Dumb blonde narrative: Is your hair colour impacting how smart people think you are?

Being a blonde comes with its own set of expectations. From the 18th century French courtesan Rosalie Duthe, satirised in 1775, to Hollywood’s portrayal of iconic blondes like Marilyn Monroe, the ‘dumb blonde’ stereotype persists. As someone who chooses to be a ginger (I dye my hair), I’ve often found that my hair colour doesn’t play a significant role in how I perceive myself or how others perceive me. So why is it so different for blonde women? The blonde narrative reveals that, for many women, not only does it influence the way others treat them, but also shapes their self-perception. 

Brief scientific understanding of blonde hair shows it’s a result of genetic mutation and has been around for over 10,000 years. Rosalie Duthe, considered the first ‘dumb blonde’ in film, set the stage as a character that took abnormally long pauses before speaking. Even Alfred Hitchcock used blonde characters in his films to project an air of innocence, throwing viewers off-course when identifying suspects. The stereotype, rooted in misogyny, insinuates that anyone opting to dye their hair blonde, is inclined towards superficiality. To this day, Hollywood and the media further perpetuate the cliche, treating blonde stars as walking caricatures. The everyday expressions such as ‘blondes have more fun’ contribute to the sexualisation of blonde hair, reinforcing the notion that, somehow, attractiveness and intelligence are mutually exclusive. This aligns with the patriarchal idea that women can’t be both smart and attractive without being a rarity. The rivalry between blondes and brunettes in popular culture (see TikTok trend: “brunettes are more wifey”), often depicted as a competition for male attention, ultimately stems from deeply rooted sexism, perpetuating the beauty versus brains dichotomy.

Research conducted by Michelle Beddow, a psychologist from the University of Michigan-Dearborn, reveals that indeed blondes are often associated with attractiveness but are simultaneously perceived as lacking intelligence. The research finds that the stereotype permeates into the workplace, with blonde women often dealing with sexist attitudes that regard their positions of authority being gained through means other than their work, and their proposals of new ideas being scrutinised more easily than those of brunettes and of course their male, counterparts. Regrettably, the dumb blonde stereotype transcends into how blonde women also perceive themselves. They feel more inclined and pressured to perform the expected feminine traits that come with the hair colour, often feeling the need to be more agreeable and friendly even in situations where they felt disrespected. It seems crazy that this finding arises just from the perception influenced by the shades that frame our faces.

With an increasing awareness of the ‘dumb blonde’ perceptions, there is a shift marked by the rise of media such as Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, and the emergence of the ‘bimbo’ trend on TikTok, which in a sense reclaims hyperfemininity from an increasingly positive perspective. Even scientifically, the ‘dumb blonde’ narrative is debunked. Blonde women have similar IQs to those with other hair colours. The myth then stands exposed as an idealised fabrication created by society. Despite the persistent cultural narrative, women are rewriting their stories, stating the obvious; hair colour doesn’t define intellect or capability. 

In a world obsessed with categorising women, the ‘dumb blonde’ stereotype may persist, but the ongoing efforts to challenge and redefine these narratives underscore the evolving understanding that still, in 2024, women are complex individuals not confined by the colour of their hair.