[.ca] On Blondes (ISBN 0747568456)

put the bleach down.....:
people need to stop harshing on blondes. i've had my hair every imaginable color, red for years, and resisted being a natural blonde because i hated the stereotypes. so now if people dont like my hair color the way it is, thats too bad. you could just as well write an intelligent book about the history of redheads, there is alot of stereotype and mystique surrounding red hair as well. i found that i attracted the most fascinating people when i was a redhead! i also personally think that dark haired women are the most beautiful women in the world, probably because im a blonde and i cant pull off a dark hair color, i've tried... i just wish people wouldnt take this book personally! if i were to write a book about hair it would involve all colors. certainly there is alot of cultural and historical info about it. mary magdalene is actually more often described as a redhead, queen elizabeth was red, not blonde! and red hair has always been associated with sorceresses...also how about snow white? i could go on, but ive made my point, i think. girls who are not blond may be hurt by this kind of book, but its also hurtful and depressing to be a blonde and have people stereotype you, cat call you, and hate you because of your hair. ps blonde hair is not traditionally beautiful in all countries...

Yawn....:
HELLO! Being beautiful has nothing to do with your hair color. The author seems to think that having blonde hair automatically makes you gorgeous and having dark or red hair marks you as undesirable...What?! I'm sure no man would get near the author despite her blonde hair coor. Many blondes I've seen have ugly faces and bodies (such as the author...) and most natural blondes have fine, thin wispy hair. Um..let me see Martha Stewart? I'm sure all you guys would love to get with her..just look at her blonde hair! You'd definetly prefer her to ...uh Salma Heyak? Right....Fake bleach blondes usually end up looking unnatural and cheap. Beauty has to do with your face and body. Hair is an addition. And only golden blondes are pretty..those with gray/white or bleached frizz don't look too great. Dark hair is more exotic, mysterious and striking, and red hair is hotter, bolder and therefor sexier..which is why 60% of men think redheads have better love lives than other girls. Let me ask you guys, which of you would prefer a girl with dry, bleached, frizzed out blonde hair over a girl with a perfect body, long shiny black hair and bright green eyes? Or a girl with long red hair and deep blue eyes? The more unique your features are usually the most beautiful you are. Black hair and green eyes for example are very unique, therefor draw more attention, are more desirable and more sexy. Red hair also is very noticable and sexy. Sorry to say, but blondes are no longer unique....there are tons of them everywhere. The only reason bleach blonds they are popular is because cheap porn stars usually go bleach blonde..so when a guy sees one he's probaly thinking..free booty..

On Bleached Brunettes:
Joanna Pitman's book "On Blondes" continues the absurdity of using the name Blonde for Brunettes that are bleached. Brunettes are not Blonde. Bleached hair is not Blonde hair. Bleached Brunette women are not Blonde women. A book that was actually about Blondes would not include Bleached Brunettes. carolecox@blondfrombirth.org

Finally the blonde stereotypes are explained!:
Contrary to the other review, the author does NOT make a case that blonde is more beautiful. She simply explains the 3 main stereotypes: the innocent young fairy tale virgin (Goldilocks, Alice in Wonderland), the flirt/vamp (Marilyn Monroe, Madonna, Mae West), and the powerful leader (Princess Diana, Hilary Clinton). These stereotypes are contradictory but somehow persist. There are cultural, political, artistic, and economic reasons behind the stereotypes, going back to ancient times. As a blonde myself, it was intriguing to finally understand the history. FASCINATING! Blondes may not necessarily have more fun, but they do get sterotyped more often! This book explains in historical detail and provides glossy photo illustrations. Would have liked more photos. Very enjoyable reading.

Fascinating investigation:
I think many of my fellow reviewers are missing the point - the author is not making a wild statement in saying that there is a mystique to blondes, she is exploring a historical phenomenon. No one is denying the beauty of red or any other color hair, it's just that blonde does have sociological baggage attached to it - and for those who have a problem with the idea that bleached blondes are included, they're proving this argument, for why do so many people bleach their hair if there isn't a certain mystique to blonde? That said, the author does a wonderful job exploring this. The language is clear, the examples good, the subject truly fascinating. An excellent read for those sociologically minded, whatever haircolor they are.