Blondes Have More Funds

It’s not a coincidence that your boss is Marilyn, not Norma Jean

STUDIES SHOW that gentlemen prefer blondes — in the boardroom.

Why Are Female CEOs and Senators Disproportionately Blond? Blame Sexism.

Light-haired ladies are vastly overrepresented in positions of power: one in three female Senators, and one in two female CEOs, are blonde. By contrast, only two out of 100 male executives are. That’s in line with what you’d expect, given how many men in the population are naturally fair.

Granted, lots of women dye their hair, whereas most men don’t. But, according to researchers, that still can’t explain the advantage given to Betty over Veronica. Besides, it raises the question of why so many women do dye their hair. Is it because women understand, even subconsciously, that they will be rewarded in personal and professional endeavors for going platinum?

And what is the reward about, anyway? A fun combo of sexism, racism, and even the vestiges of Nazism, which as a philosophy held that the golden Nordic and Aryan “races” were superior? Do blondes look more affluent, since maintaining light hair takes time and money? Do they seem younger, since children are more likely to be fair at first and darken over time, and so cuter, sweeter, more pliable? Betty’s the girl-next-door, after all, while Veronica is the bitch. Is it a call-back to ancient Rome, wherein lawmakers decreed that prostitutes should bleach their hair in order to mark themselves, and Westerners have associated radiance with excitement and sexual availability ever since? All of the above?

Who knows? But what researchers have determined is that the preference exists, and stereotypes matter.

when the men had to rate dominant-sounding female leaders — photos of the same woman with blond or brown hair, paired with quotes like “My staff knows who the boss is” — they thought the blond woman was warmer and more attractive than her brunette twin. Berdahl’s blog calls this “the Glinda-the-Good-Witch effect.” …

people are better able to stomach a female leader if they perceive her to be gentler, less demanding, and weaker-willed than her dark- or gray-haired peers

Don’t fret, redheads. There’s always Entertainment.


Support The Billfold

The Billfold continues to exist thanks to support from our readers. Help us continue to do our work by making a monthly pledge on Patreon or a one-time-only contribution through PayPal.

Comments