Her Cocktail – Courtney Todd
Blondes have more fun, right? While this is sometimes true, it isn’t always. I can safely say that my roommates always have a good time dancing the night away at The Seagrape Cafe, sometimes a better time than me, and guess what? None of them are blonde.
Another common misbelief is the term “dumb blonde.” This saying has been around for centuries and there’s even an entire category of jokes titled after it but whoever coined the phrase had it all wrong. Sure there are people out there who may statistically not be as smart as others, but their hair color surely has nothing to do with that. We’ve all come across those people and obviously they aren’t exclusively blonde.
Believe it or not, there are plenty of smart blondes in this world too. Take Diane Sawyer for example. I doubt she would be where she is today if she weren’t a smart woman.
Personally, I’ve never been discriminated against because of my hair color, but I can say I am often identified by it. It is definitely easier to point out a blonde rather than say, a brunette, because blonde hair is brighter. In other words, blonde hair stands out among many other hair colors.
I will use my first day at my new internship as an example. When my supervisor asked me to walk down the hall and make a delivery to an employee, he made her identifying feature her hair color, which was blonde. Sure, a brunette or a redhead can be identified as so too, but for some reason you hear “she’s blonde” used as a way to describe someone a heck of a lot more than you hear “she’s brunette.”
So if by this point, you were not naturally blessed with beautiful golden locks, hopefully I have convinced you to dye your hair blonde because all of the connotations associated with blonde hair are false. Still, if you’re nervous to make the change, I can tell you that going blonde doesn’t have to be scary. Changing to a dark blonde or even adding just a few highlights can put the pep in your step that you’re looking for.
Personally, I love my blonde hair. I’ve tried all different shades of brunette and was even born one (don’t tell anyone) but it just doesn’t work for me. So, I decided to take the plunge to go blonde, and I never looked back. If you ask me, I’ll always tell you, the blonder, the better.
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Her Beer – Molly Leidig
I’ve never understood why there is an association between hair color and brains. I’ve experienced firsthand how society treats blondes and brunettes differently. I am a natural blonde, but my hair got darker with age, as is the natural progression for most blondes. As my hair grew darker, people began to not just refer to me as a dirty blonde, but the other dreaded B-word: brunette.
In a panic to keep my natural golden locks that I had become so accustomed, I frantically began highlighting and dying my hair. Before I knew it, I woke up one morning and suddenly had platinum blonde hair and started resembling Marilyn Monroe. My hair was dry and limp and looked ombre because my roots were so dark. What had I done?
My hair was always the one thing I loved about myself and it made me unique. I have voluminous, curly, thick, sometimes crazy hair that I was compromising to attain a blonde color.
It is tough to let go of a hair color that you’re used to. I was used to being blonde-haired blue-eyed girl. It was a part of my identity I didn’t want to give up. I finally realized that all parts of ourselves evolve as we grow up, and maybe my darkening hair was something I should accept.
O.K., I know most of you probably think this is a really dramatic story to just be talking about hair color, but transitioning from blonde to brunette does take some adjusting.
A little less than a month ago, I finally decided to go back to my natural color, and even a few shades darker, and I’m actually surprised at how much I love it. My darker hair really warms up my face and makes my blue eyes pop, and I’ve received more positive feedback than I ever expected.
I guess the point I am trying to make in my dramatic tale of hair coloring is this: Accept yourself for who you are. Our society tends to value certain qualities over others. For example, slim figures, blonde hair, blue eyes, tan skin etc. But, that doesn’t mean you’re not perfect just the way you are if you’re a curvy, brown eyed, fair-skinned brunette. Don’t fight nature; sometimes your natural self can be more beautiful than anything you can buy in a beauty salon.
For my blonde sisters out there, keep doing your thing. Who knows, I may be joining the blonde club again someday, but for now I am content as a brunette.
Oh, and trust me, there is really no such thing as “dumb blonde.” I make the same amount of clueless comments as a brunette as I did as a blonde.
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