Legally Blonde: A Challenge on Blonde Stereotype By: Diah Nur Aini C 0301022
CHAPTER II
LITERARY REVIEW
A. Popular Culture
Popular culture is about ‘satisfaction’ all right, said Nachbar and Lause. It is ensuring people to get what they want no matter them need it or not. Popular culture refers to the products of human work and thought which are accepted and approved by a large member of community or population. (Nachbar and Lause, 1992:14). There are two elements on the definition above, which is ‘the acceptance’ and ‘a large member of community’. That two elements cannot be ignored because if one of it is eliminated, than it would not be a popular culture anymore. Other definition of popular culture which is similar to Nacbar and Lause is stated by John Storey.
According to Storey, “Popular culture is simply culture which is widely favored or well liked by many people. (Storey, 2001: 6). However, popular necessarily implies an important element of choice as well. (Nachbar and Lause, 1992:10). It means that the more people like the product or event, the more popular it would be.
“Popular culture forms the vast majority of the artifacts and events which compose our daily lives, but it does not consist of our entire culture. It surrounds us 10
but does not close other opportunities for existence apart from it.” (Nachbar and
Lause, 1992:15).It is because all of us participate in at least two other kinds of culture. The cultures are folk culture and elite culture. Folk culture refers to the products of human work and thought (culture) that have developed within a limited community and that are communicated directly from generation to generation. 11
The means of communication is usually oral and the author is unknown. It is typically simple both thematically and technologically. Folk culture is not merely the culture of the poor and uneducated. We are all part of a “folk” as well as a member of the “masses”.
Elite culture refers to the products of human work and thought produced by and for a limited number of people who have specialized interests, training and knowledge. The elite artists are known by the audience in order to understanding more about their work. The artist’s works are used to express the interpretation of the world or “for the ages” and not for a tiny folk community or for the entertainment and diversion of the masses. (Nachbar and Lause, 1992:15-16). Just as the folk that is not dealing with poverty and stupidity, elite culture is also not tied to wealth and intelligence.
The relationship among folk, popular, and elite culture is important to understand the study of popular culture and the approach in culture. The relationship has been illustrated by Ray Browne in a simple diagram that represents several significant aspects of the way the cultures interact each other.
Culture Folk Popular Elite
12
1. The relationship among the three is non evaluative. It means that the three
cultures placed in the same level.
2. The shape of the representatives “egg” indicates that popular culture is the
major portion of a society’s total way of life. It surrounds us and forms the
fabric of our everyday lives in a way that folk and elite culture do not.
3. The relationship among the three is fluid. It means that there are no hard
and fast lines separating the cultures from each other, but rather, each
culture seem to ‘flow’ always indefinably into its neighbor. This fluid
relationship in turn has two important elements:
a. Each member of a society experiences all three types of
culture. There are no lines to prevent an individual from
moving freely from one culture or type to another.
b. A given cultural artifact or event can change culture
categories over time of because of changes in its mode of
presentation or audience.
(Brown in Nachbar and Lause, 1992: 16-17)
The study of popular culture will revolve into several important characteristics of the subject that are:
1. It consists of artifacts, such as objects and people, and events
(activities surrounding the objects and people).
2. It reflects beliefs and values of audiences.
3. It shapes beliefs and values.
4. It must be commercial; it is produced to get money. 13
5. It is often imitative, means that it will repeat if it works.
6. It surrounds us. (Nachbar and Lause, 1992:10)
Popular culture is not about true or false. It is more about satisfaction as what have been said by Nachbar and Lause. It is also about choice as well because no one can choose to do otherwise. In analyzing popular culture, people need to understand and appreciate it and then reveal the beliefs and values of it.
In order to understand deeper about the study of popular culture, we can see “the house of popular culture” illustrated by Nachbar and Lause. However, we need to keep the following points before we start the tour in the house:
1. All of the rooms are related to each other in important ways. Each room draws
from other rooms and, in turn, provides meaning to elements of other rooms in
the house. The arrows between rooms and levels reflect this vital
interdependence and complex relationship.
2. The visible aspects of our culture (artifacts and events) are expressions of the
invisible parts (our cultural mindset). We do not study in one room alone, in
other word, but constantly return to the beliefs and values hidden from view in
the basement to determine the meaning and significance of the contents of the
rooms above ground.
(Nacbar and Lause, 1992: 22)
From those two points, we can understand that popular culture always search for meaning and significance as we use our tools to pry open the door leading down to the dark recesses of the culture mindset which defines us.
(Nachbar and Lause, 1992: 22). 14
The House of Popular Culture
The House of Popular Culture is divided into three floors. The first floor called the Basement. This floor is the floor of cultural mindset. It has two subdivided that is the floor of Bedrock Beliefs and Values and the floor of Beliefs and Values. The Basement holds the beliefs and values forming the cultural mindset. Beliefs and values are in the Basement because they are ideas that cannot be “seen” and of themselves. They exist in the cultural mind and in the minds of the individual members of mass society. (Nacbar and Lause, 1992:22-23). Beliefs and Values are the one that close to the surface because they are the most 15
transitory, shallow, and faddish. Meanwhile, the bedrock beliefs and values
(myth) lies below the beliefs and values because they are the most stable, longstanding, and significant ones characteristic of broad components of the total population. (Nachbar and Lause, 1992: 23)
The second floor is the artifact floor contains popular artifacts (objects and people) which are accepted by a large member of society. There are two types of the popular artifacts: popular objects termed icons and popular people are termed heroes. Both are divided into ‘real’ and ‘imaginary’ depends on their existence in the real world or only fictional creation. The examples of the real icons are jeans and a fast food restaurant, while the examples of imaginary icons are Rolex watches and gun in the western. The examples of real heroes are Martin
Luther King and George Washington, while the examples of imaginary heroes are
Superman and Batman.
Celebrities cut across the “real” and “imaginary” because although they actually exist in three-dimensional form, their “star” persona is fabricated and often so distant from the real person and more appropriate to be considered as a type of fiction. As celebrities, the stereotypes also cut across the two rooms.
However, it has different reason of that in celebrities. The reason why the stereotypes cut across the two rooms is because they can be found in all areas of popular expression, both “real” and “imaginary”. (Nacbar and Lause, 1992 : 26).
In a community, people need to interact with each other. They need to understand other individual’s characteristics to avoid conflicts among them. That is not an easier thing to do because each individual has their own characteristic 16
that makes them different from one another. To make it easier, a limited human or cultural mind need to be “simplified” from the wide variety of those characteristics into only a number of them, this is what is called stereotyping.
Nachbar and Lause stated stereotyping is a natural function of the human/ cultural mind.
According to Nachbar and Lause, “stereotype is a standardized conception or image of a specific group of people or objects.” (Nacbar and Lause,
1992: 236). People uses stereotype to label someone/ something into such kind characteristics which are accepted as a full description of all member. Nachbar and Lause give a great example of stereotype in their book:
“People may be stereotyped around the characteristics of age (“All teenagers love rock and roll and have no respect for their elders”), sex (“Men want just one thing from a women”), race (“All Japanese look and think alike”), religion (“All Catholics love the Pope more that their country”), vocation (“All lawyers are greedy weasels”), and nationality (“All Germans are Nazi warmongers”). Objects can be stereotyped around the characteristics of places (“All cities are corrupt and sinful.” “Small towns are safe and clean.” “In England it rains all the time.”) and things (“All American cars are cheaply and ineptly made.” “A good house has a large lawn, big garage, and at least two bathrooms.”) (Nacbar and Lause, 1992: 236-237).
Nachbar and Lause also give some important characteristics of stereotype, they are: a. It is a standardized concept of a specific group of people or object. b. The standardized conception is held in common by the members of a group. c. It is a direct expression of beliefs and values. It means that stereotypes are
useful in tracing the evolution of popular thought, the way in which the beliefs 17
and values associated with specific group change overtime. (Nachbar and
Lause, 1992: 237).
Walter Lipmann identified four aspects of stereotypes in his pioneering work. He stated that stereotypes are: simple, simpler than reality which capable to be summarized into only two or three sentences. Second, it is acquired secondhand, means that people acquire stereotypes from cultural mediator rather than from their own direct experience with the group being stereotyped. Third, it is erroneous, means that all stereotypes are false. Fourth, it is resistant to change, means that stereotypes cannot easily change overtime. (Nacbar and Lause, 1992:
243)
Besides its natural human function, stereotyping also has useful functions. First it is obvious that a stereotype is to create classifications of individuals. The second useful function is in the use of “countertypes.” A countertype is a positive stereotype (one which arouses “good emotions” and associates group of people with socially approved characteristics) which evolves as an attempt to replace or “counter” a negative stereotype which has been applied previously to a specific group of people. Countertypes are important reflections
(and sharper) of popular beliefs and values. However, countertypes are still stereotypes. They are still oversimplified views of the group being stereotyped.
They are also merely surface correctives; behind a countertype we will often discover an old stereotype lurking underneath (Nacbar and Lause, 1992: 239-240).
The third useful function of stereotype is as conventional character in popular 18
stories. It gives the easiness to the storyteller that he does not have to explain the motivations of every minor character in story.
Since all stereotypes are false and acquired secondhand, stereotypes have dangers in their use. Stereotypes are frequently negative, harmful nature-ugly emotions and even worst behavior. The second danger is that it is not quite resulted from the fact that stereotypes are not merely descriptions, but are also prescriptions as well.
Stereotyping is a natural human function that makes reality easier to deal with by using simplification that reflects important beliefs and values as well.
This encourages people to "live up to their stereotypes” and act like the images a culture already has of them to fulfill their proper social roles. However, that is all impossible and damaging to the individuals being asked to mold themselves in such a narrow manner.
The third floor is the event floor. It is the floor that represents our daily life. This floor consists of three different rooms that are the arts, formula, and rituals. The arts and the rituals room are the largest in the house. The arts are vast and diverse, but they do not stand isolated from the other rooms and they derive their meaning and significance from the beliefs and values in the basement of the popular mindset. (Nacbar and Lause, 1992: 28). The examples of arts are movies and bestseller books.
The second room of this event floor is the rituals room. According to
Nacbar and Lause, “rituals as highly patterned symbolic events in which we all participate as a way of marking important passage in our individual lives on in 19
society as a whole in which we bind our culture together in our celebration of our common beliefs and values and/or in which we release tension and anxiety in socially acceptable “safe” manner.” (Nacbar and Lause, 1992: 27). The examples of rituals are wedding and funerals. Rituals build upon the room below by frequently integrating both heroes and icons into patterned events. (Nacbar and
Lause, 1992: 27). All of that shows the interdependences between rooms that are showed by the arrow from the real icons and heroes room that pointing upward the ritual rooms.
The last room of the event floor is the corridor between the arts and rituals room, the formula room. Formulas are patterns which identify various categories of each type of arts based upon shared characteristics which are known to both the popular artist and the audience. These formulas also give rituals their order and identity by being the step by step formulaic process. That is why the
“formula” rests in the corridor between both rooms. (Nacbar and Lause, 1992:
29).
B. Semiotic Film Theory and The Basic Terminology In Cinematography
1. Semiotic Film Theory
Film needs theory. One of film theories is semiotic film theory. Film consists of many signs and symbols, so we need to analyze the signs to understand the meaning deeply. Semiotic is a term comes from Greek “semeion” that means sign. This term was firstly used by an American Philosopher Charles Sanders
Pierce. Semiotic is the development of Structuralism by Ferdinand de Saussure
(1857-1913). He is a Swiss Linguist who introduced Course in General 20
Linguistics called semiology. According to Saussure, “A science that studies the life of signs within society is therefore conceivable… I shall call it semiology
(from the Greek semeion ‘sign’). Semiology shows what constitutes sign, what laws govern them. Since the science does not yet exist, no one can say what it would be: but it has a right to existence, a place staked out in advanced”. (Lapsley and Westlake, 1988: 32).
Saussure’s important point is not on how it developed but on how it works. He sought to explain how that word and sound produced meaning.
Saussure argued that meaning derives solely from the system within with particular utterance are articulated. The system (langue) and the actual utterance
(parole) maybe compared to the rule system of chess and to set of moves which maybe actually or potentially played. Saussure distinguished the functioning of language as a system between the signifier and signified, which together comprise the linguistic sign. The signifier is the actual sound of the word or appearance if it is written, such as facial expression and words on a page. The signified is the concept or meaning attached to it. The relation among them is arbitrary in language, but in film the relation is iconic. Together, the signifier and signified make up a sign that is the smallest unit of meaning.
Semiotics Film Theory was firstly introduced by Christian Metz in the middle of 1960s. He derived Saussure’s idea of semiology. Film is not language, but it is like language, and since it is like language, some of the methods that are used to study language might profitably be applied to a study of film. (Monaco,
2000: 167). Metz pointed out: we understand a film not because we have 21
knowledge of its system; rather, we achieve an understanding of its system because we understand the film. Put another way, it is not because the cinema is language that it can tell such fine stories, but rather it has become language because it has told such a fine stories.
Semiticians agree that a sign must consist of signifier and signified. In film, it is difficult to see where the signifier is and where is the signified because they are almost identical. Metz states that “A film is difficult to explain because it is easy to understand.” (Monaco, 2000: 158). In film, an image of something, such as rose, is simply an image of rose and nothing else. But in language system, rose can be modified with any other similar words such as rose, rosy, rise, etc. “The power of language system is that there is a great difference between the signifier and the signified, the power of film is that there is not.” (Monaco, 2000:158).
Monaco states that a film does manage to communicate meaning in two different manners: denotatively and connotatively. He said that denotation has to be studied before connotation. It is because denotation is the basic form of cinematic material, because it presents and not interprets. Denotation is an image that makes up a story. Meanwhile, connotation has to come after denotation because what images connote is not directly presented by the basic material of the film and connotation is only partly indicated by the denotation.
Is cinema a language? That is an overriding question for any semiotics of cinema. The answer comes from the Christian Metz in a yes and no answer. Yes, it was a language, but no it was a language without a langue. Metz wanted to achieve an understanding of how films are understood, but he recognizes 22
fundamental difference between language and cinema that prevented the wholesale importation of Saussure’s concept. Metz stated that the concept of langue was in applicable to cinema because of three reasons: a. Cinema is not available for inter-communication because it is one-way
communication. b. The filmic image is quite unlike the Saussurean sign who argue that the
relation between signifier and signified is arbitrary. While the cinema has its
primary material, a body of the real world, mediated through their mechanical
duplication. c. Cinema looks the double articulation since film does not have phoneme which
becomes the smallest distinctive unit of language. In cinema, the smallest unit
will be the “shot”. According to Metz, shot is more like statement than a word
and it has meaning that makes it different from phoneme that does not have
meaning at all.
Christian Metz treated cinema and the cinematic text as a significant field of heterogeneities of codes. He divided codes into two: cinematic codes and non- cinematic codes. In cinematic codes, he distinguished codes of editing and framing, of lighting, of color, of the articulation of sound and movement, etc.
While on the non-cinematic codes include: costumes, gesture, dialogue, characterization, and facial expression. All of those codes can give important information about the movie.
2. Basic Terminology In Cinematography 23
Movie consists of symbols and signs. In order to understand the sign in the movie, it is essential to know about the basic terminology in cinematography.
Prof. Michael Goldberg stated about the parts of basic terminology in cinematography. (http//faculty.washington.edu/mlg/students/readfilm.htn, accessed at 24 of December, 2007 on 11.15 am). These parts are: a. MEANING
• Themes/tropes: is the broad ideas and indirect reference, which are made by
repetition of technical and linguistic means throughout the film.
• Intent/message: it is sometimes obvious but sometimes unobvious. That
makes the audience interpret the story differently.
• Metaphors: are the elements of meaning that representing something deeper
than the explicit meaning. The concept of metaphor is similar to what is
mentioned in literary theory. However, in film theory, all aspects of a film,
such as linguistics or visual are considered. The metaphor becomes more
important if it is repeated in significant ways or connected with the larger
meaning in the film. b. BASIC ELEMENTS
• Title/opening credit. It should be chosen very carefully because it
establishes tone and often used to foreshadow events, themes, or metaphors.
• Story/ plot/ narrative: All information conveyed by the film either directly
or by inference in order to communicate the whole sense of what occurred
in the film. The plot contains the cause and effect relations that create
suspense, surprise, and fulfill expectation. 24
• Motivation. It is the character’s personal reason for his/her action. It can
fulfill the audience’s expectation toward the film.
• Characterization. It is a fake personality on a movie. Character is not a real
people. It is the way that the film employs to create personalities of each
character. It consists of central and minor characters.
• Point of view. It can be subjective or objective. Subjective means that a
particular shot is viewed from a character’s point of view. While objective
means that the film is not viewed from a particular character. c. MISE-END-SCENE
It is everything going on within the frame outside of editing and sound.
• Setting and sets: is the location where the scene may take place whether it is
inside or outside the studio. It is used to compose the shot (vertical and
horizontal), windows and door, etc.
• Acting style: is the actor own style. It is important for the actor to have his
own recognizable style to fulfill the audience’s expectations, either by
reaffirming or challenging audience’s expectation.
• Costumes. It covers the contrast between characters for example: the use of
color, physical appearance, hair style, etc.
• Lighting: is one of the key means in creating a shadow and shading in
movie.
Key light: is the main lighting, placed at a 45 degree angle between
camera and subject. 25
Fill light: is an auxiliary light. It usually lightens the subject from the
side to soften or eliminate and illuminate area that is not covered by the
key light.
Highlighting. Pencil-thin beams of light used to illuminate certain parts
of a subject.
Backlighting. The main source of light is placing behind the subject to
make silhouette and directing the light toward the cinema.
Top lighting. Lighting the object from above.
Diffuser/ filter. A gelatin plate that is placed in front of light to change
the effect. It can be used to cast a shadow or soften the light.
• Shot composition. Each shot represents the filmmaker’s choices to convey
meaning.
• Film Speed. The speed of the film whether it is fast or slow motion.
• Angle of view/ lens
Wide angle lenses. It presents broad views of subjects. It is also
possible to take view many planes of action.
Telephoto lenses. It has a very narrow angle of views. It is like a
telescope to focus faraway subjects and flattens the views.
• Camera angles: is the angle at which the camera is pointed at the subjects. It
can be classified based on the size of objects and the height of camera
compared to object. It is often used to establish character’s level of power
and control. 26
• Camera movement. It encompasses a variety of different formal devices,
including one-the zoom-in which the camera makes no movement
whatsoever. It consists of:
In a pan: the camera swings horizontally and/ or vertically. These
effects are often used simultaneously.
In tracking shot: it moves the camera either sideways or in and out on
an axis. It usually to create dramatic action.
In dolly shot. The camera can track in a variety of different directions.
It usually creates a jerkier effect.
• Focus
Shallow focus. It focuses sharply on the characters or things in one area
of the shoot and soft focus in the rest.
Deep focus. It brings out all of the detail of subjects in all areas of shot.
Focus in. Zoom in on the subject
Focus out. Zoom out on the subject
Rack focus. It is an extremely fast focus pull that changes focus from
one image/ character to another by changing the focus to a different
plane.
• Camera distance. It is the relative distance between the camera and the
action being filmed.
Long shot: is a full shot, ex: if the subject is human, it shots from the
top of his head to the feet.
Medium shot. It is normally a shot from waist up. 27
Close up. It is a shot to catch changing facial expression.
Establishing shot. Initial shot in a scene that establishes location,
characters, and purpose of the screen.
Master shot. It is the same establishing shot, but it is reserved for the
special needs of the film.
• Frame: is the border that contains images. It can be “open” (with characters
moving in and out); “moving” (using focus, tracking, panning); “canted” (at
the angles, unbalance shot composition). d. MONTAGE
The process of editing (“cuts”) within scenes and in the film generally, to create continuities and discontinuities, juxtapositions, and narrative structure.
• Editing phase. Editing to establish overall tone.
• Shot/ counter shot. It is a standard device used during dialogue between two
characters; it often starts with a “two-shot” of the two characters then moves
back and forth. It usually combined with camera angle, shot distance, and
pace to establish point of view.
• Reaction shot is a quick cut to pick up character’s reaction to an event.
• Accelerated montage. A series of quick cuts that relates a variety of shot
from different locations into a coherent story.
• Jump cut. A cut which occurs within a scene to remove part of a shot. It is
done to create an effect.
• Freeze frame to give the illusion of a still photography, it is needed by
printing a single frame many times in succession. 28
• Cutaway. A cut within a shot to a location that links the action of the shot
and condenses time.
• Match cut. A cut in which two shots are linked by visual, aural, or
metaphorical parallelism.
• Scenes. The end of a scene is usually marked by a number of possible
devices, such as fade-ins and fade-outs, wipe, and dissolve.
• Sequence. A series of scenes that fit together narrativelly or
representationally. e. SOUND
Sound is an extremely important device for the filmmaker to send their messages. It is used to underscore emotions, to alert the audience to an upcoming event, as an ironic counterpoint, etc.
• Dialogue. One of the film devices to create emotions. It can be mumbled,
very soft, or very loud.
• Sound effect. The manipulations of the sound to make the audience’s enjoy
the movie, such as the sound of rain or thunder.
• Score. The background music used throughout the film. It often maintains
and manipulates a similar theme at various times and often used in relation
to the narrative structure.
• Song bridge is a sound that continues through the visual transition to
connect scenes or sequences.
• Direct sound refers to sound that is recorded at the time the scene is shot,
example: dialogue. 29
• Postsychronous sound refers to sound that is recorded and placed on the
film audio track after the scene is shot, such as footsteps.
• Diegetic sound is heard within the film diegesis.
• Off-screen sound. It appears within the film’s diegesis but not within the
frame.
• Non-diegetic sound is heard outside of the film diegesis, such as film scores
and voice-over.
• Simultaneously sound. A sound that is heard at the same time the action
happens on the screen.
• Non-simultaneously sound is heard before or after the action happens on
screen.
C. The Blonde Phenomenon
Blonde women have appeared since thousands of years ago. According to
Anthropologists, the appearance of fair haired is connected with an insufficient food supply and caused a genetic mutation.
(http://whyville.net/smnk/whytimes/article?id=6018, accessed in May 5, 2006).
Since blonde women appeared, they began to drive men in their tribe mad. Long time ago, men prefers blonde women because blonde tend to have lighter skin color which an indication of higher fertility. That makes lot of women wants to be blonde. People were using horse urine or crocodile fat and goat fat to dye their hair blonde before the discovery of peroxide. Peroxide was discovered in 1818 and that changed the dying process in the society. Now any color of hair dying 30
can be found in stores. However, blonde color is still the favorite color that people buy. That is because the media always presenting beautiful blonde model or artists to the magazine and television show. Actors and actresses such as Nicole Kidman,
Gweneth Paltrow, Jennifer Anniston, Jodie Foster, Brad Pitt, and many more are the reason why people wants to be blonde. Hair Care Company such as L’Oreal and Clairol are using famous actresses to attract people using their product.
L’Oreal is using Beyonce Knowles, a famous African American singer, as their model for their new blonde hair dye. While Clairol is also using African American model, Roshumba, as an icon of their new blonde hair dye.
Tesco Professional Hair care informs that just less than 40% of the total
United Kingdom hair-dye market is blonde, that is only in UK. Few years ago,
L’Oreal could not give away a bottle of blonde hair dye in Japan. In 2000, 25% of
L’Oreal blonde hair coloring sold there. Now, Japanese people are blonder than the blonde itself. That is why 40% of all hair color sold is blonde. (http://www.
Usatoday.com/money/covers/2001, accessed in August 21, 2008)
People want to dye their hair blonde for many reasons. They want to look younger than their age or only want to change their appearance. However, some people want to be blonde because they want to be called as the stereotype which are dumb, have more fun, and even slut. As what some actresses did to get popularity such as Paris Hilton, Carmen Electra, Pamela Anderson, and Jessica
Simpson. That makes the stereotype always exist until now.
D. Stereotyping of Blonde Women 31
There is an old stereotype about blonde women which is believed by both men and women, such as bimbos, flirty, trash. All of that labels the blonde women. The most popular stereotype of blonde women is the dumb blonde stereotype. Many people believe that hair color is associated with certain personality characteristics. However, that stereotype is only given for platinum blonde women and not for the natural blonde ones. The reason for that is unknown but this stereotype is believed to be hold stronger in men than in women. (www.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/315527.stm , accessed in 24 of December,
2007 in 11.15 am). Popular stereotypes of blonde women are: a. Blonde women have more fun.
Many people still believed that blonde hair symbolizing something. One of what people think about blonde women is that they have more fun than any other hair color such as brunette or red hair. People think those blondes are not serious in their life. Those blondes only want to have fun in their life. As what Hugh
Hefner, the chief editor of Playboy magazine said about blonde, “I do think that the very fact that blondes often are blondes by choices, it is indication that they probably want to have more fun. It is a statement; it is a way of getting noticed.”
(http://www.entertainment!sympatico.msn.ca, accessed in August 21, 2008)
Julie Chen from The Early Show ever had an interview with David
Evangelista, a famous hairstylist, about what hair color and hair style say about a person. From that interview, Julie came to the conclusion that “if you want to be taken more serious you should go to the brown route because brunette women are 32
known to be that way.” (http://www.publisherweekly.com, accessed in April 13,
2008).
This stereotype is also referring to sexual connotation. That blonde women is only for fun or become a hot dating than being a serious relationship or married with. Scientific surveys men generally find blonde more feminine and more attractive sexually. It is because blonde hair is sexual signal. It attracts light and attention to the women
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2001/jul/29/featuresreview.review, accessed in May 12, 2008). This stereotype can be turn back to the Hollywood’s fault too because there are a lot of blonde women were cast a “sex siren” in their role. (http://trybeautytips.com, accessed in May 12, 2008).
However, that simple thought is still on society’s mind until now because the media are still representing that. Media always shows blonde actresses in their bad habit than in their good one. For example is Paris Hilton who always shows in television or magazine when she is drunk and joins in a wild party in a sexy outfit or when she is flirting with a man. But Paris Hilton is not a representation of all blonde out there. There are a lot of great blondes such as Faith Hill, a famous country singer, who has married with a singer too and having a great family.
Other actress is Cameron Diaz, a blonde actress who cares a lot with nature. But the media is so rare to show it because Paris Hilton’s scandal is more selling. That makes the stereotype greater in society b. Blonde women are dumb. 33
This stereotype is the most popular and gives greater effects for women with blonde hair. It is believed that blonde woman is attractive, yet unintelligent woman. (www.Wikipedia.org/wiki/bimbo, accessed in April 22, 2008). The dumb blonde stereotype is emerged with the development of films, televisions, and magazines. Fundamentally, the media plays a part in how people “think” and generalize a group of individual based on the other’s gender, race, religion, hair color, and so forth. (http://www.echeat.com/essay/php?t=27565, accessed in
December 10, 2007).
Hollywood must take some blame for the “dumb blonde” stereotype. It is because in the 40’s a lot of starlets trying to get noticed bleached their hair blonde.
This technique worked because they got attention from the casting director.
However, many of them were cast in a bit part that is a kind of naïve innocence with somehow got translated into “dumb”. Ironically, that work for some actresses such as Marilyn Monroe, who become an icon of blonde women, Pamela
Anderson, Goldie Hawn, Jessica Simpson, and Paris Hilton. They are famous because they just like the stereotype. On the other hand, there is nothing dumb to the other actresses such as Jodie Foster, graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Literature from Yale or Lisa Kudrow who is actually smart because she received her degree in Biology from Vassar even though she always plays a role as a stupid girl in movie. There is also Diane Sawyer, who was a press aide during the Nixon administration. Hilarry Clinton, the Senator of New York is also blonde. 34
We have to trace back to the Stone Age if we want to understand the dumb blonde stereotype started. Blonde hair gives the appearance of youth. This is because people have lighter skin and hair when they are children, than when they get older. Youth is always referring to less capable, more naïve, more vulnerable, less mature, and less intelligent. For women, this translated into dumb blondes.
This dumb blonde stereotype is stronger in men than in women. The stereotypes also exist only in term of platinum blonde, said Dr. Tony Cassidy of the
University Coventry. (http://www.news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/315527.stm, accessed in June 10, 2007).
There are a lot of movies, especially teen movies that hold this stereotype.
In teen movies, a blonde character usually described as a dumb and mean and becomes the antagonist character. That makes the stereotype greater in people’s mind.
In the mid of 20th century, the blonde stereotype is challenged. A lot of blonde women feel that this stereotype is so untrue and destructive for them. It is because sometimes they are treated inappropriately regarding their blonde hair color. And believe it or not, this stereotype is still believed by the society even they do not realize it when they said about it. As what happen to Reese
Witherspoon, the cast of Elle Woods, who got experience like someone without much brain because she is naturally blonde? A lot of casting agents did not believe that she could handle tougher roles just because of her appearance.
(http://www.cinema.com/articles/584/legally-blonde-interview-with-Reese-
Witherspoon.phtml, accessed in January 7, 2008). Because of these phenomena, 35
Hollywood movie industry tries to make it on screen. One of the movies that challenge the dumb blonde stereotype is Legally Blonde movies.
This is not the stereotypical one, but it’s satirical. It tries to give a description on how society treated the blonde women and also gives an explanation that the stereotype is false and often destructive for women with the blonde hair. This movie is packed up in a light, fresh, and funny story about a young blonde woman who wants to bring back her boyfriend but then she finds out that her hair is a serious matter for anyone else.
E. Blonde Women Social Condition In America
Hair is one of the first things that people observe about women whether she has blonde or brunette hair. There is always a debate about who has more fun and smarter between blondes and brunette. The blonde has been an iconic and highly influential ideal of feminine beauty in American culture. Blonde women have interpreted in a wide range of visual media, such as movie and also featured in advertisements, such as magazines or posters.
Media has built up and shaped the blonde stereotype through an iconography rather than any evidence as a definite relationship between blonde hair and stupidity. Marilyn Monroe is an icon of blonde women. She was known more from her features, sexy outfits, and her trademark curled platinum blonde.
She often played a childlike, innocent, and stupid woman role in 1950’s. Her movie persona was that she lured men everywhere she went. Big blonde hair, a sexy mole, full red lips, and tight clothes as her costumes have made her a pure 36
sex. In 2000’s, Pamela Anderson follows Marilyn’s role to get famous. She was molded by the media to represent society’s typical ‘blonde’ that are young, large breasts, and carries stupid attitude and above all she is blonde. Another young blonde pop star who presents the blonde stereotype is Britney Spears. She ever had appeared semi naked and very sexual in the Rolling Stone Magazine. While
Paris Hilton or Jessica Simpson is also the young pop star who gains popularity through the blonde stereotypes role. All of that helped to shape popular notions about the blonde. That makes people wonders about the connection between the origins of the stereotype and the effects on people today.
(http://www.echeat.com/essay/php?t=27565, accessed in December 10, 2007).
For many reasons, people have changed their hair color into any color that they want. Hair dye product makes people easy to do that. They can change their hair as easy as they change their clothes. Giant hair Dye Company such as
L’Oreal and Clairol get a huge profit from the selling of their hair care products.
In 2000, people have spent over $100 million only on hair dye to change their appearance.
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2001/jul/29/featuresreview.review, accessed in May 12, 2008). Blonde color is the most favorite color of all.
Joanna Pittman informs through her book On Blondes that 1 in 20
American women is born as natural blonde (about 16%). While 1 in 3 American women dyed their hair blonde (about 33%).
(http://www.psychservices.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content, accessed in February
16, 2009). Everybody wants to be blonde. The reasons are different for each 37
woman. Some women want to look younger and fresh by changing their hair into blonde. Some women want to look more attractive and get men’s attention when they change their hair blonde. Meanwhile, some women dye their hair blonde because they want to be treated as the stereotypes. They act as if they are dumb and have more fun. They are called “fake blonde”. Fake blondes are not a dumb; sometimes they are even smarter than the dark haired. They act like that because they do not want to intimidate men with their combination of sex appeal and brain. It is because blonde women who have smart brain and physically attractive make men cannot approach them. Men will feel intimidate by that, while blonde women want to have a good time with men. Sometimes they want to be seduced and become the centre of attention too.
(http://www.thinkbomb.net/sexpolitics/dumbblonde.htm-14k., accessed in
February 16, 2009). The example of fake blonde is Paris Hilton. She used to be seen as a dumb, but is she really dumb? She is the heiress of The Hilton
International Corporation; does it mean she can have an extraordinary study? And the fact that she gets a lot of money just because of her appearance makes us wonder is it a great strategy to amount money by selling what people wants to see.
However, fake blonde makes the stereotypes greater in society, especially the dumb blonde stereotype.
The dumb blonde stereotype is very dangerous and damaging for people with blonde hair. Recent Research conducted by, among others, Diana Kyle at
California State University reveals that being blonde can damage blonde social life and also ruin their career prospects. It is because blonde female are rejected 38
for jobs more often than equally qualified brunettes and are paid less than their dark hair counterparts for the same type of work. Hair color may also influence recruitment decision; the recruiter is still affected by the feature. They think that blonde is more wannabe and fit as a secretary, while brunette does more like a middle-manager would look alike. Study in Ireland confirms that men rated blonde females as of significantly lower intelligence than brunettes. While in
America blonde job applicants were rated as less capable and assigned lower salary, than brunettes.
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2001/jul/29/featuresreview.review, accessed in May 12, 2008).
The original dumb blonde has appeared in the literature since 1925 in the
Anita Loos’s novel Gentleman Prefers Blondes through the protagonist character named Lorelei Lee, a childlike gold-digger blonde. Anita Loos herself is a dark- haired woman. (http://www.Usatoday.com/money/covers/2001, accessed in
August 21, 2008). Since then they became the target of widespread and paradoxical ridicule and also bad jokes. Eventhough not all people treated blonde women like that; the stereotyping makes some people aware on it. As what Dr.
Cassidy said: “It is important to understand that we do make judgments based on the stereotypes, and if we make judgments that have important implications for the people we are judging, we need to be aware of this situation.”
(http://www.news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/315527.stm, accessed in June 10, 2007).