What Do Mormons Look Like?

There is an interesting Op/Ed piece in today's Salt Lake Tribune proclaiming that the church members portrayed in the new "I'm a Mormon" video ads are somehow "too cool" to actually be members of the church, and don't reflect the reality of "real Mormons"  whom the author states are rather bland and boring. Some of these ads show members of the church who are British rock stars and Olympians and fashion designers but many of them are accountants or writers or college students, etc.  Ironically, just yesterday, on a walk with a friend, a similar idea came up when we were discussing someone's comment in a class that grinding our own wheat and baking our own bread is just what Mormons do.  Applying my favorite questions,  I asked myself first..."Is this true?"  Is bread baking actually necessary for exaltation? Are Mormons all boring? Ummm...I think not.  Granted, I do, in fact, own a bread machine, mostly so that I can make yummy whole grain options for much less than the stores charge.  But I don't believe it is a prerequisite for the Celestial Kingdom.  Now, I'm certainly not trying to ruffle any feathers here, ...but I think the stereotypes about what Mormons look and act like stem mostly from...well, Mormons...specifically Mormons from Utah, or Arizona, or California, places where the church has been since Pioneer times.  Maybe they still associate church with shredded carrots in jello, or big hair or matching floral print dresses because that's the custom or culture they are used to.  But it isn't doctrinal as best I can tell.  The church is now truly a world wide organization, with members in every corner of the globe.  Many I bet have never even heard of jello.  I just can't imagine that one of my sisters in the gospel who happens to live in the Pacific Islands or the Ukraine, or Africa or even Texas for that matter,  has to toss out all of her beautiful traditional customs, foods, clothes, etc. to try to appear "more Mormon".  Or that the Spirit can't possibly whisper the truthfulness of the Gospel to someone with a nontraditional job or hobby or appearance.  But I do think that there are some long time members who might need to wake up and smell the root beer and realize that a testimony of Jesus Christ and His restored gospel is available to anyone, with any job, or personality or even hair cut who asks God the simple question "is it true?"