Blonde over blues

Written by Lacey Henry
Thursday, 19 November 2009 00:00

Question: Why was the blonde staring at the orange juice container?

Answer: Because it said concentrate.

Q: Why did 17 blondes go to the movie theater? A: Because the sign said “Under 17 not admitted.”

Q: What do you call three blondes in a freezer? A: Frosted flakes.

Do these sound familiar? Probably. At one point or another I’m sure we’ve all heard or told the ever famous “dumb blonde” jokes. Bimbo, flaky, ditzy, for as long as I can remember, the term blonde has always been referred to in a negative conotation. Somehow blondes have become the ultimate target for the stereotype “dumb.”

Now, I’m not going to lie. Sometimes it’s nice to have the old “I’m having a blonde moment” excuse ready when somehow my mouth says something my mind hasn’t registered yet. Most dumb blonde jokes, in fact, are quite witty and clever, not that this takes away the derogatory meaning. Believe me, I’m not saying that blondes are the most intelligent members of the human race either. In fact, too much evidence points otherwise. To make matters worse the media does absolutely zilch to help this image. All it took was a simple blurt of “Is this chicken? I mean I know it’s tuna, but it says Chicken of the Sea,” and Jessica Simpson became the epitome of a dumb blonde. So truth be told, I can see where the jokes come from.

What aggrivates me is the fact that blondes are automatically all lumped together in this stereotypical pool that’s designated as “dumb.” Whenever a blonde walks into a room, it seems as if her IQ immediately drops to zero just because of her hair color. Some of the most influential women in the world have been blonde. To name a few, just google Princess Diana or Hillary Clinton.

While you’re doing that I, meanwhile, would like to fight for the fact that being a blonde is entirely different than having blonde hair. I see no reason why the fact that I sometimes use John Freida Sheer Blonde Shampoo should put me any lower on the intelligence scale. I mean, blondes must be doing something right. Take a look at Barbie. She earns about $1 billion a year. Now, tell me, how many brunettes can say that?

It’s funny, though, despite all the ridicule, let’s not forget that blonde still remains the No. 1 hair dye color. But let me take this chance to tell you that if you plan on becoming a blonde, beware. It’s not something for the faint of heart. Facing day-to-day discrimination is no easy feat.

So next time you see a blonde, I hope you take a moment to hear what she has to say before dismissing her as an airhead. Just remember, blondes have more fun.

Lacey Henry of Greenwich is a junior from Convent of the Sacred Heart.