If you change the "i" in "ricer" to an "a" you get the name of another
group that has suffered (and continues to suffer) a ton of negative
stereotypes.
Back in the 1950 and 60's, which some of you may be old enough to
remember (I am not), people assumed lots of things about anyone who
raced cars. Like: they drank, womanized, had poor or no values, etc and
so on...watch some old movies that depict the "hot rod" crowd. Sound
familiar? Does it describe you? Probably no better than the worthless
"ricer" stereotype describes whoever the hell people are trying to
describe when they say "ricer".
It is interesting to note that those old stereotypes grew up when most
everyone in the sport was a white male, too - not sure what that means,
but seems like we always need someone to badmouth, and if there isn't
anyone around who looks/acts/talks different than us, we will start in
on each other.
Stereotypes are the last refuge of minds ill-equipped to deal with the
complexity that real life in the 90's offers. Complexity that many of us
embrace and rejoice in.
<sarcasm mode engaged>
I am German by ancestry, does that make me a "nazi"? I autocrossed my
friend's Civic Si last weekend - does that make me a "ricer"?
Oh yeah I have piercings and a tattoo, also, so maybe that wrecks my
credibility for some of you! Probably knowing that I have a Ph.D. in
Social Psychology would bring the credibility back for some and label me
as a flaming liberal for others....LOL - what a pleasant simple world it
must be when everyone can be defined in terms of a few simple traits and
labeled and set aside...
<sarcasm mode to max>
And as a parting shot, what about the stereotype that SCCA members are a
bunch of hidebound upper class elitist snobby twits? I have heard that
one sometimes too....
<sarcasm mode off>
Doug
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