You judge people.

You know you do. In the next three minutes, you will judge what I write in this column. You might judge my character based upon my opinion. You might not. Either way, you are passing judgment.

We all judge each other, all the time.

Shows like "The Real World" have taught us to lump ourselves into categories. Are you a socially awkward nerd or a liquor-loving blonde bombshell of a party girl?  

When we watch these shows, we are casting ourselves and those we meet into strict profiles which are not always flattering or fair.

One specific cookie-cutter role which has flounced its way into our society is that of the homosexual male.

The way in which movies and TV shows portray gay people is sometimes crafted in such a way as to use their sexuality as their only defining characteristic.  

Take for instance, the recently released movie "Sex and the City 2." The film depicts the same-sex wedding of characters Stanford Blatch and Anthony Marentino. Rather than furthering the plot of the movie, the wedding serves as a three-ring circus with such acts as a sequin-clad Liza Minelli. It is entertainment, and at the expense of a large part of our population.

The media's effect on us is terrifyingly underrated. We can acknowledge its presence, but it is almost impossible to gauge the extent to which it influences our perceptions. It is because of this that inaccurate generalizations are so dangerous.

It is not always easy for us to decipher the profound effect that constantly seeing these generalizations has, but by continuing to indulge in media that wrongly depicts people, we are only perpetuating the cycle.

I find it strange that movies that supposedly portray real life would write characters solely based on their sexuality.

I can't think of a single person I know whose personality is purely based on stereotypes of his or her sexual preference.

In some cases, the characters do not have to be present to be mocked. For instance, characters in the movie "Mean Girls" make numerous gay slurs, including a homeschooled child claiming, "God created the Remington bolt-action rifle, so that man could fight the dinosaurs. And the homosexuals." Later on a pink-polo owning high school boy is accused of being "too gay to function." I saw "Mean Girls" in the theater. The crowd was LOLZing like it was "The Hangover."

This is not to say that every movie with gay characters exploits them. For instance, movies like "Brokeback Mountain" use gay characters to recount a rarely discussed part of American history. The sexuality of the two men was not present merely for the sake of comedic effect.

These discriminatory characterizations will probably never go away; as long as people keep laughing, they will continue to be written into films.

While I don't expect movie audiences to boycott theaters, I think it is vital that we not allow these stereotypes to be repeated in our own lives.

There is a separation between the movies and our day to day existence, and we should take caution not to tread that fine line.