My Ethnicity professor in college told class one time that of course stereotyping individuals is wrong and unfair to them but that they help us make sense of the world. We have to generalize from the mass to the individual because we can't get to know every single person we see. We don't choose a particular group and apply a random stereotype--"I saw an Orthodox Jew and immediately crossed the street to avoid a mugging." DOESN'T WORK. So, of course, not every Black person in America is a Democrat, but cops use "Democrat" as code for Black people. That is, stereotypes gain currency because they ring true in other peoples' experience. 

Now if I saw Renee White, appears to be slightly cross-eyed, gray hair incompletely dyed blonde, dated hair style, on the street, minus her "Mean Tweets 2024" tee shirt, I would pass her by without noticing her. Too common: middle-aged, white woman. I would have no stereotype in mind. If, however, I was prompted to a game of stereotype-the-person, and was shown just the photo above, again not knowing what her shirt says, and asked to stereotype her demographics and politics, I would venture, "rural or small town", "Christian," "high school grad", "waitress at family restaurant" or "cashier at five and dime", "racist," maybe "domestic abuse victim," "MAGA white trash." Wouldn't you? "NO! You are CRUEL and disparaging and stereotyping. For SHAME, Ben. Why, I looked at her picture and thought she was probably a multi-lingual Ivy League professor and immigrant rights activist from Manhattan." You see what I mean? It's like the Orthodox Jewish street criminal. Doesn't work. There is NO ONE in America who would stereotype that on White. NO ONE. You give me an affidavit from ONE PERSON in this country who looked at that pic and immediately thought Ivy League prof, liberal champion from Manhattan...and I'll have your affiant charged with perjury. Playing stereotype-the-person is not a game and it's not funny, it's wrong. We don't play that game but we do stereotype consciously and subconsciously because there is some truth in stereotypes. They help us make sense of the world.