A History of Blonde Jokes
“It’s possible to find traces of the dumb-blonde concept in the ancient world. Just like modern gentlemen, Romans valued blondness.” Slate investigates the history of blonde jokes.
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“The first dumb-blonde icon was probably the fictional character Lorelei Lee, the protagonist from Anita Loos’ 1925 novel Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, later adapted into two films and a Broadway musical. A paid companion to wealthy, married men who thinks that ‘diamonds are a girl’s best friend,’ Lorelei is perhaps more superficial than stupid, but she’s the sort of girl who gets ahead using her looks. Especially after Marilyn Monroe portrayed Lorelei in the 1953 feature film version, the idea that blondes are fun-loving and unserious became pervasive.”
