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Monday, January 3, 2011

White, Black and Yellow: The Three Bears Effect

Very interesting term invented Aiyo - a black British girl - to describe the racial thinking of white people, when they compare themselves with Black and Asians.

The three bear’s effect <...> is what happens when you have three individuals two of which are at polar opposite extreme and the third one is perfect because they are just in the middle they are “Just Right.”Let’s look at The 3 bears effect in a racial and gender aspect, by putting up three different race black white and East/South East Asians Racialized-masculinity helps keep white supremacist views working. Just Look at the stereotypes that exist for Black men and Yellow men they are at polar opposites.

Black men-Masculine, Hyper sexual, physically strong, mentally slow.
(Basically what you see in almost every rap video, every tvshow/movie or other etc.)

Asian Men- Asexual, effeminate, physically weak, (or strong but in a ancient martial arts way) mentally advanced.
(What you see in many movies and why an Asian male is harldy the lead male role.)

These are all stereotypes, whether you view them positive or not they are stereotypes which can be harmful whether they are seen as positive or not and they work in favour of white men. So then in comes White men having the best of both they are seen being strong as well as smart and having a healthy sexuality.

Another blogger (Julian Abagond) took the relay and continued the comparisons.

It works so well in America that in most cases you can tell what the Asian stereotype will be by taking the opposite of the black one:

  • If blacks are cool, then Asians are nerdy.
  • If black women are disagreeable, overbearing and loud, then Asian women are sweet, submissive and quiet.
  • If blacks are lazy, then Asians are hard working.
  • If blacks have a lower IQ than whites, then Asians have a higher one.
  • If blacks have a higher poverty rate than whites, then Asians have a lower one.
  • If blacks have less education than whites, then Asians have more.
  • If black women are “mannish”, then Asian women are “ultra-feminine”.

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