Week eight: stereotype and the ethics of representation Stuck Rubber Baby by Howard Cruse In terms of storytelling, I find some stereotypes unnecessary, especially if they are just being used to try to be offensive. I do think, however, that stereotypes can be used in a tasteful way in order to tell a story. This is the case with either fiction or non fiction. It can also be in works that are categorized somewhere in between, such as Howard Cruse's "Stuck Rubber Baby". The American cartoonist wrote this graphic novel in 1995 and drew inspiration from his experiences of growing up in Alabama. In this graphic novel, the main protagonist, named Toland Polk, is a gay white male who lives in the American South in the 1950's and 60's. Toland becomes heavily involved with the black community and the civil rights movement of the time. Unlike his white community, the black community seems to accept him more for who he is and his morals. The novel deals with realit