Society - The blonde myth between Christ child and cult hair color
Many people immediately think of Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte Bardot, but also of Marlene Dietrich, Claudia Schiffer, Helene Fischer and Heino or of Barbie and blonde jokes. Hardly any other hair color is so culturally charged. And even the Christ Child is associated with hair color, at least at the famous Nuremberg Christmas Market, where he appears "curly blonde with a golden crown and white and gold robe". It seems time to take a closer look at this mythical hair color.
To what extent and on whom do Germans actually like blonde hair? And what do cultural scientists say about this legendary hair color in art history and society?
Less than half of women dye their hair
Blonde is still the most popular hair color in Germany when it comes to dyeing - followed by browns and reds. At least that's what the German Personal Care and Detergent Industry Association (IKW) tells us. Internal surveys of member companies have shown that the proportion of women who dye their hair has decreased in recent years and is currently less than 50 percent, says Deputy Managing Director Birgit Huber.
"What is interesting is that there is an opposite trend among men. The proportion of men who dye their hair is actually increasing," says Huber. The majority of men who dye their hair feel that they can "show their trend awareness through different colorations and strands".
A representative survey conducted by the opinion research institute YouGov on behalf of the German Press Agency revealed that a majority of adults in Germany prefer dark hair for men, whereas women prefer light hair.
When asked "Which hair color do you find most appealing on men if you had to choose?", 17 percent answered "black" and "dark brown". Only 5 percent said "light blonde". For women, however, "light blonde" was the most common answer with 17 percent, followed by "dark blonde", "black" and "dark brown". Far more people in Germany find "red" appealing for women (7 percent) than for men (1 percent).
Blonde hair stands for light
Cultural scientist Moritz Ege from the University of Zurich believes that the world today is much more open to diversity when it comes to hair and hair colors than it used to be. The very homogeneous world in which redheads were regularly teased, for example, is long behind us.
"The way we deal with what is considered normal has changed over the last three or four decades - from a rigid, narrow spectrum of normalism to a more flexible approach. Many things are no longer considered abnormal per se," says Ege, Professor of Popular Cultures and Empirical Cultural Studies. The area of what is excluded is becoming smaller. The internet with its "globality of media spaces" is leading to democratization and in some areas is leading to a "de-ethnicization of beauty norms".
But even if only two percent of adults worldwide have naturally blonde hair, the hair color stands out historically, says Romanist Ralf Junkerjürgen from the University of Regensburg. "Blonde hair is religiously and mythologically charged, among other things." Blonde hair stands for light, which is why it was often associated with divine figures. In Germany, the hair color was also racially appropriated by the Aryan ideology of the Nazis.
Blonde hair as a status symbol
In the USA, sociologist Tressie McMillan Cottom recently caused a stir when she suggested that blonde hair symbolized superiority and high social status. According to the author, anyone who goes blonde wants to be seen as a member of the dominant group and wants to connect with the powerful. Blonde is more than just a hair color, it is a designation for a certain type of person - in other words: for white people with their privileges.
Junkerjürgen is skeptical about this approach. The hair dye industry has contributed to a diversification of meanings, so bleaching is not automatically a political statement. "I don't think you have to have a guilty conscience when you lighten your hair."
Incidentally, the legendary singer Dolly Parton with a blonde mane is credited with the following saying: "I don't feel offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I'm not dumb ... and I also know that I'm not blonde."
Read also:
- Marlene Dietrich, along with Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte Bardot, are notable figures associated with blonde hair.
- The Christ Child at the Nuremberg Christmas Market is depicted as "curly blonde" with a golden crown.
- Blonde hair remains the most popular choice for dyeing among women in Germany, according to the German Personal Care and Detergent Industry Association (IKW).
- The preference for hair color among men and women in Germany was revealed in a representative survey, with women favoring light blonde more than men.
- Cultural scientist Moritz Ege believes that society has become more open to hair and hair color diversity over the last few decades.
- Romanist Ralf Junkerjürgen argues that blonde hair is historically and mythologically charged, often associated with divine figures.
- Sociologist Tressie McMillan Cottom suggested that blonde hair symbolizes superiority and high social status in the USA.
- Dolly Parton, known for her blonde hair, famously stated that she doesn't take offense to blonde jokes because she is neither dumb nor blonde.
Source: www.stern.de
