Well the good thing is that we are still in the clear when it comes to the average ajanabi. They don't have a particular negative perception of us men from experience . The average Ajnabi will treat you under the umbrella of ''Black'' which is linked to African American appeal/stereotypes ''Good'' or ''Bad''. Because usually they don't know much about us or anything about us at all, due to our lack of notoriety.It’s worrisome. Think about it. If Asian males who control trillion dollar economics, have powerful militaries, have rich history with an incredible culture fall victim to the demonization of Western media what hope do hapless Somalis have.Oxidant what do you think about the misrepresentation of Somali men in the media? We need to change our image and perception.
But there are ways.
Defeat the stereotypes. Obviously, you cannot make your bones thicker, but make sure your children don’t suffer the same faith and nephews. Get muscular, not big, but lean rock solid muscles, ensure hairline stays on point and hair thickness remains till 60(Diets, Hair Oils, Semen retention, cold showers, HIIT, cardio), and show the next young generation Somali males (women) the way.
Somali social media and media in general should only SHOW the best of Somalis. Tall, Lean, Muscular, Prefect hairline, white straight teeth, clear dark/brown skin and so. People are judged on their celebrities not general population. Media manipulation is a must. A Somali male/female Instagram page showing the best of both sexes in their natural state and so on. Simple things can change and shape minds,
So i wouldn't stoop low and compare us to Asian males in terms of demonization. Cuz the demonized view or stereotypes ajanabis pick up is not gender/racial based but more or less generalized perception about Somalis collectively and its linked more or less to our dire social, economic and political conditions.
I have yet to see a Somali male face prejudice from the opposite foreign sex just because he is a ''Somali male''. Now, i do think in the long run it will become a bigger problem and much more widespread if our image is not corrected. Because Mass media in general has been very derogatory of Somalis and especially us men who are portrayed negatively and scapegoated for every ill due to feminism.
African Americans/Jareers on the other hand tend to not suffer from the same level of stigmatization due to their high occupation in the entertainment industry and overall widespread media representation and their domination in athletics.
Now the biggest problem here of course is the effect this have on the psyche of Somalis most notably Somali youth. These negative images are internalized and reflected back like a dirty mirror on how Somali view and chose to project themselves.
The image correction has to go further than instagram, what type of perception does a social media page filled with random faces shape, especially when they are not linked to any notable names. Again they are not celebrities. For that we need to fix our social economic political status(Somalia), create media stations,cinema, pop culture. In other words create our own entertainment industry, which creates names that will reinforce prestige and appeal. Then people will use those celebrities to judge the general population on like you said.
We also need to project our own character and personality, rather than copying AA's or Arabs, since we end up being and treated like bootlegs versions of them. Why be a bootleg AA or An Arab , when you can be an original unique Somali? Why would a female who is a attracted to that stuff go for a bootleg and not the real deal? You will also feel inadequacy trying to fit yourself into a mold you don't belong in and lose your own sense of self. Why be second class citizen in somebody elses world when you can be a first class citizen in your own world.
