9GAG Posts: Romanian Starter Pack
Image Source: http://9gag.com/gag/aVPAj2K/romanian-starter-pack
Image Description
The image entitled "Romanian starter pack" includes the picture of a man with a crew cut, surrounded by different objects, such as a Puma tracksuit, a pair of Puma sport shoes, a pair of plastic slippers, a pack of Marlboro cigarettes, a gold bracelet, a gold ring with gemstones, and a gold necklace with a cross. I should briefly mention that the "Starter Pack" posts are quite popular on 9GAG. They are meant to represent the "essence" of a certain people, or what represents them best. Basically, the idea is that if you want to look like a Romanian, you should wear all the things included in this picture. Typically, these types of posts are self-aware, in that the people who create them intentionally choose things that are stereotypical of a certain country and the people living there, and they know they are portraying stereotypes.
Image Analysis
Even though, as I've already mentioned, the image is consciously created so as to underline common stereotypes about Romania, I still think it's relevant in analyzing how Romanians are regarded by an American audience that perhaps has no other source of information about Romania than 9GAG. One of the first stereotypes that comes out of the "Romanian Starter Pack" post is the fact that Romanians like to wear thick and flashy gold jewelry, in an opulent display of wealth. At the same time though, Romanians dress quite poorly, being fans of tracksuits and sport shoes, even when the occasion would ask for a different attire. The crew cut haircut and the cigarettes point to the stereotype of "bad boy" or "cunning fellow", which is something that people associate with many Romanian men. Finally, it is worth mentioning that these stereotypes also point to Romania's Slavic influences. Not only Romanians are believed to be described by this picture, but all Slavic people. In fact, a comment on this photo reads, "they look more like Russians".
