love this single story! Every time someone introduces them self in one of my classes with blonde shaggy hair and says they are from California, I instantly stereotype them as someone I would not want in my group because they would probably be lazy! Thanks for the insight! :)
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