Stereotypes

Absolutely true: I was out on the Coker today. I was wearing a proper
cycling shirt, cycling longs, purpose made cycling shoes, a cycle helmet
and wristguards. Apart from the BMX style shoes and the wristguards, I
was dressed exactly like a club road cyclist.

Small child says loudly, "Look , Daddy, a clown."

Most clowns do not ride unicycles. Most unicyclists are not clowns. In
other parts of my life, I am a bit of a street performer, but today, I
am dressed as an athlete, and attempting (with little success) to ride
like one.

The child is about 4 or 5 years old. Chances are, he's never been to a
circus. If he has, chances are he's never seen a clown on a unicycle.
If he has, chances are the clown was not on a Coker, riding flat out in
a straight line. If he was, he was a crap clown.

So, where does this stereotype come from? I blame the greetings card
industry. Should we picket a card factory?


--
Mikefule - Roland Hope School of Unicycling

Life is making good memories: for yourself, your friends, then for those
you leave behind. And if you are fortunate, for those who come after.
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I don't think anybody here has seen a unicycle unless a clown was riding
one.

Just last month I over heard a small child said" Look Joey, It's a
clown's bike".
It's all he has ever seen. -----association to da clown


--
critter - SINGLE TRACK MIND
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I have yet to see a clown riding a unicycle, that is a stereotypical
circus type clown not a unicyclist clowning about which is something
else I guess there must be some circus clowns that can unicycle and
do so as part of an act but all I’ve seen a clown riding is a bike.

I’ve asked myself -“did I associate unicycles with clowns before I
started unicycling?”- and the answer was simply -“no”- I just thought
unicycling must be a really hard thing to do so I’d like to try it
and now I can, more or less.


--
unicus - I need to change this

Mikefule suggests changing this once in a while
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you're completely right, I have never seen a clown riding a unicycle.
wait, one time...in a Batman movie. it was a terrorist clown, on a
unicycle, with a machine gun. but other than that...never. I donno why
people associate the two. possibly because unicycling is a circus art,
and clowning is the most popular circus art...could be why juggling is
also associated with clowns, since most clowns are not jugglers either.


--
James_Potter - betcha can't stick it!
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ppl just have a mental problem with unicycles ur either a clown or you
are riding a one wheeled bicycle ppl are just stupid


--
maxisbackintown - timmmyyy

yeah
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I think you can probably blaim a combination of cartoonists and
children's book illustrators.

Political cartoonists seem to favour using stereotypical images to make
points. Other cartoonists also often use stereotypes.

The only time I have seen clowns associated with unicycles is in
newspaper cartoons, childrens illustrated books and on greeting cards.

I go to a lot of circuses and have never once seen a clown on a
unicycle! I have friends who wrote a children's book about offroad
unicyclists but it has yet to be illustrated or published. It would be
nice if projects like that got off the ground.


--
peter.bier - Posting since 97

-Peter Bier

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peter.bier wrote:
[b]I think you can probably blaim a combination of cartoonists and
children's book illustrators.

YEAH !!
THAT 'S WHAT I THINK. CLOWN WITH AN UMBRELLA RIDING A UNI ON A TIGHT
ROPE. IT'S IN ALL THE INFANT/KID CIRCUS BOOKS. JUST ONE OR TWO
PICTURES LIKE THAT IS ALL THEY NEED.



--
critter - SINGLE TRACK MIND
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i think a little credit is due to hollywood, too. movies often play off
of stereotypes, especially teen-targeted comedies.

I usually just get the 'look, he's riding a one-wheeled bike'...And
people sometimes practically jump out of my way--I let them know that
this isn't necessary, it's way easier than walking when riding in a
straight line. For some reason, they are blown away that I can ride in
a straight line. It's like hills blow them away more than any trials or
street skills I can do!!! Go figure!!

'Wow, that must be so hard!!' --'Actually, no, it's easier than
walking, and faster too'


One unicyclist devoted to changing the minds of Michiganders,
Evan


--
TrialsUni - Urban Trials Rider
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Once on a train heading to Southern California for a backpacking trip I
was dressed in a red fleece jacket. I have a beard (at the time, not
too much gray). Despite the fact that it was June, I was thin (again,
at the time), and it was hot weather, a little boy comes out with
"Momma, is that Santa?"

So little kids have highly stereotyped views of the world and will click
into those models based on only a couple of features.

Where the types come from - I imagine there are a few key books, perhaps
Curious George?


--
U-Turn - Cool water for the flame

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-- Dave Stockton
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TrialsUni wrote:
*movies often play off of stereotypes*


And the award for Understatement Of The Year goes to........


--
fcwegnm0b - HammerTron

"So the nurse was telling me about what you did to your ankle... and I
all got was 'unicycle', 'mountain', and 'filming'"
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