Chicken or the Egg?

When thinking about stereotypes in the media, the age old question of the chicken or the egg concept pops into my mind. Of course, the concept of the chicken or the egg is a debate which came first the chicken or the egg. We can direct this same concept to stereotypes and the media. Is the media reinforcing stereotypes we already know and have created or are they creating new ones for us to use? I think it is a little of both, but more the media just emphasizing what we already know. Media, such as television shows, follow social trends in order to appeal to their audiences. For example, when saying "Yo Mamma" jokes was popular MTV piggybacked onto this trend and created the show "Yo Momma" where contestants would insult each other until there was a winner. But these stereotypes also are created in characters in television, movies, and books such as Elle Woods and her ditsy blond sorority sisters in "Legally Blonde." 

But are stereotypes a bad thing? Richard Dyer would say for the most part yes, because they create expectations for people to fit into. I have to disagree. I think stereotypes are a natural human process. Stereotypes help humans understand and make sense of the world. They are constantly helping humans compartmentalize the daily interactions we have with one another. It is our natural instinct to judge people until proven otherwise. That is exactly what stereotypes do: they judge until we have a chance to see someone break out of the mold and know them better. Whether the media came first with the stereotypes or if they are just showing us what we already know, I do not think they are all bad.