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BLONDES DO HAVE MORE FUN.
Term Paper ID:20525
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Essay Subject:
Socio-cultural, historical & anecdotal research finds favoritism toward blondes.... More...
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Paper Abstract:
Socio-cultural, historical & anecdotal research finds favoritism toward blondes.
Paper Introduction:
HYPOTHESIS
"Do blondes have more fun?" This pop culture question verging on the cliche of mantra by Madison Avenue advertising agencies actually does imply a questioning of cultural values within the American society that deserves to be addressed by serious research. Accordingly, working from the above proposition, it will be the hypothesis of this paper that, yes, blondes do have more fun.
DEFINITIONS
Key to understanding the cultural implications of the defining question of this study is the more specific delineation of the word "fun." Again, the pop cultural roots of the issue are evident in the choice of the word itself:
fun, n., 1. lively, gay play or playfulness;
Text of the Paper:
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blonde) in females; (d) blonde stereotypes aregenerally positive; (e) blondes tend to believe the stereotypes aboutthemselves; (f) human personality is a combination of perceived and actualcharacter traits - hence, as the blonde is generally perceived in positive,attractive terms, so then the blonde perceives herself - therefore,equating "fun" with social compatibility and fulfillment, blondes will tendto have more fun. blondes were seen as Beautiful and to somemeasure Entertaining and Warm."[xxvi] Dennis E. Will I have more fun? Perhaps the most value that can be derived from the knowledge thatblondes do have more fun is in its use as a tool for helping women toadjust to their relationship with society. Leisure time became a valuable commodity, a symbol of status. Will myfondest, blondest dreams come true? As the Middle Ages progressedinto the Renaissance, Enlightenment, and so forth, the ruling familiesincreasingly came to symbolize power, health and the standard ofattractiveness (often, as was the case with Louis XIV of France, "The SunKing," those symbols were adopted purposely). Endnotes BibliographyCash, Thomas F. blond wigs for heroes...[xii]This assertion does not appear to this researcher a logical conclusion, the"subordinate-hero" contradiction not providing proof for Clayson andMaughan's suggestion that a "child-like appearance" is necessarily that ofan "attractive subordinate." Nevertheless, this statement is present asanother example of dissenting opinion to the argument being presented.) The historical conjecture on Blondness as a valued physical traitextends further back than Hellenic civilization - to the Aryan dominationof India in the early millennia of that culture: a light-skinned peopleconquered a dark-skinned indigenous population, thus setting the stage forwhat has continued in that subcontinent (and, through cultural exportation,throughout Asia) down through the centuries - the subconscious belief thatthe ruling class is lighter-hued than the rest of the population. That noteveryone can successfully be a blonde, however, can be a source of majorfrustration. Clayson and Michael L.Klassen's study, "Perception of Attractiveness by Obesity and Hair Color,"recognizes the stereotype as well and records the observations that"blondes are generally perceived as more attractive."[xxvii] ANALYSIS It is the conclusion of this researcher that the study's hypothesis -blondes do have more fun - was supported by the combination of historical,anecdotal and statistical evidence gathered and examined. "Traditional Beliefs and Color Perception." Perceptual and Motor Skills 72 (1991): 1319-1323.Harary, Keith, and Eileen Donahue. In a curious twist upon the earlier stereotype equating leisure, fair-hair and fair skin with status, the emergence of Hollywood pop culturalicons, movie stars, filmed in "sunny California" brought forth a new imageof leisurely status: the sun-tanned, sun-bleached-hair look of success.World War II spread that image throughout the world, carried in G.I.sknapsacks as "pin-up girl" dreams of home; American cultural dominanceafter the Second World War continued to carry the Hollywood stereotypeabroad (Marilyn Monroe being the prime export) - to the point that it wasactually recreated and imported back into the States in the form of suchcultural film star images as Brigitte Bardot and Catherine Deneuve.[xv] Historical pattern melding into popular cultural imagery finds itsexpression in the published anecdotal accounts examined by this study.Hair appearance in general is considered the key to social success andhappiness in popular magazines targeted for the women's and teenage femalepublics,[xvi] while blondes are singled out as a specific category worthyof special attention.[xvii] The anecdotal accounts provide somewhat contradictory accounts, oftenwithin the same observatory episode: As I pass two men wearing business suits, one of them says: "I love your hair." ... "I was a Blonde for a Day: If I become a golden girl, will gentlemen prefer me? Brown, "Gender and Body Images:Stereotypes and Realities," Sex Roles 21 (1989): 369.Peter Nelson, "Gentlemen Still Prefer Blondes," Harper's Bazaar,April 1985, 227-228.Clayson and Maughan, 815-816.Arnold Toynbee, "The psychological consequences of encountersbetween contemporary civilizations," A Study of History (NewYork: Weathervane Books, 1972), 43 -444.Schultz, 154.Schultz, 156-157.Beth Levine, "Are You Hair-obsessed?" Seventeen, October 1992,64.Nelson, 174+; also Schultz; 154-157, also "People Pop Quiz:Blondes," People Weekly, 1 March 1993, 72.Jennifer Moses, "I Was A Blonde For A Day. Will my fondest dreams come true? That reasoning is this: (a) historically, blondes have held afavored position in terms of societal appreciation; (b) in pop culturalterms, blondes continue to hold a favored position; (c) males are attractedto bright coloring (i.e. So is youth - and "Women who convert to blonde do so in the pursuitof youth."[vii] As youthful appearance becomes the standard of Americanculture, the accoutrements of such appearance - clothing, skin tone, haircolor - take on greater importance in the schema of things; in recentsurveys, thirty-eight percent of all women questioned were unhappy withtheir overall appearance,[viii] while ninety-nine percent indicated thatthey would change their appearance if they could.[ix] (Thomas F. Hence,the word "fun" as used in this study's defining question is a highlysubjective term directly equating attractiveness to social compatibilityand fulfillment. Will I have more fun? My light hair has put me in the spotlight. "People Pop Quiz: Blondes." People Weekly, 1 March 1993, 72.Grieve, K. D. A Study of History. It will be admitted that there are studies and anecdotal accountsthat might tend to disagree with this assessment. 2. Look good, Feel good, Be good!There is nothing intrinsically "wrong" with this advice, beyond a generalobservation that nothing as simple as hair coloring is a quick fix forone's social difficulties. "Perception of Attractiveness by Obesity and Hair Color." Perceptual and Motor Skills 68 (1989): 199-2 2.Clayson, Dennis E., and Micol R. C. Cash, "The Psychology of Cosmetics: A ResearchBibliography," Perceptual and Motor Skills 66 (1988): 455.K. Our data confirm that the message is misleading; women are not as worried and dissatisfied as we are led to think and apparently have come to believe.[x]The researcher of this study is unable to reconcile the differences instatistical conclusions; Cash and Brown's conclusion is included to presentan example of dissenting opinion to the mainstream research.) Historically, the first recorded mention equating Blondness withsocial compatibility and fulfillment is found among the ancient Greeks withtheir legends of the "golden fleece" and "sun-haired Apollo." Theconnection between Blondness and the precious metal gold is not arbitrarynor a literary device: both were valued for their rarity and (assumed)value because of that scarcity.[xi] (An odd contradiction in analysis crops up in the historical researchat this point as it somewhat conflicts with at least one train ofcontemporary study. gave as the reason color significantly more often than style of clothing or facial expressions.[xxv]Concurrent with, and elaborating on, Radeloff's work, E. Where the majority of peoples worked in agriculturalendeavors, or were otherwise darkened or dirtied by the nature ofmaintaining a livelihood, the ruling classes were perceived as non-laboringindividuals: fair features were indicative of time spent not in toil -"Behold, the blonde is a Princess."[xiv] The Victorian middle class, whoseemergence at the turn of the century still influences the American"traditional" standard of domesticity, was a mimicry of ruling class mores. C. Cash and Timothy F. Radeloff, "Role of Color in Perception ofAttractiveness," Perceptual and Motor Skills 71 (199 ): 151.Lawson, 311 & 32 .Dennis E. Clayson and Michael L. Maughan. men look at me and think red satin sheets. HYPOTHESIS "Do blondes have more fun?" This pop culture question verging on thecliche of mantra by Madison Avenue advertising agencies actually does implya questioning of cultural values within the American society that deservesto be addressed by serious research. Clayson and Micol R. Nevertheless, the researcher has found thatthe published anecdotal accounts provide a necessary caveat to wholesaleacceptance of that proposition. suggested that women, in cultures where it has been acceptable, have dyed their hair blond because the light blond hair gives them a child-like appearance, that is, the appearance of an attractive subordinate. "All American Blondes." Harper's Bazaar, February 1991, 154-157.Toynbee, Arnold. D. It is an inter-racial bond:studies show that even among the black population of South Africa white isassociated with purity, authority, thinking and happiness.[vi] These aregenerally considered positive traits. ... Consequently, an important juxtaposition of interpretations must beassumed - an act of interpretive shifting justified by other studies - andthat is "that women tend to see themselves along stereotypical linesaccording to hair color."[iii] Moreover, in one of the few studiesspecifically examining the hair color issue from the subject's perspective,it was noted that "blondes themselves seem to share in [the stereotype]impression."[iv] Once one accepts the general proposition that the stereotypicalimages associated with being blonde are generally accepted and/or expressedby the subjects themselves, the basic research of this study falls into aneater pattern of exploration. Adler, quoted in Lawson, 311.----------------------- 6 "Why You Should Color Your Hair: Psychologists talk about the link between your crowning glory and your confidence level." Family Circle, 15 October 1992, 48+.Schultz, Patricia. when asked to rate the attractiveness of stimulus models ... "Redheads and Blonds: Stereotypic Images." Psychological Reports 59 (1986): 811-816.Dale, David. "Who Are You? RESULTS Self-grooming or adornment is an age-old, cross-cultural phenomenon; the modification of personal appearances by alterations in clothing, hairstyles, and facial cosmetics was not invented yesterday on Madison Avenue.[v] Throughout history, in common with our mammalian cousins, humans havebeen affected by their color perceptions. "Why Gentlemen Still Prefer Blondes." Harper's Bazaar, April 1984, 174+."PT Stats: Muddling Through - The Male/Female Thing." Psychology Today, November/December 1992, 96."PT Stats: Skin Deep - Our National Obsession with Looks." PsychologyToday, May/June 1993, 96.Radeloff, Deanna J. This must be takeninto account by social psychologists when dealing with the issue of racerelations. It must be noted from the beginning that few statistical investigations ofhair color factors, blonde or otherwise, have been conducted in amethodologically sound manner.[ii] Fewer still, it is this researcher'sdiscovery, concern themselves with the issue from the subject'sperspective: most studies are geared towards evaluation of perceptions ofblondes, rather than by blondes. D. Maughan, "Redheads and Blonds: Stereotypic Images," Psychological Reports 59 (1986): 811;also, E. Accordingly, working from the aboveproposition, it will be the hypothesis of this paper that, yes, blondes dohave more fun. Invented by advertising executives to sell a woman's haircoloring product, "Is it true blondes have more fun?" was very clearlyaimed at a female public and has since entered the lexicon of popularspeech with that implicit gender definition intact. Women look at me and think I don't know who won the Civil War."[xviii]Nevertheless, within the context of anecdotal data, it is observed that: Anything that enhances your appearance will boost your self- esteem.[xix] ... As theAryans migrated into Asia Minor and Europe - and, later, as the Romansconquered Northern Africa - the light-dominating-dark equation persisted.This was to take on a new variation in the Middle Ages, when blackamoorMuslim conquest threatened European civilization and Arab-Africansintermingled bloodlines with the Mediterranean peoples. Cash and Timothy A. The stereotype may be of long standing, especially in Europe. W. Another critical observation could note thatthe current insistence upon altering one's hair color from its actual shadeis "unnatural" - but that critical observation is easily met with theretort that humans changing their appearance is, in fact, a natural part ofthe species' personality. ... During that post-Roman period - with resistance led mainly by Frankish-Germanic, light-skinned/fair-haired Northerners - the impression of Blondness as a rulingtrait was reinforced in the pre-modern mind. Brown. The media convey that women should be and do want to be thinner and more attractive. And, if so - as this study concludes - towhat purpose can it be applied? "What it's like to be a blonde... "Beauty Is Talent: Task Evaluation as a Function of the Performer's Physical Attractiveness." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 29 (nd): 299-3 4.Lawson, E. Lawson, "Hair Color, Personality, and the Observer,"Psychological Reports 28 (1971): 311.Michael Cunningham, quoted by Carla Rohlfing in "Why You ShouldColor Your Hair: Psychologists talk about the link between yourcrowning glory and your confidence level," Family Circle, 15October 1991, 5 .Lawson, 32 .Thomas F. "Are You Hair-Obsessed?" Seventeen, October 1992, 64.Moses, Jennifer. The rationale leading up to the conclusion that blondes do have morefun, however, certainly compensates for the exclusive usage of secondaryresearch. "Hair Color, Personality, and the Observer." Psychological Reports 28 (1971): 311-322.Levine, Beth. The story of my platinumput-on," Mademoiselle, February 1984, 12 & 234.Linda Jackson, Ph.D., citing findings in her book PhysicalAppearance and Gender: Sociobiological and SocioculturalPerspectives quoted in Rohlfing, 48.Cunningham, 5 .David Landy and Harold Sigall, "Beauty Is Talent: TaskEvaluation as a Function of the Performer's PhysicalAttractiveness," Journal of Personality and Social Psychology29 (nd): 299.ibid., 299.Keith Harary, Ph.D., and Eileen Donahue, Ph.D., "Who Are You:The PT/Berkeley Personality Profile," Psychology Today,May/June 1992, 68.Ibid., 69.Deanna J. a source or cause of amusement or merriment, as an amusing person or thing.[i]"Fun" is not a scientific term and, it should be noted, its use in thecontext of the famed question - "Is it true blondes have more fun?" -sprang from 195 s colloquial terminology, wherein the word "fun" was meantto convey "sexy" and "attractive" within a socially active setting. In drawing thisconclusion, it is readily admitted that several flaws exist in the researchmethodology - most notably that of relying one hundred percent on secondarysources as opposed to studying the subject directly via a specificallydesigned evaluation tool. Lawson in "HairColor, Personality, and the Observer" notes that "stereotypes based on haircolor are widely held ... lively, gay play or playfulness; merriment; amusement; sport; recreation; joking. blondes having more fun is notjust an advertising ploy - it is a real emotional experience. To further aid in that direction, one additional definition will beconsidered as part of the researcher's study, that is, the implied genderdefinition of the word "blonde" as used in the defining question's context: female. In "Redheads and Blondes: Stereotypic Images" byDennis E. Brown in "Gender and Body Images:Stereotypes and Realities" state that: The depiction of women by television and print media emphasizes physical appearance to a greater extent than it does for men. Regarding the historical materials researched: while the majorthrust of this study concerns itself with the issue of "blondes" and "fun"within the contemporary American situation, a certain amount of backgroundresearch was necessary to place the issue in context. Identifying that potentialdanger must be considered when testing this study's hypothesis. That the royal families ofSpain, England, France and Italy all imported their spouses from Germanickingdoms led to a simplistic, logical conclusion: that the peoplepossessing such blonde, fair-skinned characteristics were naturallysuperior - all the more so valuable for having to be imported from abroad.During the Industrial Age and heyday of West European imperialism, the"white man's burden" of improving (exploiting) the darker races' "inferior"lot in life was accepted as a given, once again reinforcing thestereotype.[xiii] A part of that stereotype handed down from antiquity relates to theleisure time enjoyed by ruling classes in comparison with theirsubordinates. blondes tend to rate themselves as good-looking and flamboyant.[xx] If the anecdotal evidence lacks the weight of statistical methodologybacking its assertions, the statistics-heavy related studies researchedtend to support the anecdotal specifics. Klassen. Klassen, "Perception ofAttractiveness by Obesity and Hair Color," Perceptual and MotorSkills 68 (1989): 199.Moses, 234 & 236.Clayson and Maughan, 815-815.A. Clayson and Micol R. Ancient Greek actors used ... W. It is an area in need of in-depth research. In terms of generalattractiveness, studies by David Landy and Harold Sigall have proven thesignificantly favorable influence being attractive has in shaping others'opinions of oneself and one's work.[xxi] An interesting fact noted byLandy and Sigall is that poor work is given an even better edge by thefactor of attractiveness than is good work.[xxii] Statistical evidence creates a convincing framework around theargument that "your personality is the essence of who you are and how youappear to other people,"[xxiii] specifically in terms of the expressivestyle.[xxiv] If one valuation of a female's worth is her ability toattract males, then the following conclusion reached by Deanna J. Maughan it is stated: ... The problem that the psychiatrist and the psychologist has to face is the discovery of the norms we carry within us by which we pass judgement on the human form.[xxx] Do blondes have more fun? The story of my platinum put-on." Mademoiselle, February 1983, 12 +.Nelson, Peter. If I become a goldengirl, will gentlemen prefer me? The researcher recognizes the unsteady ground here:the standards of social compatibility and fulfillment are a constantly-changing entity, reflecting as they do the ebb and flow of social changethat has affected the American character. RESEARCH The method of research utilized by this study is based uponexamination of three sources: abstract reports of statistical studies madein the same general area of research, examination of secondary sourcehistorical materials associated with the topic of study, and review ofpublished anecdotal accounts of experiences within the scope of this study. APPLICATIONS Perhaps everyone carries with him an ideal picture of the human form and uses it as the standard by which other persons are judged. "The Psychology of Cosmetics: A Research Bibliography." Perceptual and Motor Skills 66 (1988): 455-46 .Cash, Thomas F., and Timothy A. Specifically, isthis an ephemeral issue or a constant in the social equation? Certainly Asian-Americans, African-Americans, and NativeAmericans must take a step towards divorcing themselves from their inherentracial characteristics if they wish to become blondes. Radeloffin her study on the "Role of Color in Perception of Attractiveness"indicates a particular advantage going to blondes: Males preferred bright colors significantly more than females ... "Gender and Body Images: Stereotypes and Realities." Sex Roles 21 (1989): 361-373.Clayson, Dennis E., and Michael J. DEFINITIONS Key to understanding the cultural implications of the definingquestion of this study is the more specific delineation of the word "fun."Again, the pop cultural roots of the issue are evident in the choice of theword itself: fun, n., 1. "Role of Color Perception of Attractiveness." Perceptual and Motor Skills 71 (199 ): 151-16 .Rohlfing, Carla. At least one of thepublished anecdotes found a down side to being blonde,[xxviii] whilecertain statistical studies "suggested" a subordinate role for the blondethat was less than positive;[xxix] these are minority opinions, however,with the preponderance of evidence indicating a healthy regard for theadvantages of being blonde. The PT/Berkeley Personality Profile." Psychology Today, May/June 1992, 68-74.Landy, David, and Harold Sigall. At least in terms of pop psychology and culture, the answers to thesequestions have long been around: If a woman suffers from low self-esteem,if she is under-appreciated, if her social compatibility is not what itshould be - then lighten up to blonde! Grieve, "Traditional Beliefs and Colour Perception,"Perceptual and Motor Skills 72 (1991): 1321.Thomas Cash, Ph.D in psychology, quoted in Patricia Schultz,"All-American Blondes," Harper's Bazaar, February 1991, 156;also supported by Clayson and Maughan, 814.PT Stats: Skin Deep - Our National Obsession with Looks,"Psychology Today, May/June 1993, 96."PT Stats: Muddling Through - The Male/Female Thing,"Psychology Today, November/December 1992, 96.Thomas F. ... New York: Weathervane Books, 1972.-----------------------"fun," Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language(New York: The New World Publishing Company, 1988), 586.Dennis E.
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