Negative Stereotypes Behind Bad & Ugly Gossip: Workplaces

My collection of stereotypes comes from books, magazines, newspapers, movies, television shows, radio programs, news shows, conversations, podcasts, etc. Sources can be 10s to 100s to 1000s of years old.

Stereotypes and categories overlap at times. I create categories of stereotypes as I have stereotype examples to put into those categories.

The research into gossip goes back at least to the middle of the 20th century. Both men and women research gossip. Putting all of their research together, this is my definition:

Gossip is talk and writing about people
— both other people and ourselves —
in family, social, workplace, and public settings.

Much of the research shows that gossip is both positive and negative. I define gossip as good, bad, or ugly. Good gossip ignores or breaks stereotypes. Bad gossip uses stereotypes. Ugly gossip manufactures stereotypes.

Negative stereotypes exist about everyone, no matter their age, gender, race, religion, profession, etc. These stereotype blog posts will help you understand the negative stereotypes about you.

If you use negative stereotypes about people who are different from you, you are inviting everyone who hears you to use negative stereotypes about you.

Stereotype Updates

I add stereotypes as I come across them.

I will add the new stereotypes at the bottom of each listing, putting ~~~~~ between the older stereotypes and the new stereotypes.

More Stereotypes

Negative Stereotypes Behind Bad & Ugly Gossip: People In General

Negative Stereotypes Behind Bad & Ugly Gossip: Ethnic, National, & Racial Stereotypes

Negative Stereotypes Behind Bad & Ugly Gossip: Romance

Negative Stereotypes Behind Bad & Ugly Gossip: Poverty

~~~~~~~~~~

Tired of losing out to stereotypes?
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in the small spaces of situations and relationships.
People who take positive control position themselves to attract unimagined success.

softskillstrategycourses.com

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Men In The Workplace

Businessmen

aggressive
materialistic
mercenary

Handsome Men

ambitious
self-interest is a threat to management
opinionated

Managers

domineering
challenging

Men Who File Sexual Harassment Charges

not real men
sexually deviant

Nice Guys

finish last

When Men Fail On The Job, The Stereotyped Reasons Include:

lack of effort
difficult situations
bad luck

When Men Succeed On The Job, The Stereotyped Reasons Include:

ability
talent

Women In The Workplace

Attractive Women

stupid
should be trophy wife instead of career woman
interested in sex
schemers
less trustworthy
more expendable
should smile at everyone
less competent

Businesswomen

less happy with success
unattractive
aggressive
unpopular
less likely to maintain a steady relationship
egoist
dominant
hide feelings
less feminine
less desirable

Feminine Dressing Women

low managerial skills
low interest in work
illogical
overemotional in critical decision making
financially irresponsible
helpless
dependent on the influences of others
sexy
flirtatious in social relations
not assertive
low independence
low self-confidence

Women Are Seen As Unsuitable For Management Positions…

when their hair is long, curly,  extreme in color, in the face, fastened with barrettes and ribbons

when they wear extreme amounts and colors of makeup, soft or tight sweaters, low necklines, ruffled blouses,
dangling or ostentatious jewelry,  and don’t wear a jacket

when they are attractive

Women Bosses

petty
envious
power-mad
aggressive

Women Who Cry On The Job

weak
vulnerable
crack under pressure

Women Who File Sexual Harassment Charges

whiners
complainers
incompetent

Women Who Use The Titles Miss Or Mrs.

lacking personality characteristics of a successful middle manager

Women Who Use The Title Ms.

more motivated
more masculine
less likable

When Women Fail On The Job, The Stereotyped Reasons Include:

no talent
no ability

When Women Succeed On The Job, The Stereotyped Reasons Include

unstable conditions
external causes

General Experiences For
Women In Workplaces

Fewer

opportunities
promotions
resources

Less

accommodation
authority
autonomy
approval for efforts
cooperation
credit
pay
respect

Lower

performance evaluations

More

disapproval for efforts
interruptions
pressure

General  Stereotypes
About Women Workers

Less

competent
knowledgeable
less authority

Not good as leaders

Too emotional to do important work

Incapable of assertiveness

Deviant for

showing competence and assertiveness
interrupting men

General Stereotypes
About Women’s Work

Less

important
authoritative
convincing
valuable

Inferior

Deserving rejection

Unworthy of recognition

More Insights Into
Gender Bias

“How to Navigate Bias Traps Toward Your Ultimate Success with Gifty Enright”
Shedding the Corporate Bitch Podcast With Host Bernadette Boas
March 5, 2024

Performance

Attribution

Likeability

Affinity

Maternal

Intersectionality

5:55 to 9:05

 

Professions

Athletes

can’t hold regular jobs

 Biology Teachers

nerdy

Business Coaches

big egos
haven’t accomplished anything
couldn’t succeed themselves
their way or the highway
tell rather than coach
consider themselves gurus
full of s—

CEOs

need huge salaries and bonuses for motivation to do their jobs well

Cheerleaders

slutty
queen-bees
wear short skirts
gum-chewing ditzy snobs
airheads
gossipy
mean

Clothing Designers

aggressive

Community Organizers

rabble rousers
outside agitators
professional agitators

Construction Workers

ordinary
unremarkable

Entrepreneurs

criminals

Executive Coaches

no domain experience
parrots who only listen instead of asking questions after listening
on cruse control doing rinse and repeat with clients
coach executives to manage the little people in a company
promise simple answers and quick results
exploit powerful hold over clients

Executives Who Say Goodbye To Every Employee At The End Of The Day

checking up on employees

Government Officials

tell lies
cover up the truth
engage in conspiracies to deprive citizens of their liberty

Interns

untrustworthy

Journalists

callous
cavalier
hound celebrities
interested in human weakness
chew up private lives for entertainment

Lawyers

untrustworthy
contemptible
fast talkers
dishonest
subverters of justice
look for loopholes

Life Coaches

think they know more than anyone else
think they are better than anyone else
unqualified
underequipped
undertrained
delusional
manipulative sellers
no domain expertise
scam artists
psychologists with no credentials
shamers
bullshit jobs

Men In Ads Selling Beauty Products, Shopping, & Fulfilling Lives To Women

bumbling fools

Men In Commercials Selling Laundry Detergent

not guys

Military Historians

right wing
morally suspect
just plain dumb

Military Pilots Who See Surface Air Missiles Where Government Intelligence Believes They Can’t Be

cowboy pilots

Models

airheads who make pots of money for not doing much

Pilots

alcoholics

Secretaries

materialistic
overly emotional
often irrational
physically limited
less than committed to the job
don’t perform well
not valuable
dependable

Sex Surrogates

prostitutes

Soldiers

shell shocked soldiers are neurotically susceptible and infantile

American Soldiers

mean
aggressive killers

Tarot Card Reader

flakes

Treasure Hunters / Shipwreck Hunters

only in it for the money

Truck Drivers

hog the right of way
drive dangerously
cause most car truck accidents
bullies
menace on the highway

Writers Of Fiction

difficult temperament

~~~~~~~~~~

Male Dancers

sissies

Male Elementary School Teachers

pedophiles
failures as men

Male Kindergarten Teachers

babysitters

Male Librarians

wimpy
asexual

Male Nurses

gay (which assumes that being gay is bad)

Male Social Workers

feminine
passive

Men Who Work In Stereotypical Female Professions

taking a step down
enjoy a glass escalator of preferential treatment for hiring and promotion

~~~~~~~~~~

Female Scientists Who Are Feminine

incompetent

Female Scientists Who Are Masculine

unlikable

Female Scientists Who Have Children

not committed to their work
incompetent

Female Scientists Who Speak Their Mind Or Are Decisive

too masculine

Female Working In A Dealership Service Center

doesn’t now what she’s doing

Women Running For Political Office

young girls
little housewives who don’t know anything
incompetent

Individual Characteristics

Half White / Half Black

Performs better than Black

Low Income Workers

will not be motivated by higher salaries to do their jobs well or work harder
will only be motivated by the threat of their jobs being moved overseas

Older Workers

absent more
lower productivity levels
less flexible in their behavior
unable to learn new skills
prone to job-related accidents

Plus Size Workers

blameworthy
guilt-ridden
untrustworthy
incompetent
salesclerks
pushy
insensitive
insincere
fawning

People Who Do Their Jobs Well

hall monitor
tattle tale
troublemaker
trying to get coworkers in trouble
hormonal
rebellious
stroppy (British for bad-tempered)
time of the month
bad tempered
argumentative

Successful Black Women / Career Black women

arrogant
hard
controlling
self-centered
uppity

Whistleblowers

squealers
rats
stoop-pigeons
finks
loose cannons
dangers to businesses damaging to career of fellow workers
habitual liars
irresponsible
masters of deceit
criminals
fudged resumes

Workers With Disabilities

incompetent
vulnerable
ineligible for jobs

Shared Stereotypes

Shared Stereotypes #1

Businessmen
Businesswomen
Women Bosses
Clothing Designers
American Soldiers

aggressive

Shared Stereotypes #2

Businessmen
Secretaries

materialistic

Shared Stereotype #3

Businesswomen
Women Who Use The Title Ms.

more masculine

Shared Stereotypes #4

Women Who Cry On The Job
Workers With Disabilities

vulnerable

Shared Stereotypes #5

Women Who File Sexual Harassment Charges
Female Scientists Who Are Feminine
Female Scientists Who Have Children
Women Running For Political Office
Overweight Workers
Workers With Disabilities

incompetent

Shared Stereotypes #6

Cheerleaders
American Soldiers

mean

Shared Stereotypes #7

Entrepreneurs
Whistleblowers

criminals

Opposite Stereotypes

 

Opposite Stereotypes #1

Feminine Dressing Women

flirtatious in social relations not assertive

Opposite Stereotypes #2

General Stereotypes About Women

Incapable of assertiveness deviant for showing assertiveness

Opposite Stereotypes #3

Men Who Work In Stereotypical Female Professions

taking a step down riding a glass escalator up

Workplace Policies

Giving Raises, Health Care, & Retirement Benefits To Workers

will increase inflation
squeeze profit margins
end economic prosperity

Giving Stock Options, Bonuses, & Multimillion Dollar Salaries To CEOs

will lower inflation
increase profit margins
lead to  economic prosperity

Research On The Impact Of Parental Work

work-family issues are concerns for women
focuses on the mother having a job or the father losing a job

Points to Ponder
About Men in the Workplace

Men in women’s fields enjoy a glass escalator of preferential treatment for hiring and promotion and are over represented in managerial positions. But choosing a career in a traditionally female field means you’ll face stereotypes of failure and criminality.

Points to Ponder
About Women in the Workplace

If you are a woman, be careful to never use any of the negative stereotypes about women in the workplace against other women. If you do, you will be giving permission to everyone else the stereotypes about women in the workplace.

Points to Ponder
About Pay & Benefits

Did you notice the following?

Money and benefits supposedly motivate CEOs but not the workers that keep the company going.

Raises for CEOs supposedly benefit the economy but raises for ordinary workers supposedly harm the economy.

Secretaries cannot be motivated by raises but are materialistic while CEOs need big pay raises to be motivated but are not materialistic.

Perhaps we should ask the CEOs who get the top pay and benefits to explain why programs that give money to the poor have created so many benefits that dozens of countries have those programs.

~~~~~~~~~~

Critical Thinking Questions

  1. What’s happening?
  2. Why is it important?
  3. What don’t I see?
  4. How do I know?
  5. Who is saying it?
  6. What else? What if?

Stereotype Thinking Questions

  1. What is threatening my beliefs?
  2. How can I make it unimportant?
  3. What can I reject?
  4. What can I laugh at?
  5. How can I attack people who threaten my beliefs?
  6. How can I deflect?

The stereotype thinking questions are mine, based on my observations of stereotype thinkers.

~~~~~~~~~~

Paula M. Kramer
© 2015 to the present
All rights reserved.

Posts on this blog alternate with posts at the link below. Posts for both blogs are published on Wednesdays as they are ready to be published. Time between posts could be weeks or months.

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