Being Blonde

Yes, blondes definitely have more fun.  But I must confess that at certain times, it can get to be frustrating.  Not being blonde, of course, but at the lack of blondes as strong heroines in our books, television shows, and movies.  (I've left out music because blondes have always successfully dominated music.)

When I was a kid, my blonde heroes were as follows:

Kelly Bundy from Married... with Children:  Okay, so it's the typical blonde stereotype all rolled into one, but she knew how to get what she wanted (most of the time) and went after it.

Elle Woods from Legally Blonde:  This is probably the girl who I relate to the most.  She's from SoCal, bubbly and friendly to anyone, and also incredibly smart.  But because of how she spoke, how happy she always was, she was underestimated and not taken seriously.  But in the end, she triumphs.

Cher from Clueless:  The other girl I relate to the most.  She too was from SoCal, sweet (if a little self-absorbed), who used the word 'like' as often as she tried to set unsuspecting teachers up.  And she was smart too.  Underestimated too.  But she's firm in her beliefs, and ends up being with the guy who accepts her for everything she is.

Nat from Charlie's Angels:  I love her.  Like most blondes, she's bubbly and fun, but she's tough and can take care of herself.

But I don't see blondes portrayed that way anymore.  Maybe I just haven't seen any yet.  But let's look at television.  The biggest show is NCIS and they don't have a main blonde character.  Neither does House (Cameron totally doesn't count because she was brunette first) or Bones, my favorite shows.

And worst of all, I find it very hard finding a main blonde heroine in the literature I've been reading.  Nearly every vampire book has a brunette heroine, the Harry Potter trio consists of raven hair, red hair, and bushy brown hair.  Sophia Kinsella books all have different versions of mousy brown, to brunette (save for the Confessions series, but that's because she doesn't describe her main character.)  But I digress.  There are too many books to read to know for sure, but in my limited experience, finding a main blonde character who was the actual protagonist has been rare.

And don't get me started on how 'blonde' has become a word with a negative stigma attached.

Okay, so maybe I'm getting worked up over something silly, but it would be nice to see a strong blonde woman as the main character in a book or the star of a television show.  But for now, I'll be content watching Clueless and being underestimated.  At least being underestimated gives me the opportunity to prove everyone wrong.  And I always seem to do just that.