Stereotypes

Our world is one big media conglomerate – it’s difficult to go through the day without seeing targeted ads, billboards, Apple News notifications, or window displays fighting for one’s attention. As algorithms become smarter and know us better than we know ourselves (or at least that’s the goal for some companies), it can feel that our own, unique experience with digital media fits us like a glove. However, stereotypes that are frequently presented can be damaging and perpetuate untrue generalizations. Mannequins tell us what we should look like. Catalogs tell us what we should wear. And car companies show us how our lives could be that much better if we drove the new Ford F-150.

For as long as I can remember, blondes were stereotyped as dumb. In movies, they had no character arc – they started the movies dumb and in some cases, were the first to be eliminated due to their stupidity. They also were used as comic relief. One could laugh at them and not feel remorse. It was almost as if they were an object. As a blonde, I have been met with surprise when I challenge this irrational stereotype. Luckily, the narrative is being rewritten. 

A prime example of this stereotype being fought is with the brilliant use of satire. It seems that satire can help the general population tolerate and consume less than palatable ideas. The movie, Legally Blonde, showed the world that one can kick ass in the courtroom, love pink, and sport golden hair! 

The notion that blondes are less than smart, that is frequently presented in the media, is clearly inaccurate. We blondes may have more fun, but we are just as capable as our slightly darker-haired, brunette friends. Our world today is coming to the realization that hair color does not play a role in one’s overall capability or intelligence.

The perspective of the blonde as an individual is often absent in media portrayals. They are, most frequently, a dispensable written character used to illicit laughs or make another, non-blonde character appear superior.

Does it Matter?

Yes, it does. Imagine a young child watching tv only to conclude from the program that their hair color determines their worth and their abilities, or that of someone they know. That no matter how high they score on a test, or what their aspirations might be, their potential is limited because of their hair color. Their worth has been predetermined due to a stereotype.

Stereotypes can do damage. They allow people to pre-judge and misjudge a person and what they are capable of. They can also cause an individual to question their own abilities. 

This clip from the popular Broadway musical, Wicked, showcases Galinda and Elphaba describing one another to their family (simultaneously on opposing sides of the stage). Galinda states that her roommate is “…unusually and exceedingly peculiar and altogether quite impossible to describe.” Elphaba (aka the Wicked Witch) uses only one word – “Blonde”. Yes this is satire, but it further perpetuates blondes being aloof and less than adequate. As if one word is enough to describe a roommate. 

Another prime example of the blonde stereotype comes from the hit Ryan Murphy show, Glee. Brittany S. Pierce, a blonde cheerleader, played by Heather Morris, was a fan-favorite that helped perpetuate the idea the blondes are daydreamers and in this clip, not the best at history.