Final answer:
Negative ideas about Neanderthals in popular culture have been shaped by entertainment media, outdated anthropological research influenced by social evolutionary theories, and Eurocentric academic biases. These stereotypes have been further entrenched by theories about the competitive exclusion of Neanderthals by Homo sapiens. Recent evidence challenging these notions is gradually shifting the narrative, but old myths persist.
Step-by-step explanation:
Why have negative ideas about Neandertals permeated popular culture? This is a question that intersects history, anthropology, and social studies. There are several reasons for the persistence of negative stereotypes about Neanderthals in popular culture.
Firstly, media representations often prioritize entertainment over scientific accuracy, leading to the portrayal of Neanderthals as brutish and uncivilized. Early anthropological research influenced by social evolutionary theories has also played a role, with scholars incorrectly depicting native peoples and by extension Neanderthals as lazy, unintelligent, and unable to adapt to a 'civilized' culture. Such stereotypes were further reinforced by Eurocentric perspectives in academia, where naturalism was associated with advancement and abstraction with primitivism.
Furthermore, the competitive exclusion theories that suggest Neanderthals were outcompeted by Homo sapiens, either through direct conflict or through resource competition, suggest a lack of adaptability on the part of Neanderthals. This, coupled with the idea that Neanderthals lived in small, isolated groups with low genetic diversity, paints a picture of a species less capable than modern humans.
While recent research has begun to challenge and dismantle these stereotypes by demonstrating Neanderthal creativity, symbolism, and tool-making abilities, changing public perception is a slow process, and many old myths linger in popular culture.