where did blonde joke originate?

Question

where did blonde joke originate?

Answer 1

This may be more than you wanted to know -- it's my study on where the whole IDEA of the "dumb blond" came from. The main thing you were after is in #4 below -- on recent popular culture-- but the rest may help explain how we got to that point.


To start with, here's a good wikipedia link that suggests several possible origins: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/dumb_blonde

And here's my own summary of these and other ideas, with an assessment of the various suggestions:


1) YOUTH: The association of fair-hairedness with youth, therefore naivete, and perhaps a resulting tendency to treat adult blondes --who appear more like children?-- as young and simple. (I'm a bit skeptical of this explanation, at least as a central reason. I also know of no evidence that blonde women were typically treated as 'more simple' than other women.)

2) PROSTITUTES, PERFORMERS ETC:
The popularity of light-colored hair led many southern Europeans to dye theirs; this was especially common among courtesans and later prostitutes.
..a) Some suggest that this led society in general (perhaps esp. nervous or jealous wives) to ease their concern about such women by viewing them as 'beautiful...but not very bright' (and so, perhaps, less threatening?)
..b) Perhaps (my idea) some of these 'beautiful women' (not necessarily just prostitutes) THEMSELVES adopted a style and mannerisms that would make them appear younger, simpler, less threatening --which might make them BOTH more attractive to men AND less threatening to other women?
(Obviously, (a) and (b) could work together.)

3) BRAIN DAMAGE from BLEACH. The potency of old bleaches actually caused brain damage in some individuals, hence the image was encouraged by instances of genuinely daft blondes. (Intriguing idea, but I know of no documentary evidence for such cases or for any stories or stereotypes about them, esp. about dumb prostitutes.)

4) RECENT POPULAR CULTURE - portrayals in books, film...
...a) For some time fair-haired heroes were typical of English literature. Then, around 1800 it became popular to portray fair-haired damsels as pretty and sweet but perhaps a bit simple/shallow, while their plainer brunette sisters would have the brains and often be the central character. (examples: Austen's *Pride and Prejudice*, Bronte's *Jane Eyre*, Alcott's *Little Women*)
...b) The popular 1925 Anita Loos novel (and shortly after that, play) *Gentlemen Prefer Blondes* featured a dumb-blond songstress, fond of rich men and diamonds...
...c) The film portrayals by Marilyn Monroe and others BUILT on and spread this stereotype (Monroe, in fact, starred in the screen version of Loos's book.) You might also think of the gorgeous, dim-witted silent screen star "Singing in the Rain" (whom they try to keep silent in interviews, and who cannot survive the jump to "talkies").

Note that these "dumb blonds" (and their immediate predecessors --early 20th century comediennes like Mary Pickford) were mainly PERCEIVED as dumb, but somehow managed to get the best of others. In other words, the very portrayal of these women as "dumb blondes" might be used to poke fun at that very notion.

The last of these is the only one for which we have much hard evidence, and is probably enough of an explanation on its own. (The most recent, and hugely popular expression of it is the smash broadway hit "Wicked". Glinda is seen as "good", though she is a bit shallow and self-centered, but she really grows up by her friendship with the smarter, often kinder Elphaba ['Wicked witch of the West'].)

But it's entirely possible that more than one of these "causes" worked TOGETHER. Even if Loos, and a group of blond starlets established to stereotype, what suggested this image to her in the first place? The earlier popular literature likely played a role. More generally, the beauty/glamor part of it may have been rooted in the old European attraction to fair hair. Whether the "dumb" part was ALSO based on images (socially created or self-chosen) of the manner of such women or was more Loos's own creation to give interest to this bumpkin character -- a portrayal that then caught on-- is difficult to say. But the fact that this character was a simple country girl --DIFFERENT from the sophisticated beauties-- makes me tend to think that Loos herself should get the real credit.

Answer 2

A better question might be, what is the root of blonde jokes.

Answer 3

The originated from the same place the first blonde's came from.

Good luck!!!

Answer 4

From reality!
DO YOU KNOW THIS WOMAN????

A BLONDE'S YEAR IN REVIEW....

January
Took new scarf back to store because it was too tight.

February
Fired from pharmacy job for failing to print labels......Helllloooo!.......bottles won't fit in printer!

March
Got really excited.....finished jigsaw puzzle in 6 months.....box said "2 - 4 years!"

April
Trapped on escalator for hours .... power went out!

May
Tried to make Kool-Aid.....wrong instructions....8 cups of water won't fit into those little packets!

June
Tried to go water skiing.......couldn't find a lake with a slope.

July
Lost breaststroke swimming competition.....learned later, the other swimmers cheated - they used their arms!

August
Got locked out of my car in rain storm...car swamped because soft-top was open.

September
The capital of California is "C".....isn't it?

October
Hate M&M's.....they are so hard to peel.

November
Baked turkey for 4 1/2 days .. instructions said 1 hour per pound, and I weigh 108!

December
Couldn't call 911. "duh".....there's no "eleven" button on the stupid phone!

I hope this helps!

Answer 5

Gaius Julius Caesar: 53 BC

Somewhere on the Rhine river

Caesar is given a young blonde Germanic slave for his kitchen and he tells her he wants fish for dinner. She is shown the fishing pole and she proceeds to start fishing. A hour later Caesar is upset is dinner is not ready and goes to the stream to see what has happened. The blonde slave girl has caught several fish and she has them in a bucket of water. Caesar demands! “Where are my fish, I am hungry” She points to the fish swimming in the bucket and remarks “General Caesar, I am trying to drown them as fast as I can”.

attributed to Cicero's "Letters from the Frontier"

Answer 6

They are just supposed to be funny. No one really thinks blondes are dumb. Can't be PC all the time!

Answer 7

There not jokes they are true stories about dumb blonds

Answer 8

from blondes doing mistakes :)

Answer 9

it originated from yo momma

Answer 10

from idiot h&*^s like paris hilton, britney spears, jessica simpson, esc.