There’s been a lot of outcry over the “Shit ___ Say” franchise. Call me crazy, but I actually think these videos are great for gender and race relations and people in general.

The whole gag started with the “Shit Girls Say” series (Episode 1 is above), which has since spawned all kinds of offshoots — “Shit Guys Say,” Shit Asian Girls Say, “Shit Black Girls Say,” “Shit Gay Guys Say,” “Shit Girls Say to Lesbians,” “Shit White Girls Say To Black Girls,” “Shit Drunk Girls Say,” “Shit Southern Gay Guys Say,” “Shit Vegans Say,” and on and on and on.

Yes, the videos are over-the-top and stereotypical, but I don’t actually think they’re mean-spirited. We like these videos because we see ourselves in them, and because they give us an opportunity to laugh together at our own silliness. Humans are tribal. We self-identify into all sorts of tribes by age, by gender, by sexual orientation, by job and by any number of other attributes. And, we all say and do dumb things that may be perceived as socially acceptable dumb things, based on our various identities. I think the “Shit ___ Say” videos give us a chance to examine our own stereotypical words and actions and appreciate the absurdity in them.

I don’t think of myself as a stereotypical girl, but when I rewatched the “Shit Girls Say” videos today, it reminded me not to be so hard on myself about my body. It also reminded me that I talk over people sometimes, and that I really do ask people to do a lot of little tasks for me. As so many strive for uniqueness above all else, it’s nice to laugh at our commonalities for a change, even if those commonalities are our silly stereotypical behaviors.