Saturday, June 6, 2020

Blondes vs. Brunettes: Stereotype or Reality?

For decades it's been a matter of speculation…possibly even for centuries: blondes have more fun but brunettes are smarter.

Is there any truth to that stereotype? The one that claims blondes are dumb as far as intellect is concerned but have that innate ability to manipulate men with their sex appeal? The one that claims brunettes are by far the more intelligent and capable but lose out in the sex symbol department?

Even Hollywood has played into the hands of the stereotype, by making changes in the image they present to the movie going public. In the days of the silent movie, blonde Mary Pickford was the sweet and virginal heroine while brunette Theda Bara was the bad girl sex symbol whose screen persona was the vamp who stole boyfriends and wrecked marriages.

Then in the 1930s the show biz image changed. The blonde became the home wrecking hussy, the gold digging sex symbol while the brunette was either the dutiful wife, the hometown girl next door girlfriend, or the uncommon situation of the intelligent woman who stepped out of the housewife mold and pursued a career in the business world as a single woman.

Most of the big screen sex symbols were blondes, a few natural and most from the beauty salon. There were a few brunette sex symbols and the occasional redhead such as Rita Hayworth. Probably the most famous of all time is the iconic Marilyn Monroe whose name became synonymous with sex symbol. Marilyn co-starred with a brunette sex symbol of the time, Jane Russell, in the ultimate blonde vs. brunette movie—the 1953 release of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

But do gentlemen really prefer blondes? Results from a study conducted by the University of Westminster in the U.K. and the Scandanavian Journal of Psychology show something quite different. Their study shows that men actually prefer brunettes. The study was conducted with a woman going to three different nightclubs as a brunette, a blonde, and a redhead to see how many men approached her. She was approached most as a blonde, second as a brunette and least as a redhead. That would seem to prove the gentlemen preferring blondes theory.

However, follow-up with the men in the same three nightclubs showed that the men found her most appealing overall as a brunette. They said she came across most attractive, intelligent, approachable and dependable as a brunette, more temperamental as a redhead, and needy as a blonde. Previous studies had upheld the stereotype by showing that men prefer blondes.

Interestingly, women of all hair colors prefer men with dark hair…another stereotype of heroic tall, dark, and handsome. And apparently that choice applies to female lions as well. Male lions with dark manes are more likely to be pride leaders.

In a different study in 2011 in the U.K., 2000 men were surveyed and blondes were selected as the preference. Then when the same study was conducted in France, U.S., Spain, Italy, and Brazil, the preferred hair color was dark. Psychologists say that women who are not natural blondes usually go blonde because thy want to stand out. Since only about 10% of the population are natural blondes, this tactic works.

Hmmm…I guess those psychologists forgot about the mature women who go blonde because it softens their facial features, i.e. makes the wrinkles not as noticeable while not being that mature gray color.

However, old stereotypes die hard. With the current state of the economy, society has observed more blonde women dying their hair dark in order to be perceived as more professional in the work place and thus less likely to be laid off.

And an even more current fact, due to the coronavirus pandemic, with states initiating stay-at-home orders or the more severe lock down situation, beauty salons across the country have been mostly closed. That has made for a varied across-the-board hair color problem.

Interesting Fact:  Natural blondes have significantly more hair than brunettes. Evolutionary science tells us that hair evolved in part to protect our scalp from the sun's rays. With less pigmentation than brunettes, blondes developed more hair to achieve that protective barrier.

16 comments:

JENNIFER WILCK said...

I'd heard about a lot of those stereotypes and the studies are so interesting! I never knew most blonds have more hair, though. Great blog post.

CB Clark said...

Very interesting Post! As a natural blonde, I'm not sure what to think about all the studies. Must say I haven't noticed an inordinate amount of male attention during my life. And...I hate dumb blonde jokes!

D. V. STONE said...

I've been coloring my hair since I was 17 and prematurely grey, running the gamet of blonde to black. My hubby likes when I'm red. Today I went reddish brown 🤪

Nightingale said...

I'd like to go on record that I prefer blond men over tall, dark and handsome, especially if the blond man has long hair, then I'm a goner. DV, I like reddish brown and have been thinking of going that route myself,

Ilona Fridl said...

Interesting study. I was a natural blonde, but now that gold is silver. I think personality counts as well.

RW Richard said...

Thanks so much, you are an amazing researcher. Would you say that blonde skin is more delicate and prone to sun damage??
A joke: I asked my Filipina wife to go blonde for me. We laughed. Take a look at Norma Jean's modeling photos, her hair is brown and she's as beautiful that way as when she went blonde. Personally, my favorite woman from that era was Audrey Hepburn.

Janice Seagraves said...

I'm a natural brunet and went red for about twenty years then went blond last year to get ready to let my hair go gray. It took months to rid of all that pigment, and when I was finally a light bleach-blond my hubby let me know he likes my hair blond.

Janice~

Fiona McGier said...

When I was young and in college, my pick-up line in bars was "Gentlemen prefer blondes, marry brunettes, and mess around with redheads." Which is why I dyed my hair red for many years, though it was naturally brown with natural red highlights. It made the guys laugh. Especially when I followed that up with, "I'm making it clear which kind of relationship I'm interested in."

In later years, when I stopped dying my hair, I said it was because I realized that there were so few "gentlemen" around, that it didn't matter.

Husband used to love my "chestnut brown mane." Now he calls me his "silver fox." Bless him.

Shawna Delacorte said...

Jennifer: Blondes having more hair came as a surprise to me, too.

Thanks for your comment.

Shawna Delacorte said...

CB: Yes, dumb blond jokes are ridiculous. I think one of the great moments in discrediting dumb blond jokes was with the 1970s tv series WKRP In Cincinnati when the blond bombshell, Jennifer (Loni Anderson), was the smartest character on the show.

Thanks for your comment.

Shawna Delacorte said...

DV: Me, too, on the prematurely gray. I had brown hair and frosted it with blonde streaks. Then one day (in my late 20s) I realized I had as much natural gray as the blonde I was paying to have done. So I let it go natural and for years I was silver (my promo picture here). Then I decided to go auburn with blond streaks which is where I am now (or will be when I can get back into the salon).

Thanks for your comment.

Shawna Delacorte said...

Nightingale: I prefer tall blond men, too. However, now my male peer group is gray. :)

Thanks for your comment.

Shawna Delacorte said...

Ilona: Personality definitely counts. Besides, after a certain age anyone who doesn't have gray hair is obviously coloring it. :)

Thanks for your comment.

Shawna Delacorte said...

RW: I always liked Audrey Hepburn...a very classy lady.

Thanks for your comment.

Shawna Delacorte said...

Janice: Whether blonde or gray, when one becomes more 'mature' that lighter color softens the 'mature' features. :)

Thanks for your comment.

Shawna Delacorte said...

Fiona: Great husband...whatever the hair color or transition, he love it. :)

Thanks for your comment.