How many times have you heard the phrase blondes have more fun? I’m not sure it’s true, but I thought I would test the theory by going to the movies and seeing whether Hollywood could prove or dispel the myth. One of the most interesting things I found – and this is based on a just a little and pretty superficial research if I’m totally honest – is that in all the really strong, dramatic and action leading roles for women, there doesn’t seem to be much of a call for blondes to play them; although, naturally there are some darn fine blonde leading ladies. Instead, the blondes get cast as the beautiful, the goofy, the sexy and the mad cap. Prima facie, it seems that Hollywood wants to perpetuate that blondes have more fun. Check out these movies and see if you agree.
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Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
On iTunes: itunes.apple.com
If there’s another “myth” that is perpetuated as much as blondes have more fun, it has to be that gentlemen prefer blondes. Starring two awesome screen sirens – only one of whom is blonde – this movie is one of the great old style Hollywood musicals. Probably most known for Marilyn Monroe’s "Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend" number, the movie came after a novel and a stage musical. If you have any feminist bent at all, you really won’t enjoy the story of this movie because as well as trying to tell us blondes have more fun, it has more stereotypes and clichés about women than you could probably imagine.
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Legally Blonde
On iTunes: itunes.apple.com
I know many people dismiss this film thinking it is about a spoiled little princess and blonde airhead. They are so wrong. There is a very positive message here. Yes, Elle Woods is spoiled and privileged, but she is also smart and sassy and clever enough to put her intellectual talents to use as well as her fashion sense, keen eye for style and girlie attributes. She proves that blondes have more fun but can still be successful too!
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Housesitter
On iTunes: itunes.apple.com
There’s a whole, very long list of movies starring Goldie Hawn where she single-handedly could prove that blondes do have more fun. Even if she gets into all sorts of imaginable scrapes and suffers emotional trauma and pain, she comes through it all smiling at the end. You could choose Death Becomes Her, Private Benjamin, The Out of Towners, Overboard, Bird on a Wire, The First Wives Club …. La la la .. but I like Housesitter. She is the perfect foil for Steve Martin in this one.
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Clueless
On iTunes: itunes.apple.com
Blondes have more fun, but do they get their man? The saving grace of Clueless is that it is based on Jane Austen’s Emma – a girl so intent on matchmaking for everyone around her that she doesn’t realize that she is herself, well, clueless about love. But, we know that Austen’s heroines have great depths and lots of layers so it will all work out well in the end.
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Some like It Hot
On iTunes: itunes.apple.com
If there’s one actress whose career embodies the idea that blondes have more fun it has to be Marilyn Monroe – shame her real life was so tragic. This is absolutely in my top 10 movies of all time – it’s an absolute classic. A cracking musical score, a funny story, tour de force performances from Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon and one of the funniest closing lines ever – what more could you ask for?
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Silence at the proper season is wisdom, and better than any speech.
There’s Something about Mary
On iTunes: itunes.apple.com
I believe that Cameron Diaz has managed to start to find a balance between playing the dumb blondes and the pretty girls next door who try to prove that blondes have more fun, and the more dramatic roles that show that blondes are just like the rest of us. We are all different and we all have fun. There’s Something About Mary is rated as one of the greatest comedies of modern times and Cameron Diaz plays Mary so perfectly.
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Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion
On iTunes: itunes.apple.com
How could I not include this? Seriously? This post-high school romp is such a perfect vehicle to try and convince us that blondes have more fun. Kooky, crazy and totally not believable, but there’s no rules that say movies always have to be within the realms of reality, do they? Once again though. the crazy blondes win in the end!
Well I think that Hollywood does a hard job trying to convince us that blondes have more fun, but it will need to continue to convince most of us! While it does, it will continue to perpetuate the stereotypical airhead blonde and do little to dispel the myth that blondes with brains are in the minority. Meanwhile we can enjoy the fun and not take the message too seriously. So, let’s hear from you smart, sassy and classy blondes out there. Do you get stereotyped?
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