I don't think there's anything wrong with acknowledging that stereotypes are there and are based a lot on truth. I've witnessed so many of them. Do I think that's GOOD? No, but denying that there is truth in them isn't bad. Facing that fact is good, because then maybe we can start moving away from those stereotypes.
A good example of this is a documentary I watched for one of my education classes called "Acting White." It was about how intelligent black students at many poorer, inner-city public schools were being harassed for their good grades and general success. They were viewed as traitors by some people in the black community. Why? Because some black people in the community considered good grades, Standard English, and setting lofty goals in general as inherently white traits. They even had a black musician give an interview. He says he is "practically bilingual." When he is with his friends he uses their slang. But any other time, he speaks standard English. He doesn't feel he can share that part of himself with the guys in the community of his youth. If we ignore this stereotype--if we are offended just by the mentioning of it--there's no way for us to examine ourselves and our communities and help to change it.
And I've laughed at stereotypes in film and TV. Sometimes they make good observations. There are people out there who prefer to adopt some safe, mass persona rather than be a complex individual with a mind of their own. And that's laughable.
