Are We Too Quick To Judge?

August 4, 2012
By: Linda Lam

 

Love it or hate it, ‘The Only Way Is Essex’ (AKA TOWIE), is one of the most popular shows out there. Featuring a cast who seem to love their fake tan and partying, it comes as no surprise that many people deem the cast to be a bunch of fame hungry nobodies who just aren’t that bright.

However, recently, cast member Tom Pearce has spoken out against this. You may think that he is just a typical “Essex lad” but there is much more to him than meets the eye. A high achieving graduate who attained a First in Economics, he headed straight into employment with an investment bank. So you can describe this guy in as many words as you like, but stupid certainly isn’t one of them. Let’s face it; the majority of us would not have expected that from a member of TOWIE.

So why are we so quick to judge? Why do we think that reality stars will be clueless? Why do we assume that non-academic people aren’t smart?

Perhaps Tom Pearce is just a one off example, and perhaps the rest of these reality stars aren’t that bright. After all, ex cast member Amy Childs famously asked “Where’s North London?”. So is it any wonder that we jump to conclusions about people when we have shows that play right into the hands of the stereotype? Some may argue however that it is the ditsy nature of these cast members which makes them popular and funny enough to watch in the first place. I do sometimes wonder whether they really are that dumb, or whether they are simply playing dumb because it is the new “cool”. Whether that makes them even more stupid, or shows that they are smart money makers, is debatable.

Reality stars such as Lauren Goodger, Lydia Bright and Jamie Laing run their own businesses, an achievement that may not have been possible if they had not received such heavy public exposure. They may all come across as being quite naïve and dim, but they were smart enough to use their respective shows as a platform to greater opportunities away from the camera. So can we really make such hasty presumptions about them? Are they desperate for their 20 minutes of fame or are they simply opportunists?

It is human nature to pass judgement on others because, sometimes, it is too easy to base your opinions on familiar stereotypes than to explore the possibility that, actually, everyone is different and we are all individuals. The choices that we make are different and, even when we make the same choices, the reasoning behind it is often different. The bottom line is, when it comes to preconceptions, it affects you just as much as it affects the person that you are judging. When you have fixed ideas about a certain someone or a certain group of people, your attitude changes and you may miss out on the opportunity to learn something new from someone amazing.

As a student, I feel privileged to be studying for a degree at university and, whilst it reflects a part of who I am, it definitely does not define me as a person. It will hopefully be the stepping stone to a great career but to be judged solely on that, even by an employer, would be a huge disappointment. There is much more to each and every one of us than what is apparent at first glance, be it good or bad.

Surely we all deserve a chance, unless proven otherwise, right?

 

 

Images: gocitygirl.com, twitter.com, digitalspy.co.uk