Why is dumb blonde a stereotype

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Share on Facebook. Share on Twitter. The NLS asks questions that, when taken out of context, may seem extremely strange. Why does the government need to know this kind of information? Since the survey goes back to reinterview the same people over and over again, it is important to make sure the right person is interviewed.

Many respondents are provided with a stipend to provide an incentive to answer the survey for the 10th or 20th time. The one drawback to the hair color question is that it is self-reported. The IQ questions were included because Congress requires the Pentagon to test all military recruits and reject those who are not intelligent enough to handle dangerous weapons defined by Congress as the bottom 30 percent of the population.

Parts of the test are used to determine the best type of job someone is suited for, while another part, called the AFQT , measures innate intelligence. To determine how AFQT scores match up with the general population, the military needed to know the intelligence of large groups of U.

Two groups of NLS respondents have been used by the Pentagon to determine the fitness of recruits, which provides the second piece of information needed to determine the intelligence of blondes. The surprising answer — at least given the prevalent stereotype — is that among white women, those reporting having blonde hair have the highest average IQ and the second-highest median, or midpoint, IQ.

Plus both the mean and median are above , which is the value given to a person who has exactly average intelligence. The NLS data suggest the Hollywood myth of the dumb blonde is not only a cheap stereotype but in fact a lie. Daniela Morosini. This piece is from our series, Hair Story. We interview an array of women from different walks of life to discover what their hair means to them. From photographing non-binary people who challenge society's norms by wearing their hair in bright colours, to investigating stereotypes, this series explores the intrinsic link between hair and identity.

Being blonde is loaded. You can be an expensive blonde like Gwyneth Paltrow. You can be rock'n'roll blonde like Debbie Harry. You can be sexpot blonde like Marilyn Monroe. Of course, of all the stereotypes women face, the 'dumb blonde' is a mild one, especially considering how harmful and dangerous the hair stereotypes faced by women of colour can be. But it is curiously persistent.

I waded in the waters of dirty, dishwater blonde until I was about 18, and then I was finally allowed to dye my hair the way I really wanted. First, a half-head of highlights. Then, a full head followed, with appointments every 12 weeks, until I finally decided I wanted to be even blonder, and the lighter hue I desired pushed me into the 'hairline and parting every six weeks' club.

I climbed down from those giddy highs after a year, fatigued and with a sore neck, and have since settled for a mixture of a half-head and balayage that only needs attention every four or so months. Give Professor X a call.