# Are blondes still the beauty standard? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 14, 2006, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-blondes-still-the-beauty-standard/384097 "2006-12-14T08:31:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2006, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-blondes-still-the-beauty-standard/384097/1 "2006-12-14T08:31:12Z")
When I was a child in the 80’s, it seemed like virtually everyone considered blonde women more beautiful than other hair colors. You almost never heard men express a preference for brunettes, and redheads were only sparsely mentioned. Now it seems it’s hard to find a guy who does prefer blondes. Do you think this is a valid observation, and if so why? ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2006, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-blondes-still-the-beauty-standard/384097/2 "2006-12-14T08:36:35Z")
Things come and go through the ages. Blondes are big again, like they were in the 80s. I see a LOT of bleach jobs at my school, some better than others. Oddly, the recycling of 80s trend seems to yield Pat Benatar fashion with Loni Anderson hair (I’m overstating the Loni Anderson part, but just barely. And mark my words, ugly “bugcatcher” hairdos will be back). My husband always likes to say that the only good thing about the 90s were the brunettes. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2006, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-blondes-still-the-beauty-standard/384097/3 "2006-12-14T08:40:23Z")
Hrm sorry I latched entirely onto “80s”. I can and do hear of men who state they prefer blondes, but as far as beauty standards go among the white male 18-32 set, I’d wager an educated guess that “Asian” is in. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2006, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-blondes-still-the-beauty-standard/384097/4 "2006-12-14T08:40:31Z")
[This woman](http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://lvol.com/bios/images/e210.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.lvol.com/bios/e210.html&h=374&w=300&sz=29&hl=en&sig2=WMkJi0E0-USXqg3gxrZAxA&start=17&tbnid=jK681y8lNvEqrM:&tbnh=122&tbnw=98&ei=Ag2BRdKYCsrmJI6RueoN&prev=/images%3Fq%3Droseanne%2Bbarr%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26safe%3Doff%26rlz%3D1B2GGGL_enUS177%26sa%3DN) seems to think so. But now that you mention it, I think the “blondes have more fun” adage has run its course - not that some guys still don’t prefer blondes, but it probably isn’t a deal breaker. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_C](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Captain\_C](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_C)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2006, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-blondes-still-the-beauty-standard/384097/5 "2006-12-14T08:53:23Z")
Redhead is good. Or asian. or asian redhead!!! ZOMG! ---
**Author:** ![According\_to\_Pliny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@According\_to\_Pliny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/According_to_Pliny)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2006, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-blondes-still-the-beauty-standard/384097/6 "2006-12-15T17:37:02Z")
No, it’s not a valid observation. Blonds still are the stars of any swim suit or Victoria’s Secret shoot. And stars who go from blond to dark, like Lindsey Lohan, don’t get the glamor covers any more. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2006, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-blondes-still-the-beauty-standard/384097/7 "2006-12-15T17:45:05Z")
Yeah and about the Asian thing - how many female Asian film stars can the average person name off the top of his head? Lucy Liu and maybe the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon woman. I’m not ready to accept that Asian is the new standard of beauty until there are way more Asian actresses getting starring roles. ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-blondes-still-the-beauty-standard/384097/8 "2006-12-16T03:24:17Z")
For what it’s worth, I’ve noticed that there are more brunette models in hair commercials–mostly hispanic models who have long, shiny dark hair. Specially in the Garnier Fructis commercials. ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-blondes-still-the-beauty-standard/384097/9 "2006-12-16T06:22:40Z")
For a lot of people, they never were. ---
**Author:** ![Not\_a\_Platypus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d26b3c/32.png) [@Not\_a\_Platypus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_a_Platypus)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-blondes-still-the-beauty-standard/384097/10 "2006-12-16T06:29:24Z")
It seems they aren’t quite as big as they were, but then I’ve never been a huge fan of blonde hair, so they don’t really stand out for me. For men I know personally, redheads seem to be the hot thing. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-blondes-still-the-beauty-standard/384097/11 "2006-12-16T07:27:25Z")
I think Latina is the new blonde: Jessica Alba, Christina Aguilera, Penelope Cruz, Rosario Dawson, Adriana Lima, Jennifer Lopez, Eva Longoria, Eva Mendes, Shakira, etc. ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-blondes-still-the-beauty-standard/384097/12 "2006-12-16T12:08:53Z")
Not that Playboy is the standard, but I recently remarked to a friend that a year’s worth of Playboy centerfolds would probably yield 10 blonds, one woman of Asian descent, and one black woman. Arguing against that, my estimates were based on the last time I saw sequential issues of Playboy back in the 80s. I’m guessing that for some demographics, the blonde ideal still holds. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-blondes-still-the-beauty-standard/384097/13 "2006-12-16T20:29:50Z")
[QUOTE=Captain\_C] …or asian redhead!!! ZOMG! [/QUOTE] My husband’s favourite thing (in his fantasy world) would be a large-breasted Asian redhead. Two outta three ain’t bad, if I do say so myself. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-blondes-still-the-beauty-standard/384097/14 "2006-12-16T21:07:37Z")
Strawberry Blondes are darn near magically sexy! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2006, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-blondes-still-the-beauty-standard/384097/15 "2006-12-17T04:31:07Z")
> [@](#): > > Not that Playboy is the standard, but I recently remarked to a friend that a year’s worth of Playboy centerfolds would probably yield 10 blonds, one woman of Asian descent, and one black woman. Arguing against that, my estimates were based on the last time I saw sequential issues of Playboy back in the 80s. I’m guessing that for some demographics, the blonde ideal still holds. The current issue of Playboy has the review of last year’s playmates: six blondes, five brunettes (one of whom is black), and one redhead. Conducting a little further research (no need to thank me) I checked back to some previous years. 2005: seven blondes, four brunettes (one black), one redhead 2004: five blondes, six brunettes (one Asian), one redhead 2003: seven blondes, five brunettes (one issue featured twins), one redhead, no blacks or Asians 2002: seven blondes, four brunettes (two black), one redhead 2001: eight blondes, three brunettes, one redhead 2000: seven blondes (one issue featured twins), five brunettes (one black), one redhead So I think recent trends are blondes are still the majority but brunettes are moving up. Black models are edging out Asians. And redheads are a “once a year” special. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2006, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-blondes-still-the-beauty-standard/384097/16 "2006-12-17T09:10:37Z")
Blondes with guns… ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2006, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-blondes-still-the-beauty-standard/384097/17 "2006-12-17T09:17:49Z")
[QUOTE=Cicero] Blondes with guns… [/QUOTE] Blond haired cows with guns… ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2006, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-blondes-still-the-beauty-standard/384097/18 "2006-12-17T09:43:24Z")
Give me my red-headed baby. Altho she did just mention about going blond… ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2006, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-blondes-still-the-beauty-standard/384097/19 "2006-12-17T18:31:23Z")
I guess I like 'em all. I do kinda have a thing for pretty redheads (Nikki Cox is stunning) but I could name many other women that are stunning too. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2006, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-blondes-still-the-beauty-standard/384097/20 "2006-12-17T18:35:06Z")
> [@](#): > > I could name many other women that are stunning too If you’re going to flirt with on-duty policewomen you’ve got to accept the chance you might get tasered. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-blondes-still-the-beauty-standard/384097.md?page=2)