The Politics of Being Blonde

So the topic at hand here is Barbie and all the brouhaha and controversy surrounding her image. Let's face it, though, would Barbie be as loved and hated as she is if she weren't a blonde? If Barbie was a brunette, she might not have been so popular and she surely wouldn't be so criticized by the masses. The politics of being blonde, whether a doll or a real-live human, are very sticky indeed.

There seems to be a myth that blondes have more fun, but are often dumb. While there can be instances where these two may be true, I know just as many brunettes who can have fun and are pretty stupid themselves. Being a blonde is a lot tougher than people think. If not for the monthly touch-ups on our roots, it's the way the rest of the world perceives us. Since I've been blonde, I've had just as many negative experiences with people than I've had positive. It's hard to imagine why people would hate someone because of their hair color, but someone is shallow enough to do so, chances are they're going to hate you because you're blonde.

Don't believe me? Well, let me back up here and tell my story. You see, I'm not naturally flaxen-haired. But then, who is these days? In my early twenties, I went through a plethora of hair colors ranging from pink to red to orange before returning to my natural brunette to impress a guy I felt was too "normal" for crazy colored-hair. Nothing really worked for me. I attracted lesbians with the multi-colored hair and nobody much paid attention to me with my natural dirty brown hair. I had been working as a domme and escort around this time and made to aesthetic decision to go blonde in an effort to attract more clients. My first attempt was a disaster and I ended up with an orangey color that reminded me of the results we'd get when we used to put "Sun-in" in our hair as kids. My mother immediately made an appointment for me with her regular colorist and soon enough, I was a real blonde.

The results of becoming blonde were pretty spectacular at first. I got more clients as an escort and attracted the attention of men wherever I went. The guys that passed me over were now noticing me and within a short time, I found myself a boyfriend. The negative effects came gradually. Brunettes, and often minorities, treated me with negativity and disrespect no matter how nice I was to them. My punk friends no longer considered me one of them because blonde was too "bougie." Brunette girls would scowl at me in jealousy and not speak to me despite my best efforts. People treated me like I was dumb and flaky without even getting to know me. My roots grew too fast for me to keep up with and I did horrible color jobs on myself. Whew! Being blonde was harder than I ever imagined it would be.

So when people dis Barbie for being to whitebread, they don't understand the multitude of adversaries she must overcome on a daily basis. Sure she's beautiful and gets hot guys, but she has to put up with hateful brunettes and those who view her as an airhead to get where she's at. She's held down a multitude of careers, had a beautiful dream house, and has a bitchin' car. She's successful and she always looks good. You can't dis that.

I've thought about going back many times. As a film student, being blonde is tres taboo and I seem to be hated even more by my peers because of it. I think about how much easier life would be if I had dark hair like most of them...which is exactly why I won't go back. For me, being blonde has become more like a political statement. I can prove that I can be strong, intellectual, sexy, and, yes, blonde. Just like Barbie.