I'm sorta a kind of person who hates being stereotyped. I've had some bad experiences..

Being labeled is almost depressing sometimes, I think.

But I always do get stereotyped at school, all because I listen to rock music, like SlipKnot, Marilyn Manson, Muse, Alkaline Trio, ect. And I wear dark clothes, everyone considers me a "goth" and targets me with insults every day, Its not like if you are goth, it wrong or anything, but thats not who I am. Everyone teases me and my friends because we're not them, we're not the "in-crowd" We arent like everyone at our school, I'm not saying its bad, but they're all people who likes all the popular things, y'know? Why label yourself though? Arent we all different individuals of our own personality? How come if your not like them, your pushed around for it sometimes?

Everyone seems to label themselves anymore here, prep (These seem to be the worst at labels here...And rumors sometimes, they arent all bad though, some are really nice. ^_^) , punk-rock (Thats like 2/3s of my school, what happened to it being against the mainstream? It is the mainstream here..) skaters, one girl here claims to be both, goth and punk rock, I don't understand how that works, but yeah. ect. ect. ect. What also seems odd, that people try to be something they arent here, I know a guy who joined football and basketball just to get popular..And he used to be a good friend of mine, now hes just a jerk, because hes one of those people who consider me goth. Because labels sometimes tear old friends apart. I know its best to respect others opinions, but I think its wrong to have opinions like that.

Whats worst when people get upset at you because they don't think you believe in god here, when I go to church. Whats wrong with people having different religions, either? o_O xD;

I have friends who get called lesbians just because they listen to rock too, How does listening to certain music prove that? Its really weird, my worst event with labeling when last year. These three girls came up to me and my friends and said some really horrible things to us, we were just sitting at the swings, but earlier me and one of the girls (We'll call her Lindsay so I don't' get mixed up) had a arguement over a stupid tug-of-war tournament our school had, and Lindsay was upset because our class beat hers, and I told her "Well, its just a game so don't act like your so upset about it." and she told me how she hated gothic's and if she could, she would kill me. (I wasn't very intimidated..Then..*sigh*) until we went out for fresh air time. Me and my friends we're sitting on the swings and all of a sudden, she walks up to us with two of her friends, and she starts mouthing off about how our opinions are pointless, and we're just "stupid complainers coming around to ruin everyone's good times" ...We wern't the ones complaining, but anyway, her friend started hitting me, and I kicked her away because thats all I could really do, sitting on a swing and all, and me and Lindsay got into a almost fist fight, but at the last second I ran away, and I ended up crying for the rest of the school day (Through the end of the year party, what a bummer.) My parents found out sooner or later and did something about it. I wouldn't have been able to put up a fight anyway, its wrong, and i'm really scrawny xD

I know everyone runs into things like this everywhere, and i'm not the only one with problems, but it just leaves me curious. Is this wrong or right? D:'


What do you guys think about labeling? What are some of your experiences?

Well, back in high school, some people thought I was a goth. Well, even though I listened to a lot of Evanescence, I didn't understand how that happened since we were required to wear school uniforms. Haha. Well, it was amusing at some points since they all "worshipped" me as this art goddess or something. (you see, goths are rare in our high school. Culture, culture. Haha.)

But I don't think I was ever goth--I'm not entirely sure what that is. I'm a victim of labels too, I suppose. People think I'm on drugs when I smile and greet them a bit too cheerfully (jokingly of course) since I'm a walking "Brooding Artist/Poet Girl" archetype. Of course, I'm not complaining in school since we're not serious when we're labelling each other--treating each other respectfully is something we learn in the University. I just don't like it when I'm walking in malls, clad in a black shirt, blue jeans, Chucks and a bag with button pins of Jack Skellington and Brandon Boyd and then people assume that I'm this violent rakista girl who only listens to death metal and has no respect to anyone who gets in my way. Or that I'm a lesbian. (so, yeah, I can relate to your friends, LeaveOnYourBrightLights.) I'll dress the way I want to dress, dangit! It's not like I disrespect my culture's standards or anything. Grr.

Also, I hear horrible stories of labels, in all-girl schools mostly. You know, lesbians getting hurt because of their sexual preference, arty kids who end up alone because they're 'weird,' popular girls who try to devirginize themselves because it's part of their so-called image... It's sad how people are so vulnerable to other people's opinions that they are molded to how society wants them, and not how they are supposed to be.

As for the idea of labels, hmm. It's difficult for me to judge now that I look at it. It's so easy to say that "labelling is unfair, unjustified and therefore bad," but it's even easier to label people at the moment we see them. I think that you could label people all you want, just don't let it affect your judgments of them as individuals. Haha, it may be hard to see it that way, but it's possible. And, oh yes, keep it harmless of course. Labels are social constructs that are hard to overcome, in my opinion.

Anyway, don't let the world get you down, LeaveOnYourBrightLights. If things get violent, I think you should learn of the best way to cope with things. It's hard being yourself in a society that drags you down for being yourself. But it's not impossible! Hehe. Labels are just labels anyway. They know nothing, and they have no right to act like they know everything about you.

I think i'm the official label breaker
Lets start off with race
Half spainsh/Half white what does this do? atomatically makes people think i'm a latino gangster lady well I guess my bling doesn't help much xD
Now hair that would be "classified" as emo since I am constintly dieing it
Music? R&b(Png gangster steriotype) Evanescence (Png gothic steriotype) utada hikaru (PNG nerdy steriotype)
So I think you see No emo there...well meh...lol
Personallity IN SCHOOL-quiet gets work done goes home,rather work in class than talk (nerd steriotype)
Personality at home- loud as hell curses rants (gangstar steriotype)
Personality on weekends- chill go somewhere if want,ps2 baby (gamer steriotype)
Clothing- Thrift store,knee sox,skirts,shorts,occasional juicy coture (bad experiances with these though some guy called me juicy and ... :puke: )
Piercing- like I said bling blinged out,stomach,ears,cartilige (prep steriotype)
People I hung w/ in my old school- misfits who made fun of people lol we were so weired
People who my family thinks I chill w/- "oh you have a lot of friends huh?" "you look like the meangirl type"

No one can classify me :fangirl: and thats great :angel:

Yeah, basically who I am is, I die my hair alot (Went from blonde to plum to bright ass red xD; ) We laugh at almost anything people do, from stupid comments, and including when people come up to us, ask us what we're talking about sarcastically we'll be like "Mansex" and they'll gross out and leave. Hehe. Sarcastic alot, kinda loud, basically anything everyone else isnt.

I wear alot of black, like I said, and the music, I wear skirts sometimes but mostly worn out jeans, Short hair, its an emo cut..I wear armwarmers, fishnet shirts under bands/gamer/movie tshirts. I'm a HUGE gamer freak, I have game scans posted on my binder, mostly Dirge of Cerberus and KHII right now, hehe, so I get considered the nerd of our group, and everyone has to make fun of the games I play, and the consoles I have. And I'm a huge roleplayer.

That isnt very "goth" sounding..xDD I think if anything, its more emo...o_o; But I don't want to label myself, thats the worst of it all.

GAH! I can't STAND IT when people label themselves in school! :mad:

I don't know what I'm considered...an outcast, freak, tomboy, punk, goth...I don't even care, they could call me a rabid monkey for all I know!!!!!

Why do we need to be able labled? I think its really pointless. Why can't people see that we're all the same? We don't need to be classified as 'ghetto' or 'preppy' or a 'jock'. It really bothers me how everybody always tries to be like everybody else by not being themselves.

Blah. Me no likey labels....>_<

I'm lucky because when I was in school there weren't all these labels. It was either 'cool' or 'weird', nothing inbetween. I came firmly under the weird category. :lol: I did go through a goth phase, but I grew out of it. Now when I talk to my cousin who's fourteen and still in school, he says there are all these labels - rockers, emo, goth, punk, e.t.c, but I'm pretty sure it isn't as bad in England as it is in America. He's kinda confused about what he should 'be', so I keep telling him he should just be himself. And if people don't like it or try to label, screw 'em.

Man I wish it could be now that you we're either cool or weird, I think school would be better if it was.

Yeah, a while back I used to label myself, but then I realized how damn stupid it was, and even if you did label yourself, others would change that anyway, so if you wanted to label yourself, it was pointless as long as the other people see you different from them.

So I decided i'll dress how I dress, and not stick to a certain style unless I knew it was me. *clings to tshirts*

I also ask that question of why everyone has to be a label of some sort. I guess today, our society can only really care about blending in.

I really hate to be stared at. But I want to wear clothes from Hot Topic, you know? I hate it when you're walking down that hallway, and everyone just stares..

So I usually just wear a black tee, nothing more. I'm so simple, my boyfriend will be the happiest boy on earth. XD

The only thing that needs labels are soup cans. xD

Well, anyways, I've been labeled by my friends. They were jokes though. I found it funny. x3

Tons of my guy friends who knew me like... = <-- that (o_O) labeled me goth. Well, that was probably one of my phases. I grew out of that this year. But they labeled me that cause I acted like it. xD

One of my friends labeled me emoooo. She some of my pictures on myspace and thought of it as emooo. xD Yeah, another joke.

Tomboyy. I went through my tomyboy phase like two years ago. I guess that would be considered a label. Haha. I hated skirts and only liked sports. -looks at self now- Holy, I am so different.

I'm not labeled. No one labels me. Actually, I think no labels anyone in my school. Yeah, sure, we got the populars. But they're not even that popular - well, they are in their grade if they're well known. That's basically it. If you have a lot of friends, I guess people in your grade consider you popular.

Yeahh...rarely anyone gets labeled over here. :]]

Totally agree with you on that one xD <3

The only label I've ever been stuck with is "Youngest." But I was born into that one. I go to a school with a grand total of three students. Meaning, I'm home schooled. I've never had much experience with labels. People just look at me and say, "What the crap!? Does she have cat ears on??"
But I have friends who complain about being labeled. So I can imagine that it's bad.

..Ugh, stupid CloTi's call me the "Emo Cleristh."

How uncool...D:

I think labels exist everywhere, no matter where you're from. Even if nobody says anything, I think at least one person will put a label on you, even if just in their minds. It's human nature to compare. And by comparing, usually a label will come up.

I personally don't know what labels people have put me under, but I haven't had many encounters with stereotypes in my life. In my high school there were basically two types of people - the pretty, cool kids who weren't afraid to skiv class and go to discos - or the normal folk, under which I fall - the ones that just...well...are normal.

If you think about it, normality is also a kind of label. *shrugs*

I guess I've been labelled an 'anime freak' before, if that counts. XDD

I'm kinda like yin-chan's case in that there wasn't any excessive stereotyping in my high school... or maybe I was too oblivious to notice. :lol: Off the top of my head, I can only think of three:

- the "active" group of students who were heavily involved in co-curricular activites, who knew the teachers better than other students (you know, the sort who are borderline friends with the teachers and consequently, get all the good recs :rolleyes: ). They're occasionally linkd with the "hip" group of students.

- the usual "gangsters" who skip class, wear piercings, dye their hair, wear heavy amounts of hair gel (all of which are NOT allowed in any secondary school in Malaysia), break the rules, give the prefects huge headaches but, ironically, are also well-known by the teachers.

- the "rest", which I fell under. :lol:

But it's not heavy stereotyping, like the kind we watch on TV/read about in American high schools (which itself could be a stereotype) and I mixed with the first and second groups on occasion (the second mostly because I was a prefect and had to tell these kids to remove all their piercings, which wasn't too bad since I think they're more obliging with the female prefects :P).

I guess if I had been labelled, it would've been as a "quiet, studious" girl. What people didn't know was that I talked regularly with my small group of girlfriends. And I always enjoy the surprise they show when I reveal I've gone through several gaming consoles in my life and play video games. :P

"Hey, that's Yuna!" *points to classmate's folder*
"YOU know Yuna?!" *stare*
"D'uh, YEAH. You think I got these glasses from studying?"

It never fails to amuse me. :lol:

Agreed, I think it's become impossible not to label someone somehow. And in some cases, I don't think it's even done just to be spiteful. An example would be how mothers teach their children to avoid that guy with the punk hairdo, nosering and tattoos. He's giving off an air of danger, and even though he may be a nice guy inside who saves puppies and donates regularly, it's better to be safe than sorry.

On the other hand, it can be unintentionally hurtful-- not even just among high schoolers, but among decent, honest adults. I've read accounts of professional African Americans in Malaysia sometimes being treated warily because of the stereotype that follows them (a taxi driver refused to pick them up even though these two were decently dressed and didn't look the least bit dangerous).

I wrote an LJ about this recently (wasn't very interesting mind you :lol: ).

I go to a school where you're either cool or you're not. To be cool, you've got to be disruptive, wear lots of designer clothes, listen to dance music and drink alcohol underage. Needless to say, I fit in to none of these. I label all the people like that are "chavs". Now I know you'll think that's mean or something but seriously, I'm only speaking from experience. I am one to label a person, but not in a bad way. If I call someone a goth, that's a compliment because I loves goths, they dress pretty cool-y and listen to good music (IMO, of course). The only label I don't like are people who think they're better than you etc, which usually falls under chavs. If I call you anything else, it's a compliment :)

As for me myself, I get called a geek a lot...but I take that as a compliment, since it just means I'm smarter than them. If I ask a friend what label I am, they actually can't answer because they don't know. Apparently I don't fall into a category, the same way as most of my friends don't. I listen to rock music, the only piece of designer clothing I own is a hoody, I always wear band t-shirts (Iron Maiden being my fave (useless piece of knowledge there :whistle: )).

People who label you with something offensive aren't worth listening to, if they label you with something they consider good, take it as a compliment as it was meant to be.

Something I really like about my highschool is that there aren't cliques or much labeling at all. If you're outgoing and friendly, you'll make friends with tons of people, and you're not really labelled as fitting a stereotype. If people stereotype at all, it's only as a joke. Like I've been jokingly labelled a hippy, a spaz, a ditz, a rocker, a lazy Mexican, a nerd, and a million and a half more things. But it's all in good fun. Somehow, the people in my highschool understand that labelling is just too stupid to do seriously. I'm pretty grateful for that.

Lucky yous. D: xD I agree with you all..( :

Oh, my friends think i'm a spaz!! Last year, I was swinging on the playground with my friends, and I sorta trailed off, next thing I knew, I WAS FLYING THROUGH THE AIR. OOOO: ...It was painful when I hit the ground, but hillarious xD; Everyone got a good laugh out of it, then helped me get the sand off my zelda shirt..D: xD

hmm, if you ever want to see a high school that has groups, cliques, stereotypes, just come to mine. its pretty sad. everyones in a group, whether it be nerds, freaks, whores/sluts, preps, jocks, band geeks, goths, and anything else you can name. we all hate each other cuz of the grouping. <_<

Yeah...But only us music, video game, anime obsessed, get hated. xD

It sucks. :no:

well...in my school you'll get hated XD
If your a rocker...then some rockers will hate you
why? Cause they say your a fake rocker
and the same goes for the others XD
thats why I ignore the rocker hang outs
Two times they screamed at me!!

"Show off!!!" (some girl I passed by)
"Ask me if I care!!" (some girl read that off the shirt i wore)

There's not much stereotypical hate at my school, as the staff usually enforces anti-bullying and anti-racism rules.

But there are still some groups people usually labelled...

Popular - They're not hard to find, usually the most athlete and good-looking people and everyone in their year knows their name.

Gaming/Anime - Also not hard to find, usually guys before I came along. Good people, nice to talk to about common interests in games and such. They sometime play their GBA SP/PSP in the corner somewhere ever since the library forbids it.

Loud and stupidly brave - Okay, I made this up in my mind, but usually for a bunch of boys and senior boys doing something crazy and get told by the teachers several times. They're often suspected for setting off those stink bombs in packets (the ones that swell before letting out the smell :puke: ), occasional loud HONK of their horn in the canteen. And let's not forget my personal favourite, some seniors suspected of ramming against lockers while playing around, which usually results in my locker's door get bent INWARD and take me a while to get it OUT! :mad:

Normal - The people I usually hang out, mainly my own group of friends, with a side of occasional wierdness.

I can relate! :D It was the same for my highschool, and like MB, I was firmly in the 'weird' category. Sure, there were mini-labels in my school, but these were never emphasized much. We were all at least friendly acquaintances with each other and there was no bullying based on labels- most fights/bullying started because of personal reasons. Sure, people from different 'groups' might be wary around each other at the start of the school year, but at the end, it was all good. My core group of friends all belong to the 'weird' classification, but we all get along with the 'cool' people just fine.

Labeling- blech. There will always be labeling. Sometimes people base a person's personality merely on his/her physical appearance or hobbies. For most of elementary and in the earlier years of HS, people had this built-up stereotype of me that they worked around. At first, it annoyed me, but then I let go, shrugged, and thought, 'Never mind'. For me, at least, you can be who you want to be and never mind what other people think.

there's no labelling in our school and i'm really happy 'cuz of it..

you can be friends with anyone and everyone.. XD

still.. there are some people who label themselves as the "in-group"... :rolleyes:

they're pretty much laughed at by everyone though.. :lmao:


labelling sucks, everyone should be seen as individuals.. i dunno.. labelling only causes conflict between people..