New Post
Search
Help
ArchivesMy column on Bertha
Here is the link to today's column:
https://omaha.com/life-entertainment/local/cleveland-evans-german-nickname-sends-bertha-on-downward-trajectory/article_013200fa-6dfb-11ee-a97a-cbd1d06c6e93.html
They edited out the following paragraph:
In 2014 Princeton University psychologists found people generally thought hurricanes with male names would be larger and more destructive than those with female names. However, they tested five each female and male names – and though four female names (Dolly, Fay, Hanna, and Laura) were the “weakest” of the ten, “Bertha” was second “strongest,” more feared than Arthur, Cristobal, Kyle, or Marco, and only slightly less scary than Omar.
When that study first came out it was widely reported in the media, but only the general finding that male names were considered more dangerous than female names on average was discussed. I have always thought that looking at the full research report shows how very specific stereotypes can develop around specific names because of how Bertha was perceived as more "dangerous" than other female or even most other male names. The study accidentally gave evidence for Bertha's stereotype, which has been just about the strongest one for any single name in the USA. So if "The Gilded Age" is giving Bertha a new stereotype, that really will be remarkable.
https://omaha.com/life-entertainment/local/cleveland-evans-german-nickname-sends-bertha-on-downward-trajectory/article_013200fa-6dfb-11ee-a97a-cbd1d06c6e93.html
They edited out the following paragraph:
In 2014 Princeton University psychologists found people generally thought hurricanes with male names would be larger and more destructive than those with female names. However, they tested five each female and male names – and though four female names (Dolly, Fay, Hanna, and Laura) were the “weakest” of the ten, “Bertha” was second “strongest,” more feared than Arthur, Cristobal, Kyle, or Marco, and only slightly less scary than Omar.
When that study first came out it was widely reported in the media, but only the general finding that male names were considered more dangerous than female names on average was discussed. I have always thought that looking at the full research report shows how very specific stereotypes can develop around specific names because of how Bertha was perceived as more "dangerous" than other female or even most other male names. The study accidentally gave evidence for Bertha's stereotype, which has been just about the strongest one for any single name in the USA. So if "The Gilded Age" is giving Bertha a new stereotype, that really will be remarkable.
4