Do Blondes Have More Fun?

Essay by EssaySwap ContributorHigh School, 12th grade February 2008

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DO BLONDES HAVE MORE FUN? Riddle me this, Batman: what do Marilyn Monroe, Barbie, and Pamela Anderson have in common? That's right, they're all blondes! One is an icon, the other a doll, and the third a Playboy bunny and object of desire for many men. Once brunettes, they all gave up their dark locks to jump onto the bleach blonde bandwagon. But what does it all mean? Why are so many people tempted to go canary? Going blonde certainly has its motivations. Lightening one's hair makes them appear somewhat brighter and more inviting. Platinum blonde also screams "LOOK AT ME!" It is hard to miss someone when her hair is bright enough to give the sun a run for its money.

Would Marilyn Monroe have become so popular had it not been for her attention grabbing highlighter 'do? Of course not, because "gentlemen prefer blondes." Peroxide fans seem to be attracted to the glamour factor their shade brings.

The majority of Hollywood actresses are blondes. As Sophisticate's Hairstyle Guide recently stated, women who go blonde see it as an increase of their attractiveness and expect to enjoy themselves more with their new hue. On a more psychological note, the magic of blonde is not so much in the hue itself as the newfound confidence it brings out in the wearer. Denise, and eighteen year old waitress says about her blonde locks: "Wherever I go, guys' heads turn. My hair is my ticket to picking up extra tips and dates." On the flip side, there's also no shortage of "dumb blonde" jokes. There is the common perception that if you're pretty and blonde, you don't really have to use your mind. Think of Barbie, the epitome of sun-washed California perfection. Now picture her racing down the highway in her pink convertible, with her long blond hair waving in the wind. It would just not be the same if she were a brunette. Brunettes tend to convey the vibe of seriousness, of someone grounded that you can depend on. On the other hand, blondes are seen as rather flighty, flaky (hence the dumb-blonde cracks) and somewhat 'light'. The bleach-blond hair craze might just be about fun. After all, everyone has heard the maxim--blondes have more fun.

Just why do blondes have more fun? Let's face it, being blonde is like a magnet. Natural blondes are considered extremely desirable. Relationship therapist Sharyn Hillyer says: "Just the idea that they are blonde makes you see them as prettier than they may actually be." The same cannot be said for peroxide blondes, who border on trashy, especially if blonde is not your colour. After all, hair is a frame for your face, and you do not want to look like a giant highlighter marker. Being blonde is synonymous with glam rock. We've got divas like Courtney Love, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Madonna, Lil' Kim and Mariah Carey to prove it. They've got the money, success, and fame, all ingredients of a fun existence. Celebrity blondes are also splattered all over the pages of gossip papers like the National Enquirer and Star, for their latest scandalous feat. An article accused Heather Locklear for causing a nasty car accident when a young male driver spotted the leggy blonde actress come out of a trendy NYC joint. To further spice it up, the actress reportedly whipped out her lipstick and signed the smashed up hood of her admirer's car. Blonde girls seem to get the most heat for being home-wreckers, wild party-girls, and temptresses.

The temptation of blonde dates as far back as the mother of all mothers, Eve. The mythological figure is depicted as a blonde in most Biblical and modern day illustrations of the world's first family. As the story goes, Eve tempted Adam to take a bite of the forbidden fruit, which got them forever banished from the Garden of Eden. Perhaps, her hair colour had something to do with the incident! Would Eve have taken the forbidden fruit if she had been a sensible brunette? Could be, because the dippy blonde stereotype is most likely the creation of a jealous homo-sapiens brunetteus who thought that blondes had more fun, so therefore wanted to lower their credibility in some way by hitting the dye bottle and projecting the brainless bimbo image on page three of the Sunday Sun and the glossy covers of Playboy, accompanied with chipmunk talk in highly squeaky manner. But then again, my theory could be a little off.

A 1991 study found that while only sixteen percent of American girls are natural blondes, a whopping eighty percent of American boys prefer them to brunettes or redheads. So do parents - ads for egg donors offer bonuses for blondes, and sperm banks in Denmark are extremely successful, thanks in part to demand for the country's natural blond donors. At clubs, the blonde is more likely to get picked up than an equally attractive brunette. In the office, it is the blonde who gets to have an affair with the boss. On Mister Poll, 57% of the people questioned believe that blondes do indeed have more fun and 43% have dyed their hair blond. Therefore, by popular opinion, blondes do have more fun. But not necessarily natural blondes. The 'fun' blondes are mostly brunettes who bleach their hair and get their kicks fronting the stereotypical blonde personality. So all of you dark-tressed mavens, when you see a blonde, think twice before spewing 'dumb blonde' venom. You just might be insulting your own kind!