While looking up some data for this post, I found a great site chock full of fun-facts-Neoteny.org. The site has a scientific theory to sell you, but his data is what really caught my attention.
Check this out:
Of the 50 subjects with learning disabilities, 10 (20%) were blond. In contrast, 121 of 1067 subjects without learning disabilities were blond (11%)... subjects with learning disabilities were nearly twice as likely to be blond compared with non-LD subjects.... These results raise the possibility that melanin may be involved both in the development of motor dominance and independently in the devilment of neural systems which, when maldeveloped, result in learning disabilities. (Schachter, Ransel & Geschwind (1987) Associations of Handedness with hair color and learning disabilities Neuropsychologia 25: pp. 275)
Not conclusive (the sample with learning disabilities is hell-of-small), but some more information which indicated that blondes had higher rates learning disabilities and were more likely to be left-handed was very interesting. I don't really know what to make of this. But food for thought (the idea that "blondes are dumb" might come from learning disabilities perhaps?).
Diane of Letter From Gotham (soon to be in new digs) took up the baton that I received from Cut on the Bias on the whole black-women-angry-at-white-women-for-stealing-their-men-schtick. Diane brought up the issue of "blondeism," the lower bar that fair-haired women have to jump in attractiveness (thanks for the correction Diane). The data is light on the ground and speculation rife in the air. So I'll pile on.
Blonde hair dye outsells other colors by five to one. Only a small minority of American women are natural blondes as adults, but look at Playboy or watch television and blondes are far more prominent. A roommate of mine back in college, who had a marketing minor, told me that blondes sell 5% more on a magazine cover, so they are more of a safe bet. Ancient Roman women wore blonde wigs. It seems that there is a natural preference for blondes. If it was cultural, one would find at least one European culture where there is a preference for dark hair among women, but I know of none (readers can correct me here). I think it is clear that there is sexual selection for blondism because it is a childish trait that accentuates a woman's youth (the one other region of the world where blondism is common, among the central Australian tribes, the trait is associated with women and children).
On the other hand, is the blonde preference cross-racial? Is it part of a "peacock" effect where humans have no natural speed limit but gorge their eyes on golden hair if possible? I am not so sure about this. I would like to see data on whether isolated tribal people prefer blondes to non-blondes. I read in Journal of Ethnic Studies years ago that though Asian people admired the light skin of Europeans, they were less impressed by blonde hair and blue eyes [1]. In fact, the people of east Asia often portrayed people with red hair and green eyes as witches and trolls (European hair is as red as Chinese skin is yellow remember). The Chinese did have some knowledge of people with European features, the barbarians of Eastern Turkestan were often portrayed as having Western features and red hair (some of them still do even after centuries of intermarriage with Mongoloid people from the north and east). My own personal experience from my cultural background (South Asian Muslim) is similar in that though the light skin of Europeans is admired, the blonde hair and blue eyes are considered less interesting. It seems to me that not having black hair is associated more with sickliness than anything else [2]. This implies that the peacock effect is not at play, that people tend to prefer those who are lighter than the mean of their population, but not as light as can be (makes sense, otherwise albinos would all be supermodels).
In the context of American culture this preference for blondes favors white women. Blacks and Asians who bleach their hair blonde look ridiculous. I know, I've done it twice (I did it for the ridiculousness of it, but don't plan on it anytime in the future). On the other hand, most whites can become bottle blondes and if it is done well can pass as one of the fair-haired elite (ever take a look at pictures of mouse-brown haired Norma Jean?).
When I was in 8th grade one of the classes I took was about social interaction and public issues. We split up into groups. I happened to have the token black girl at our school (her father was black, her mother white) in my group. There were about six groups, and only our group did not include "blonde" as a physical feature of the "perfect girl." I don't suspect this was a coincidence, because it is not a large leap in logic to conclude that because non-white women can never look naturally blonde they can never aspire toward physical perfection. And let's be honest, for young men physical perfection is the only type there is for women.
What can I say? Life sucks.
[1] The modern vogue in Japan for brown hair and eye surgery to mimic the Western look is very much going against historical norms. It is a classic case of cultural emulation. On the other hand, light skin has always been associated with beauty and class.
[2] My sister has very dark reddish-brown hair (obviously more brown than red). In a crowd of white people her hair looks basically black, but when set next to the blue-black hair of my brothers & I, the difference is instantly noticeable. My mother hoped it was a childhood related condition, but her hair color remains stubbornly "abnormal," despite all my mothers attempts to mitigate it with ointments (both my parents dye their grey hair black-I have mild premature greying and might have more showing now than my father).
Posted by razib at December 28, 2002 03:44 AM | TrackBack | Email this articleIn my experience, natural blondes quite shrewd. They understand the dumb, tittering, shallow personalities that high school boys like and play them to the hilt.
Posted by: duende at December 28, 2002 12:01 PMthat's just women. blondes just have more opportunity to play them....
Posted by: razib at December 28, 2002 12:27 PMOne little nit, Razib, blondeism isn't the actual "superiority of blondes" but the perceived greater attractiveness of blonde hair in women, which means that the bar is set higher for brunettes. (Think Zeta-Jones v. Zellweger.)
It's a nit, but to me, an important nit.
Curiously, this doesn't work with men, which fits in with the whole neoteny bit. Tall, dark & handsome is the ideal. (Think Viggo Mortensen...)
Posted by: Diana at December 28, 2002 02:34 PM1) i deserved that, after all my rambling about how people are *different* and not *superior* or *inferior* :)
2) the tall-dark-handsome thing is interesting, though i wonder at those who assert that indo-european gods tend to be "blonde-beasts." most women i know do tend to associate blonde men with an almost child-like beauty-and before the 19th century i have read that blonde males were stereotyped as feckless dreamers. would be nice to have more data on this (anyone know the hair color of the homeric heroes well? i believe achilles, odysseus and idomeneus are all described as "red-haired")
Posted by: razib at December 28, 2002 03:17 PM1) No prob. :)
2) Erm....I think I was talking about a preference for paedomorphic qualities in chix, and neoteny wasn't the issue here....gotta get my HBD terms straight.
Posted by: Diana at December 28, 2002 05:10 PMIn my observations, men from very white countries like dark women. I could be wrong, but there are many cases of German men who come here as tourists and get married to darker-than-average Brazilian women.
Maybe men value the rare, the novelty. I myself think that I'm more attracted to blondes when I am Brazil than in America, as though I adapted to the new proportions. Strange, eh?
Posted by: Gustavo Lacerda at December 29, 2002 07:58 PMWell, if you assume that blondes are, on a purely physical basis, considered more attractive than brunettes, it follows that blondes will also, on average, be dumber (assuming that brains actually give a woman a selective advantage in finding a mate.)
A slightly dumber blond will have a same chance of winning a mate as a slightly smarter brunette (assuming that the blonde hair gives her an advantage.) Thus, selective pressure will produce a lower mean intelligence for blonde women than for brunette women.
Obviously, this is grossly simplified, and you'd have to add in maternal affects and 2nd or third order inheritence issues (smarter women have smarter kids, which will in turn produce more grandchildren), but I'd say a simple minded sexual selection argument easily explains the dumb blonde stereotype.
Of course, this sort of easy just-so Ev. Psych. argument is immediately and rightly suspect, but I thought I'd at least throw it out there.
Posted by: Doug Turnbull at December 30, 2002 12:18 PMA minor point: If the pigment-deficient are more likely to be left-handed, it may be because we are less likely to punish a child for using its left hand.
Posted by: Anton Sherwood at December 30, 2002 02:08 PMDiana: "One little nit, Razib, blondeism isn't the actual "superiority of blondes" but the perceived greater attractiveness of blonde hair in women, which means that the bar is set higher for brunettes. (Think Zeta-Jones v. Zellweger.)"
This is so true.
Posted by: -R at December 30, 2002 05:17 PMWhy do fairer skinned girls have more fun, but women like their men tall, dark, and handsome? Anthropologist Peter Frost points out that sisters average about 10% fairer in skin color than their brothers. http://www.globetrotter.net/gt/usagers/pfrost/
That's why females are called "the fair sex."
We don't often consciously notice that sex difference in modern America because of the wide differences in skin color caused by America's racial diversity. Nonetheless, it's a common feeling around the world. It tends to lead to rich people becoming lighter skinned than poor people since rich men will marry fairer skinned girls and have fairer skinned sons who will continue the process.
Posted by: Steve Sailer at December 31, 2002 12:25 AMI can't quantify an Irish preference for dark hair among women but a common poetic name for Ireland is "An Róisín Dubh" - The Black Rose - a beatiful black haired woman. The "Cáilín Dubh" - black haired girl - is prominent in Irish literature as an object of desire. Yet, the Irish "Buachaillín Bán" - fair-haired boy implies a favorite son.
Posted by: Kevin Griffin at December 31, 2002 02:45 PMA male friend of mine from China tells me he doesn't like blondes and is somewhat perplexed by their poularity in America.
Posted by: duende at January 1, 2003 01:02 PMI've always assumed that light skin was preferred because in agricultural societies the peasants are working in the sun and the aristocrats are lounging in the shade. Affluence was pale. Only in the modern era are the affluent lying in the sun getting tanned while the poor labor inside under fluorescent lights.
Posted by: Joanne Jacobs at January 2, 2003 01:12 AMjoanne's idea is common, and i myself think it has some validity. what we should look at is do non-agricultural societies have the same preferences? the australian aborigines for instance consider blondeness a female trait, and rather attractive.
Posted by: razib at January 2, 2003 04:07 AMDoug, I think your analysis of the dumb blonde stereotype missing a crucial factor. If blonde women are more preferred as mates in a culture, it is likely that the more successful men in that culture will be successful in obtaining blonde wives. Seeing as more successful men are likely to be more intelligent and both blondeness and intelligence are inherited, blondeness (or actually any other preferred trait) would be a marker also for greater intelligence. Though, it can be a wash.
The fact that blondes may be more prone to learning disabilities does not mean that blondes without learning disabilities would be any less intelligent. If anything, the blonder nations of Europe - Sweden, The Netherlands, England, Germany, Austria, even Poland scored higher on IQ tests than the darker nations of southern Europe, Italy being the exception.
I would also like to comment on whether a preference for blondes is just a sexual selection or if it represents a natural selection. It strikes me that blondism is a marker for lighter skin which is better adapted to the colder northern climates. I think sexual selection anticipates natural selection and consequently serves as a form of breeding (hell, it could even be called intelligent design if ID has not come to mean something else.) But since natural selection only works on what's available, we have blonde Swedes and Finns and short, darker Lapps and Inuits. All populations show adaptions to colder climates, but each had different 'stuff' to work with and each culture would emphasize a different ideal that would be marginally better adapted to the environmental conditions.
Posted by: Steve at January 2, 2003 07:35 AMI, as a blonde student have always been reassured by fellow classmates and friends that I am the exception to the blonde stereotype. However, I have come to notice differences in the treatment of other individuals around me due to hair color. Observing male reactions to females with varying amounts of hair pigment, I have found that many males seem to strongly believe in the "ditzy blonde" label. I am pleasantly surprised and pleased to find that this message board exists, and that those participating in it seem to also be working to destroy the irrational stereotype of the unintelligent blonde.
Posted by: Lacey at January 30, 2003 01:19 PMI'm actually doing a journalism assignment on whether or not blondes actually have more fun. But before I do my research, I must define "Blondes" as well as "fun". When you hear the quote "blondes have more fun", what is your interpretation. Specifically, what does FUN mean to you?
Posted by: Jen at January 31, 2003 12:18 PMJen - blondes are girls with yellowish hair. I don't know where to stand on dirty blondes and "dyed blondes" though. I don't believe that blondes are dumb genetically, just like I don't believe that blacks are dumb genetically or that Poles don't have common sense. A more likely explanation is that blondes are expected to act dumb because of these stupid stereotypes and they do so because they think that's why guys find them so attractive. Maybe they think that if they guys like stupid girls because it's easier to get some "fun". Or maybe these blond girls become stupid because they spend all their time getting or looking for "fun" and they don't have any time to learn anything. Another explanation might be that all the stupid brunette girls who are seeking "fun" dye their hair blonde. Perhaps society keeps thinking that blondes are stupid because of the jealous brunettes who continue to keep this stereotype alive due to losing bfs to blondes. As a guy, I prefer blondes over brunettes and I'm pretty sure that most unbiased guys do also. Yellow is a feminine color, at least more than brown or black. In japanimation, the japanese use pink, light blue, purple, and yellow for hair color for their female japanese cartoon characters because these are "girly". Females that are attractive are the ones who look female. Hollywood is a prime example - the beautiful women celebrities - Uma Thurman, Sarah Gellar, Reese Witherspoon, Britney, Meg Ryan, Heather Graham, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Rachel Roberts in Simone, Courtney Thorne Smith, Heather Locklear, Heidi Klum, Natasha Kinski, Natasha Henstridge...need I go on? Now, let's look at the men. Nick Nolte? The most prominent blonde angel is brad pitt, but it seems he's starting to lose that title as evidenced in Ocean Eleven. Ryan Phillipe dyed his hair to brown. Maybe that guy in the Fast and the Furious. Most male celebrities have dark hair, rather than yellow hair. When i picture a masculine male, he doesn't have yellow hair. As for skin color, I think the male should always be darker than the female. The reason - i don't quite know - maybe the fairer the skin, the more feminine because women are more likely to be indoors than men. A quick example - ebony and ivory. White guys are never with a black girl, but it may be possible for a black guy to be with a white girl. And the black girls that white guys even remotely like usually have white blood - Halle Berry, Vanessa Williams, tyra (?, not sure). As for eye color, I've been debating with myself which is better light colored eyes or dark colored eyes. The answer is now very obvious. It's harder to see the pupil in darker eyes than lighter eyes. For example, I notice in african americans that they have such black eyes that I can't see their pupil because it has blended - I just see the reflection of light. But when I see blue eyes or green eyes, the puil can be seen easily - the eyes may be the windows to the soul; but the pupils are the glass of the windows. Therefore, I'm going to marry an Aryan girl :) If anyone wants to debate, then this law student would be much obliged.
Posted by: Seifer at February 3, 2003 10:48 PMPerosnally, being blonde doesn't mean being stupid. I certainly can not figure out why blondes are considered stupid, or why female blondes are considered stupid and most male blondes arn't. I do believe that yes we do act on occasion to the cercumstance that leads to acting a tad ditsy, but I can think of plenty brunettes and red-heads who also have the same agenda. Not to mention I think dying your hair blonde is abosolutely idiotic, I mean think about it making yourself the object of redicule not that my friend is stupid. Recently reading 220 blonde jokes referring to blondes as easy, well we are easy...but so is everyone else who wants to be easy. I read an article that made perfect sense by stating that,"Blondes have more confidence, therefore leading them to experience more erotic, and exotic pleasures of the world, not just referring to as being easy."Blondes are just as smart as any brunette or red-head.
Posted by: Martika at March 16, 2003 06:12 PMOh, and to add to that I did misspell a few words...I was in a hurry to catch my next class when I found the forum posted on the message board outside the dorms.
Posted by: Martika at March 16, 2003 06:17 PMHere's the thing.
Non-blondes are calling the blondes attractive, stupid, having to use looks to get around life, etc...... While the blondes are saying they're jealous cause they've got all the guys swooping around them, etc............
For both sides it is true.
Most non-blondes are just sick of the stuck-up personailties of blonde people who think they're better than everyone else, while others are actually jealous. I'm not saying all blondes are stuck up attention seekers. But most of them are and even if they don't admit it and go on the other side claiming that they're the ones being wrongly bullied for just being blonde while it's their fault in the first place.
I've only ever known one natural blonde in my life who doesn't flirt with boys or dyed her hair to attract attention. She's a great person and everyone loves her for just being who she is and no one teases her about being blonde. While many other blondes are being bullied. Why? She's just herself and doesn't care if she's attractive or not. She's proud of her natural hair colour and you should be too!
People who truely love and care for you in life will judge you by your heart not with your looks. People who like others by looks or popularity will start lying to themselves saying he/she's fun, kind and caring etc.... are only creating illusions for themselves becasue they just want the person to be that way and so believe in it. While the other person will start moulding into the kind of person they think their other person would want them to be, so they won't lose them. (I had a friend who always whore white socks to school but them started wearing black saying her boyfriend thinks they're more sexier)This is an example of it.
I would rather get with a person who loved me just for being myself than live a lie and have to do this and that to keep and please them.
Posted by: Commenter at March 20, 2003 03:22 AMI'm NATURALLY blond and i'm African American and i think its ignorant to say blacks will always look unatural being blond. I think Beyonce Knowleses and Mariahs blond looks much more natural than Christina Aguilera's any day. We dont complain about other races tanning,wearing braids,singing black music etc, but now we "look look rediculous in blond hair"?
In my opinion regardless of your race,black,white,asian or hispanic, if blond doesnt work for you then thats just you.It has nothing to do with the color of your skin.
There is a study in England demonstrating that the individuals who appear less intelligent are the same that appear to be fake blondes. The difference in perception between blonde and brunette in that study was that the blonde was more popular.
"The brown model was rated as more shy, and the natural blonde as more popular."
Dr Cassidy said: "It seems that the stereotype about dumb blondes did exist, but only in terms of the platinum blonde."
Someone mentioned IQ above and it's true that the Northern Europeans have some of the highest IQs. The Netherlands in particular is one of the most sexually free places while at the same time it is the place with the highest IQ. Having just visited there I noticed that many of the people who were from there didn't seem to care about discussing issues as much. They are more to the point and direct -a bit like the blonder Midwestern US with Swedish and Norwegian ancestry. They get the same job done, but don't feel the need to sit around and think or talk about it. They just know what to do and do it. My Midwestern wife is also like that. She often has more trouble than I do at discussing complicated issues. But as I am discussing something, she often uses one sentence or action that can beat me to the point. I’m more brunette than blonde. My theory for today is that blondes tend do things where as brunettes tend to think about doing things. So it would seem that brunettes are more thoughtful in that way.
As for blonde jokes, they do outnumber brunette jokes 10 – 1. This helps back up both ideas that brunettes are less popular and they like to think about things. Brunettes have more time on their hands to think about why it is they have more time to think about things. This leads to a natural proclivity to provide an abundance of jokes as an attempt to feel better about being a brunette, or at least to try and deflate blonde popularity.
I’ve read that this issue will fade in two hundred years basically because of the combination of the media and brunettes dying their hair blonde. We will have bred blondes out of existence and they will be effectively extinct in two hundred years or so. Consequently, brunettes will have the last say as to which quality was better in the end. Blondes and others should note that the current form of “diversity” marketed today would provide civilization with the opposite long-term impact as that implied by MTV and other media. Whether you think this effect has been caused on purpose, or not, depends on your view of the people in charge of the majority of the media.
A great deal of media is mostly owned by a group of people who are great marketers. You’ll note that in years past these brunette marketers have convinced people that they are God, that a rock can be worth a million dollars, and artwork containing only one black stroke of paint is important to the cultural fabric of the world (lately it’s sparkly glass that is so important in that field). A little Brunette man (who incidentally was also good at marketing) upset this same group in World War Two. This man said his intentions where to breed a perfect race of blondes at the expense of the brunette marketers. Well, as a member of this group of brunette marketers, I would be a quite upset. If I were still a little paranoid about the WWII incident, I would do whatever necessary to cause the mass extinction of the blondes.
Posted by: David at April 4, 2003 09:16 AMok well i have both problems i am a blonde and a girl and i work in the agricultural industry and i dont get as much work as the boys and then i get frownd apon for i have blonde hair and the way they think is shit. also i have just inlisted in the navy i wonted to be a rifelsman in the army but no they dont let chicks fight! but as for the blonde thing i think it is soo stupid that we still have steriotypes in this world that we live in, i think we should just get over the whole thing about blonds being dumb and brunets being smart and redheads being firey. and whats with the dumb blond jokes being told at the pub? and mate you are always going to be judged on what you look like and not on how smart you are it is just the way it is always going to be while we have steriotypes!
Posted by: meagan at April 17, 2003 08:37 PMWhy do people dye their hair blonde? I still don't understand it. Do they really think that'll change their social standing? If so, and if your listening, please, don't rely on your hair colour for confidence. I am blond, and I have fun because I want to, not because of my hair.
Posted by: erin at May 12, 2003 03:18 PM