PrintBy Shawn McKee
Staff Writer
Is it true blondes have more fun?
This is a question that has haunted scholars and non-blondes for decades. But, where did this query come from?
It was actually created by advertising genius Shirley Polykoff in the 1950′s for Clairol. She was also behind Clairol’s campaign: “Does she or doesn’t she? Only her hairdresser knows for sure.”
This became the eighth top advertising slogan of the 20th century and, sources say, the number of women who suddenly became blondes shot up 413 percent due to these marketing campaigns.
It’s just a clever advertising slogan to persuade women to buy more hair dye. So it’s not true, right? Well, it depends on who you ask.
According to experimental psychologist Dr. Tony Fallone, hair color really can indicate personality. “Blondes are likely to be more outgoing and lively and are perceived as more feminine than their brunette counterparts,” he explains.
If you look to the stars for answers, all signs may point to yes. From Marilyn Monroe to Pamela Anderson, blondes have been having “more fun” in Hollywood for decades. They seem to be the muses for many silver screen scenarios. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes introduced America to the idea that classy men prefer a fair haired lady, and the Legally Blonde movies showed that blondes can be intelligent and professional. Even Barbie, the most popular doll in the history of the world, is a blonde.
Movies and television often portray blondes as “dumb” or “ditzy,” and this could lead to them having more fun because they are “up for anything” and often shown laughing and giggling. Even popular music gets in on the action with album titles like Bob Dylan’s classic Blonde on Blonde and the stereotype affirming Blondes Have More Fun, by blonde icon Rod Stewart. Legally Red, Brown on Brown, Gentlemen Prefer Brunettes just doesn’t sound right.
Statistics say only about 19 percent of women are natural blondes, but if you look around, much more than one in five women are blonde. The folks at Clairol, who now manufacture around 225 different blonding shades, may be the ones perpetuating this movement, and statistics show as many as 75 percent of women color their hair. With all the women dying their hair, blondes must have more fun, right?
Well, maybe. While most surveys say blondes are often perceived as “ditzy” but “glamorous,” brunettes are seen as “competent” and “trustworthy.” Blondes are seen as carefree and fun, and for women, blonde hair conjures feelings of sensuality and youth.
Whether or not blondes have more fun is hard to say. It’s a perception perpetuated by movies, music, television and advertising. Scientifically, it cannot be proven, but science does have some interesting facts to add to the debate.
While blondes may not have more fun, they do have more hair. The average number of hairs on a redhead is 90,000, black is 110,000 and blonde is 140, 000. As it turns out, the majority of people around the globe have black hair.
Also, those with naturally red or blonde hair have higher rates of skin cancer and are more prone to sun burn, according to Professor Jonathon Rees, a dermatologist at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, who is researching the genetics of hair color. That doesn’t sound more fun, but it also doesn’t apply to those who get their golden locks from a bleach bottle.
So have fun no matter what your hair color, and if you are a natural blonde remember: You are a rarity, you have something people spend a lot of money to obtain and you should always wear sunscreen.
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