Do you often get mistaken for something you are not?

People think I'm a pothead due to my long-ish curly hair. I've never smoked in my life. It sort of offends me, but if I didn't want it to happen I'd just get a haircut.

This happens to me. I am always spoken to like I am a social conservative. Fiscally, I am rather conservative, but that does not mean that I hate gays and blacks. For some reason, people will crack racist jokes in front of me and expect me to laugh along with them.

I find this very odd.

Normally I will say something like, "Wow, that is offensive" but then drop it. Maybe I need to be more aggressive.

Not based on my appearance. However, based on conversations people often mistake me for something else. This is probably due to my wide range of knowledge/interests and my idiosyncratic views.

I'm constantly mistaken for Ritz. Must be the thumbs.

Procrastinator wrote:

I'm constantly mistaken for Ritz. Must be the thumbs.

That's funny. I had a teammate in college that looked exactly like Alan Webb!

I am in the boat wrote:

This happens to me. I am always spoken to like I am a social conservative. Fiscally, I am rather conservative, but that does not mean that I hate gays and blacks. For some reason, people will crack racist jokes in front of me and expect me to laugh along with them.

I find this very odd.

Normally I will say something like, "Wow, that is offensive" but then drop it. Maybe I need to be more aggressive.

What world do you live in that making racist jokes = social conservatism?

Military or ex-military. I wear my hair cropped short, have a muscular (read: slow) runner's build, and don't tolerate a lot of nonsense, but I'm anything but the military type in outlook or experience.

I'm often told by a new acquaintance that I vaguely look like someone they know but, usually, they can't remember.

One person told me recently that I look like Joe Girardi.

I am often mistaken for a person that gives a damn about anything that does not concern me. I have found that most people are just idiots and should be smacked.

kartelite wrote:

What world do you live in that making racist jokes = social conservatism?

I am going to guess the same world where being socially conservative = "hating blacks and gays" =\

Anyhow, I often get mistaken for a teenager, despite being in my 30s! I got carded to see an R Rated movie the other day! Dont even ask how often I get carded in bars.

I'm always mistaken by white women as a thug or robber...I'm a black guy btw.

So which is more a more accurate assumption - black guy = robber or socially conservative guy = hates blacks?

I got the pothead thing all the time is high school because of my long hair.

NYC Dude wrote:

I'm always mistaken by white women as a thug or robber...I'm a black guy btw.

not a big deal...I've been out on runs and had white women cross the street at night when they see me coming towards them. And not only am I white, I am about 130lbs. I SHOULD be about as threatening as a chihuahua to a white woman.

kartelite wrote:

What world do you live in that making racist jokes = social conservatism?

The fact of the matter is that in the United States "social conservatism" is often tied up with the "law and order" vote that openly condones things such as racial profiling (esp. post 9-11) that appeal to a racist crowd and are repugnant to minority communities, esp. blacks.

Btw, people often mistake me for a drug dealer, i.e. they ask to buy drugs...not sure why, I don't do it, don't think I look too different than normal.

I get mistaken for Jewish a lot, despite being Italian American. Found this out when Jewish girls began approaching me in college.

Also I'm pretty introverted/shy/quiet, and I know some people have mistaken me for being arrogant.

I get mistaken for Brad Pitt a lot, circa 1999 (fight club).

deraylicious wrote:

The fact of the matter is that in the United States "social conservatism" is often tied up with the "law and order" vote that openly condones things such as racial profiling (esp. post 9-11) that appeal to a racist crowd and are repugnant to minority communities, esp. blacks.

I'm about as middle-of-the-road politically as one can get (basically I think Sarah Palin and the extreme lefty fruitcakes are equally stupid/annoying...okay so maybe Palin's stupider, but the fruitcakes are more annoying), but I find it a bit devious how people subtly try to insinuate things like that social conservatism, in the true meaning of the word, would encourage or even tolerate "racist jokes." I grew up in a pretty socially conservative area and attended a pretty conservative college, and from what I can recollect no one really talked about race much at all. Now pretty much all my friends are of a difference race than myself (and fairly "liberal" I'd say) and most of them have no problem making "racial jokes" - not really mean-spirited, but definitely playing off stereotypes.

Okay...so your asian with white friends? As someone that is aware of stereotypes, you should be well familiar with the stereotype that conservatives are racist and the basis for that stereotype. Whether you agree is a whole other issue, but you feigned ignorance of the entire stereotype "what world do you live in..." And I explained one basis for that stereotype.