LABELS ARE FOR JARS

"Hey, look. That girl's wearing a choker; she must be easy," croons 19 year old Bokri, a student of a reputed school. Yes, you read that right. It's not just guys anymore, even educated girls like Bokri assume with sheer confidence that all girls wearing chokers are "easy". When asked why she feels this way, she ponders for a good few seconds, shakes her head sideways, and finally replies "Just cause", with a blank look on her face. Stereotyping is ingrained in our very being, even if it means forming an utterly false impression of someone at first glance. Admit it, we've all judged others at some point. But some stereotypes are so bewilderingly ridiculous that you can't help but facepalm vehemently.

Calling all small-eyed people "Chinese": If I had a taka for every time I've been called "Chinese"… I'd still be broke but that's not the point. Why not Japanese, or Korean, or Malaysian? Heck, you could even call me a K-Pop star if you're going to randomly assume my identity based on my eye size. Sometimes, when I give these idiots the disappointing answer of not being of Chinese descent, they go on to ask the whereabouts of my "desher bari". When I hesitantly say Chittagong, they burst out with an "Aha, I knew it! Your parents must be from the Hill Tracts," with this smug, complacent grin on their faces. These remarks say more about them than my small eyes.

A girl's morals are loose if they do these: Wearing lots of makeup, wearing jeans, wearing shirts, wearing skirts, wearing hair down etc etc etc. You can't win at this. 

You're skinny, so you must be dieting all day:  For the millionth time, IT'S JUST FAST METABOLISM. I do eat all day. And no, I'm not judging you; not for being fat any way. 

Any and all regional stereotypes:  Apparently, women whose desher bari is Comilla are kutni and so on. Remember how your parents' noses wrinkle every time you mention Noakhali or Barisal (unless they are from those districts, of course)? Yeah, that.