Part 2: Haha and the “Theater Kid” Stereotype
For Haha, doing theater is “the expression of art and of self… you literally can be anything you want, and you don’t have to be embarrassed.” However, she describes the “theater kid” stereotype as people who are “nerdy and lame and their friends have dyed hair and whenever they’re free they stand in a circle singing musical songs.” The “theater kid” stereotype describes those who are involved in acting and stage production as loud people who dress eclectically and don’t have many friends outside of theater. It also encompasses the ideas that those who do theater are not very athletic and that many of them are queer.
Because doing theater requires one to play the roles of many different characters, it requires passion and dedication. Those who don’t do theater often see this dedication as obsessive, and this has led to the perpetuation of the obnoxious stereotype. Additionally, those who do theater are often very accepting and open-minded because of the different roles they play. This makes them more comfortable in expressing themselves, even when this expression goes against societal norms. This is often interpreted to mean that everyone in theater is queer, leading to the spread of untrue stereotypes.
As Haha described, there are many TV shows, such as Glee, that perpetuate the “theater kid” stereotype. However, she also stated how “as of recent times, theater kids, that definition has maybe expanded a little. In High School Musical, it was like these are the lame kids, nobody wants to be them. But then, in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (HSMTMTS) you start seeing that they’re just people who happen to do theater.” It is interesting to see how some TV shows are beginning to portray those who do theater in a more positive light.
The TV show Glee follows several high school students in their school’s glee club. Although the members of the club each have unique backgrounds, the stereotype can clearly be seen through Rachel Berry, one of the main characters. Rachel has a very strong personality and is extremely competitive. For example, in Season 2, Rachel encourages one of her friends, Sunshine, to join the glee club. However, when Rachel realizes that Sunshine may be a better singer than her, she sabotages the audition by giving Sunshine the wrong location. Acts like this portray those in theater as obsessive and competitive. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, the actress that plays Rachel, Lea Michele, even stated, “Rachel will never be popular because her looks aren’t considered beautiful.” Michele played her role with the expectation that Rachel was just another unpopular theater kid, which demonstrates how the media reinforces this stereotype. Additionally, Rachel was raised by a gay couple who encouraged her to pursue theater and singing. Another character, Kurt Hummel, is openly gay and is known by others for the way he dresses. This further perpetuates the stereotype that many in theater are a part of the LGBTQ+ community.
However, in HSMTMTS, the students in theater are popular and well-liked. They aren’t bullied like the characters in Glee, and it is a very open community of people with all kinds of interests. For example, one of the main characters Ricky is a very down-to-earth boy who likes to skateboard. When he auditions for the school’s musical, he is not worried about what other people will think of him, and he is never bullied for it. In this case, TV shows are actively breaking down the negative stereotypes associated with theater kids. This demonstrates how even though the media is often criticized for perpetuating stereotypes, it has the potential to dismantle them as well.
The portrayal of theater kids on TV shows caused Haha and many others to be embarrassed of their passions. Although this didn’t stop Haha from pursuing theater, she admitted that she was reluctant to tell others about it: “Whenever people ask me what I do, I usually am not the most honest about what I do… there’s this stigma surrounding it that it’s embarrassing.” For others, the stereotype may prevent them from ever trying theater. While many view stereotypes as harmless, they have deeper consequences in that they push people away from discovering their own passions and identity.
Next: Part 3: Myself and the Indian Stereotype
Works Cited
Glee. Created by Ryan Murphy, et al., Fox, 2010.
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Created by Tim Federle, Disney+, 2019.
Martin, Denise. “Lea Michele’s ‘Glee’-Ful Awakening.” Los Angeles Times, California Times, 2 Dec. 2009, www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-en-lea-michele2-2009dec02-story.html.