This is no joke. Sorry if you thought I was going to double you up with laughter. No, today I’m talking stereotyping! I thought it was a thing of the past, but it seems it’s as evident today as it has always been.
Take, for example, television. Have you ever noticed that in a pub scene on a TV show, the men seem to be constantly drinking pints or bottles of beer, while the women drink glasses of wine or a gin-and-vodka tonic?
How often have you seen a man in a pub scene drinking a glass of wine and a woman drinking a beer? Some may say it’s down to taste, but surely not all the men in Coronation Street only drink beer while the women always order a glass of wine?
I’ll give it to Emmerdale (another UK soap opera), as I have seen at least one female character (the vicar!) drinking a pint of beer. It’s refreshing to see, but I’ve yet to see any men walk in and ask for a gin and tonic! It’s always “pint please, Chas.”
Let’s turn our attention to the news. I know many people don’t watch the news on TV because it’s always depressing, but take ‘Breakfast’, the BBC’s early morning news programme.
Why does the man always sit on the left of the screen, while his co-presenter, a woman, always sits on the right? Is it some kind of power struggle? Why can’t they occasionally swap positions?
This leads me to wonder why it always has to be a man and a woman when two people read the news on TV. ‘Breakfast’ occasionally has two women presenting the show, but I’ve never seen it with two men. Why? Is it not acceptable for two men to present the news together?
It’s precisely the same over on ITV. The man sits on the left of the screen while the woman always sits on the right.
Have you noticed that the male presenter seems much older (not you, Charlie) than the woman presenter? Very rarely is it the other way around? Is there a reason for that?
Let’s move on to driving. Yesterday, while waiting to cross the road, I counted the cars that drove past, where a man and woman were sitting in the front of the vehicle. Would you be surprised if I told you that it was the man who was driving in just about all of the cars?
I saw it while on holiday as well. The man usually drives a hired vehicle while the woman sits in the front passenger seat.
It happens in our family all the time. We go to pick up my sister-in-law and her husband, and I can guarantee that my sister-in-law will sit in the back seat while her husband will sit in the front passenger seat.
The same goes for my niece and her husband. When they come to visit us, he always drives, regardless of whose car they are using.
Take two couples going off on a car journey together. Why do the men always sit together in the front while the two women sit in the back of the car?
Sport also suffers from stereotyping. Today, I was delighted to hear that Tom Daley and Dan Goodfellow won an Olympic bronze medal in the synchronised 10m platform diving.
On TV, ‘Breakfast’ mentioned it all morning, and the interview with Daley and Goodfellow was aired far too many times. They even interviewed a friend of Daley and Goodfellow’s, who talked the audience through the last dive more times than I care to remember.
However, where were Clare Balding and Co when Ed Ling won an Olympic bronze medal in the men’s trap shooting for Great Britain? Was he not worthy of an interview, Ms Balding? And why, unlike Daley and Goodfellow, did he only get a few seconds of a mention on ‘Breakfast’? Ed, if you’re reading this, then, unlike the BBC, I’d be delighted to interview you and celebrate the fact that you won an Olympic bronze medal.
Finally, let’s turn back to drink. How many of you ladies enjoy drinking whisky? Does anybody out there consider whisky to be only a man’s drink? Why am I asking these questions? It’s something that recently came up in conversation.
It seems I’m as guilty as most others at stereotyping. Reading through this post, why did I put an exclamation mark after the word vicar? Do vicars not drink alcohol?
Do you have any examples of stereotyping in today’s world? Does it bother you, or is it something we just take for granted?
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I think you pretty much covered it. You could add paying bills in the restaurant or ordering wine with a meal… Usually it is the guy who is in charge (put in charge)…
People are an interesting bunch…
You’ve touched on something where this happens that nobody else mentioned, Sandra. Ordering the wine! Very true. And you’re right about paying the bill (although I have seen a few women pay the bill when it’s the man’s birthday).
Hahaha… I think the paying the bill is turning into a 50/50 thing but the ordering the wine is one of those things. I often observe women knowing exactly what they want but it’s still the man who orders…
I suppose it’s very much like going to the bar to order a drink? It always seems to be the man who will order. I once went to a restaurant where there were no prices on some of the menus. Can you guess who those menus were given to?
I’m not sure who sits where on our news shows but the younger woman and older man holds up with Sunrise a popular breakfast show here in Australia.
My husband sits in the couch to the left at home in the corner while I have the couch closest to the corridoor but that’s from an access point of view and I do get up and down a lot more than him.
One trend you haven’t mentioned is which side of the bed couples sleep on. We have an ensuite so I sleep nearest the bathroom while my husband sleeps near the door. I have mobility issues too which account for this but I have heard it’s a gender thing.
My husband drives everywhere and mostly puts petrol in the car as well. I have no sense of direction and gender stereotype again, can’t read maps but refuse to use GPS in case it gets any worse.
I barely drink and my husband drinks wine instead of beer.
xx Rowena
Which side of the bed we sleep of was mentioned in some on the comments, Rowena, but I didn’t really want to go there. To be honest, it never crossed my mind, but it seems there could be a trend there as well.
I think you’ve given very good reasons why you sit on the right, sleep near the bathroom, etc, but I’m still wondering why those newsreaders sit in the same place on every show. A couple of other items has also been brought up such as it’s always the man who leads, while the woman will announce the time, etc. Something I need to watch out for and see if true here in the UK.
Thank you very much for reblogging this post. It’s certainly resulted in some very interesting comments about what I highlighted.
Best wishes,
Hugh 😀
Reblogged this on beyondtheflow and commented:
After reading Hugh’s Views on gender tereotypes, you might want to shake things up a bit! xx Rowena
Good observation Hugh. I’ve noticed the presenters take the lead from the male too. He will announce the headlines while she alternatively gives the time and highlights after him.
I like whiskey, on occasion, and never drink beer in public lol! The Hubble likes me to drive, so we share road trips and the experience which is something most of the female members in our family refuse to do. They don’t drive on the motorway for some odd reason.
I always thought driving on motorways was the easy bit, but maybe that’s a male thing? 😀
Thanks for joining in the debate, Eloise. This post certainly got many of you talking about these invisible stereotypes.
I like Gin and Tonic and hate beer.
The seating position goes back a long time, it so the gentleman is free to draw his sword in an emergency; marauding Welshmen and the like.
A few people mentioned about the sword thing. Hard to believe that as we men no longer have any need for a sword, that the seating position on the TV is still governed by it. However, yesterday on Breakfast for the first time I’ve seen, the presenters had switched positions. I wonder if somebody at the BBC read this post? 🤔
Proof the whole word hangs on your every word. Don’t dismiss the need for swords. After brexit we will need to keep the French at bay.
I like my whiskey in an Irish Coffee, Hugh. :)
Thanks, Jean. Another name I can pass on to my Sister-in-law. 😀
Great points… You are so right as to how women and men are mostly placed that way on TV shows and news. Now, I’d Love to find an exception (at least one!)
Funny and Clever post, Hugh. Thanks and have a Lovely day. Aquileana ✨
I hope we do eventually find out the answer, Auuileana. So far, I don’t believe we’ve had an answer that we can seriously say “yes, that’s why” but the BBC still have time to respond. I’m doubting they will, though.
My hearing aid is in my right ear, that’s why I stay to Pat’s left… But, I am suppose to have two. Lol. 😁
That’s a very good reason, Kev. 😀
The problem is, stereotyping is how kids learn, because they build heuristics in their brain based on ‘generalisations’ were programmed to bloody stereotype. It’s horrendous really, but when you think about it, it’s makes sense in evolutionary terms.
‘Generally lions ate you. Generally red berries were poisonous!’
But that doesn’t make it right.
True, and I do agree with you in that much of it stems from how we are brought up. Still doesn’t explain why he always sits on the left and she always sits on the right, though. I’m still hoping the BBC will contact me with their reasons.
I can’t say that I’ve ever thought about the news before but you do have a point. And with the driving! My hubby always drives if we have a long journey but I tend to drive him back locally when we’re out with friends. Bit of give and take!
Good to hear, Marje. I’m guessing that many couples do the same. On the day I did the counting at the roadside I’m guessing it was the man’s turn to drive that day. 😀
Interesting observations there, Hugh; and lots of great comments. It is the same situation with the news and talk shows here in Australia. Funny I’d never thought to notice it before. I must admit that, as a right-hander, I carry my bag over my left shoulder and prefer to hold my husband’s hand in my right. It’s more comfortable that way. Also, you’ll mostly find him in the driver’s seat and me (asleep) in the passenger’s. He loves to drive and I do it only as a necessity. I guess we maintain the stereotype now that you’ve pointed it out, but I hadn’t thought about it before. Oh, and he only drinks beer in a bar, rarely anything else. I never drink beer. I used to enjoy a glass of whiskey sweetened with lemonade, but not for a very long time!
Thank you for joining the debate, Norah. I think you’ve proved me right in that a lot of stereotyping is invisible these days. We just never think about it, but it’s there right in front of us. I’ve loved the comments that this post has produced although we’ve yet to establish why our newscasters always sit in the same position regardless of who is reading the news. It looks as if we’ll never find out the answer (unless the BBC do decide to tell me the secret).
I guess it is a conscious decision. I wonder why.
Yes I have noticed left and right TV presenters. It’s weird. Driving? In London? Happy to defer to anyone! As for alcohol… I’ve been in some very stereotypical environments in my time – one guy actually offered to “get the drinks in” making reference to wine for the girls and beer for the boys. He almost fell off his chair when I asked for a glass of dry white wine.
JP
I don’t blame you for letting somebody else do the driving in London. If I stuck to the routes I knew, then I was fine. If I was driving to somewhere for the first time then I was happy to sit back and not complain to my other half about his driving. (Not that I ever do of course 🤔)
Brilliant observations you raised here, Hugh. I wish there could be more diversity about it all. Maybe the men sit on the women’s right (our left) to the screen is due to the undetones of the way our society works. Doesn’t mean they are always ‘right’. In my family, they men always get to seat in the car seats up front all the time. No one ever disputes this. One time as a teen I wanted to sit in the front and my dad said no :(
It’s amazing what other invisible stereotyping I’ve also observed since writing this post, Mabel. However, that’s going to have to be another post for another day.
Interesting what you say about who sits in the front of the car in your family. I think it’s down to the way we are brought up, as well as culture. It’s certainly been an interesting debate.
Interesting observation, Hugh! I never paid much attention to placement of newscasters but now that you brought my attention to it I notice that on USA news stations the woman is always on the left and the man on the right. Strange, huh? Good post! 😘
Thanks, Janice. I wonder why women newsreaders are always on the left and men on the right in your part of the world? Does beg the question “why not swap them around every now and again?” I guess we’ll never find out. 😖
What an interesting read. Sharing it on my FB wall!
Thank you very much. That’s very kind.
In reality, the man is sitting to her right in the TV studio, but we’re opposite the screen and seeing him to the left. (OK, I give you permission to let out a loud sigh at that comment, just as my husband would do).
I usually let my husband do the driving just because I don’t particularly like driving unless it’s absolutely necessary.
In pubs, I usually ask for water or a cup of tea these days. In the old days, I drank pints of beer rather than wine.
Thanks, Sarah, but why do they never ever change positions? Every day, the man sits on the left of the screen and the woman on the right. It even happens on ITV. And it seems to be the same in many parts of the world. I think somebody is trying to cover this up. The Great Sofa Mystery. I keep waiting for a knock on the door in the dead of night because I feel like I am uncovering something here….😀
I suppose it’s part of that old “chicken syndrome” thing, that people always gravitate to the same seat as their roosting spot.
But even when a different male and female presenter take over, they still sit man on the left and woman on the right. It’s a strange setup. Sarah.
I think you hit the nail on the head here. I have to say, in the US the stereotypes are much the same. I see even in instances where the wife has a more powerful and higher paid position than her husband, most often the man drives. Stereotypes are walls that have been built and maintained over time. Walls take time to come down.
Nicely put, Michelle. 👍
Thank you for tackling this topic…seriously! You make some valid points – I don’t drive when my husband is with me because he prefers it this way. I drive only when he is very,very tired, despite the fact I am a good driver! We do NOT put both men in front when driving with another couple, though. Would love to do a survey of which side of the bed men/women prefer!
The bed thing was mentioned in some other comments, but I’m going to leave that for somebody else to do. I’ve got myself into a little trouble with this post, so moving on swiftly… 😀
Thank you for joining in with the debate, Noelle.
Thanks for the breakfast smiles, Hugh. As to the TV presenter thing, which I have never noticed, I think it’s a continuation of the “woman walks on the man’s left side”. He’s the important one, she’s the sidekick. I wonder, does Robin stand on Batman’s left?…
As to driving, after years of my husband being a pain about how I drive and playing with all the settings in the care, we have come to a truce. If we take my car, I drive.
As to who gets to sit in the front passenger seat, it’s all about height and who has the longest legs. Also, age is a factor. When my mother was in her 80s, she got the front seat. It was pretty funny watching my son try to squeeze into the back seat of my convertible so his grandmother could have the front :)
You’re very welcome, Aimer. Thank you for joining in with the debate. Most of the questions seem to now have been answered, but the mystery of male/female positions on the sofa is still a mystery. And it doesn’t look as if the BBC are going to give me the answer. 😖
LOL! They may not know either. Sometimes, it’s just a convention so old that no one knows why :)
Interesting analysis Hugh. But maybe these observances are British related, lol. Ironically, on our newscasts, typically the woman sits on the left and the man on the right. Possibly the couples in the car thing goes back to chivalry, the man drives, the woman relaxes (providing she’s not backseat driving to her man like I do, lol). But typically, if 2 heterosexual couples are driving in car, the one man drives, his gal sits up front and the other couple are in the back. Of course there are exceptions, the guys need more room sometimes so they boot the chicks to the back lol. Now, have I just confused your theory? LOL :) <3
No, not at all, Debby 😀 It’s good to hear that it’s different in your part of the world (even if you have just blown a few of the theories, left in the comments, out of the water) 😀 However, do you ever have two men reading the news together, or is it always one man and one woman?
Mostly one of each, just opposite positions. :)