With the caveat that if this becomes even one tiny degree more inflammatory this topic can be considered locked with extreme prejudice...
Lets be honest women are only scary when they have a weapon in there hand or are Ronda Rousey, but I think your hinting at the whole backlash to feminism which is different from finding women scary because for one the majority of women aren't feminists and don't think women are inferior to men like feminist seem to do, because like it or not stopping a group of people from applying for jobs because the colour of there skin and what's between their legs is wrong no matter how you dress it up.
I like to think that the majority of women in the UK believe in equality even if they do not identify as feminists, but I was hinting at a more general fear. Downplaying women as unscary, slurring the entirety of the feminist movement as the work of a minority of hardcore misandrists; these are both negative reactions to the idea that women are equal to men. I don't see that kind of paranoid reactiveness as a sign of strength.
I've actually never heard this before. I thought the negative stereotypes of black people come from there portrayal in the media, television, moves and rap music, but maybe it is something simple as the Harlem Globetrotters being really tall.
Perhaps you've heard the backhanded compliments about black people being better at athletics but worse at academics, then? I've definitely heard of (British) people being intimidated by people of another race based on physical features alone, to the point of accusing them of crimes because they 'looked' the part. It's true that media portrayals massively aggravate this, and there may be an age gap between us here; back when I was growing up, there weren't nearly as many famous black people in the media to point at. Those who did well laid a very important foundation even though the results haven't always been perfect.
this is a logical fear in the case of Japan because most Japanese people don't speak English or any other language for that matter, and sitting next to someone on a train who might talk to you in a language you don't understand can be very daunting for them.
Mm, though I was actually thinking of people I speak to in the UK with that example. The Japanese media often presents foreigners as erratic, gigantic and intimidating so I feel very aware of that potential gap when I speak to people over there; a lot of (especially younger) Japanese people don't care, though. We have similar mainstream biases in the UK, whether we're aware of them or not. It would be a bit presumptuous to believe otherwise just because we're on the other side of the curtain.
But racist/sexist/ageist people being scared? Far from the problem. I'm gonna have to mention the alt right, they are built up of the small number of Nazis, klansmen among other groups - people who are scared won't see themselves as someone superior, which many of these groups do. Stereotypes don't always come out of fear; they come from someone thinking only one thing describes a certain person like black people are always criminals, women are weak minded, Jews are greedy and handle a disproportionate amount of wealth etc
People who want to force people who think/look different to them out of their country/community don't come across as being anything other than scared to me. If people weren't scared of criminals, weak-mindedness or greed, those stereotypes would hold little power in the first place. It could well be personal experience but all of the racist/sexist people I've met have been openly motivated by fear.
what I can't tolerate though is foreigners in the country not learning English, constantly speaking their own language, I just want to smack them in the mouth until English comes out. Being educated doesn't mean you understand every language, but I do believe if someone goes into another country it's rude and puts them at a disadvantage to not learn the language, Japanese people won't help you if you don't speak a word of Japanese
This part actually chilled me. Violent impulses just because someone doesn't speak the language of the country they are in? British people seldom learn to use the languages of countries they visit (or even live in for a year or two) in any functional way. I don't want to live in a world where you have to have fluency in a language to deserve to see a country (and frankly the fact that I don't think I do live in that world speaks volumes about my personal sense of privilege).
Also, as a matter of point, most Japanese people I've met will bend over backwards to try to help you if you don't speak a word of Japanese. I agree that it's rather rude not to make the effort, but rudeness isn't a crime on its own.
R
