Why are blondes so intriguing?

Today, only one woman in twenty can rightly consider herself a natural blonde. And one in four dyes their hair to look like it. Blond hair color remains a mark of distinction. It does not matter whether it is natural, whether it is skillful highlighting or radical lightening, it helps a woman in her quest to be noticed and desired. What makes blondes consistently stand out from the crowd? Where do the myths about their irresistibility come from and why are jokes about them so popular?

Hair color or personality trait?

“By nature, I am a brown-haired woman, but since my youth I have always lightened my hair,” admits 34-year-old Alla. – For many years, no one – neither my husband nor my acquaintances – has ever seen me in a different way. Somehow I decided to return to my natural tone and dyed my hair. It was a real nightmare! It seemed to me that I was wearing a cap of invisibility: the entire flow of attention, which was so familiar to me that I did not even notice it, suddenly stopped. In the subway, on the street, in the store, men reacted as if I were not there. And my husband and girlfriend assured me that the new color really suits me … I survived exactly three days. And she went blonde again.

There are other experiences as well. “I have dark hair, and I have never felt deprived of male attention,” says 29-year-old Elena. – In addition, my boyfriend assured me that he did not like blondes, ironically on this topic. And then one day I decided to change the image – I cut my hair and lightened my hair. I think I’ll make a surprise, let’s see how he reacts. He met me from the hairdresser and – what was my amazement – did not notice that I had changed color. Literally from black to white!”

The idea that blondes are particularly attractive has stuck in women’s minds, not men, says Alina, a 30-year-old natural blonde: “Obsessed by this idea, women, turning into blondes, begin to seem more attractive to themselves. And they behave accordingly – more coquettishly, more relaxed, confident in their irresistibility. I think men react to this manner of holding themselves, and not to the color of the hair itself.

What associations does the blonde evoke?

“Talking with different people, I became convinced that the “blonde” is a fairly stable image, loaded with a certain meaning,” states analytical psychotherapist Yulia Zhemchuzhnikova. – Its paradox lies in the fact that unpleasant anecdotes and jokes about him are multiplying, and at the same time more and more women desire him, try on this image.

I conducted a small survey: I asked the interlocutors to name associations with the word “blonde”. It turned out that men in the first place were more likely to have appearance traits (“beautiful”, “pretty”, “attractive”, “tall”, “long-legged”), and in women – the characteristics of the mind (“near-mindedness”, “stupidity”, “ accident”, “stupid”, “naive”, “fool” – all attributes of a low level of intelligence). Young girls and boys think in terms of image: blondes for them are heels, pink, rhinestones, various types of popular brands.

How did this vivid stereotype develop and where are its roots?

“Blonde” (from French blonde) literally means “light,” explains Jungian analyst Lev Khegai. – Evolutionary psychology tells us that a woman’s lighter skin happens during the period of ovulation, that is, this is what she says about her reproductive readiness. Nature has determined that men of all races are excited at the sight of lighter women. Therefore, blondes trigger their instinctive reactions and appear sexually attractive.

On the other hand, at the semantic and archetypal level, “light” refers us to the concepts of “good”, “kind”, “sublime” – as opposed to “dark” as evil, bad, negative, vile. The fair-haired ones also embody the ideal of a woman in a spiritual sense, launching male romantic fantasies.

An angel and a courtesan, eros and innocence are two opposites that the image of a blonde combines. Does that make her irresistible?

What kind of women do men like more?

A study by psychology professor Peter Ayton of the University of London found that many men actually prefer brunettes. The 1500 study participants were shown three photos of the same woman as a blonde, brunette, and redhead, and 51% of them said they were most attracted to the brunette.

According to Professor Ayton, this means that men today are looking for a partner who they would feel equal to. Whereas in the past, men have sought to assert their role as protectors of fragile, helpless (blond) women, unconsciously attributing to them a lower intellectual level, it is difficult to patronize a person equal to you.

“In fact, a blonde is a double bait for male desire: both on an instinctive and on a spiritual level,” comments Lev Khegai. – Therefore, she seems to be holding a man captive (like a mermaid, a siren, a sorceress). This makes him defensive, finding counter-arguments in the style of “All blondes are stupid, self-serving and cold.”

A strong desire brings to life strong fears and complexes in neurotic men. It is these men who, having met a blonde, choose a brown-haired or brunette. But in their fantasies, blondes will still remain. For example, in Paul Verhoeven’s film Total Recall, Schwarzenegger’s character is married to a blonde (Sharon Stone) but dreams of a brunette. Of course, the blonde turns out to be a dummy wife, sent by the special services, she only imitates love. To fall into the net of a blonde for a hero is to forget himself, to be at the mercy of collective stereotypes, to become an object of manipulation. Something similar is experienced in relation to blondes by most men.

The heroine of fairy tales … and jokes

Perhaps it is this fear of becoming an object of manipulation that brings to life the most persistent stereotype – about the narrow-mindedness of blondes. This exaggerated, cartoonish stupidity makes them the heroines of many anecdotes. According to Jungian analysts, this is due to the fact that the image of the blonde is archetypal, that is, it goes back to the general ideas stored in our collective unconscious.

“A modern fairy tale, perhaps, would sound like this:“ The merchant had three daughters: two smart, businesslike, and one blonde, ”says Yulia Zhemchuzhnikova. – The modern feminine heroine is almost a complete analogue of Ivan the Fool: she is naive, not adapted to life, often lazy, but everything goes into her hands, while others try, without getting the desired result. Blondes from modern myths, like fabulous ivanushki, have a completely different mind – rather animal, natural. The blonde, of course, is irrational, she is pre-rational, infantile, if smart, then very childish. In anecdotes, she always remains alive and well and often prospers precisely because of her boundless naivety.