Do Dumb Blonde Jokes Slow Mental Activity?

BERLIN (Reuters) - Blondes perform intelligence tests more slowly after reading jokes playing on their supposed stupidity, said psychologists in a newly published German study.

Some 80 women of various hair colors were tested on their mental capacity to work quickly and precisely in a series of psychometric tests. Before sitting the tests, half the participants had to read "dumb blonde" jokes, such as:

"Why do blondes open yogurt pots while still at the supermarket? -- Because it says 'Open Here' on the lid."

"No blonde woman believes she is stupid," said Jens Foerster a social psychologist from the International University Bremen in northern Germany on Wednesday.

"But after exposure to negative social-stereotypes about them, the fair-haired participants performed significantly more slowly in the tests."

Foerster explained the result by saying that when people are told they can't perform a task well, they work more slowly but more cautiously, to try to make fewer mistakes.

"The study shows that even unfounded prejudices generally dismissed as untrue can affect an individual's confidence in their own ability," said Foerster.

Source

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Originally posted by ZaZu@14 July 2004 - 16:42
Foerster explained the result by saying that when people are told they can't perform a task well, they work more slowly but more cautiously, to try to make fewer mistakes.

"The study shows that even unfounded prejudices generally dismissed as untrue can affect an individual's confidence in their own ability," said Foerster.

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yep, so true. just like me. :(

Ah blonde jokes are stupid anyway. ;)

does anyone actually think that blondes are dumber ?

or is it that dumb blondes stick out more than brunettes ?

I thought the reference to dumb blondes had nothing to do with natural hair colour.

It does in fact refer to those women who obtained blondeness by dipping their heads in vats of bleach. Therefore whatever their previous hair colour, their very dumbness in thinking that this would be a good idea defines their ongoing dumbness - albeit now in a state of blondeness. :unsure:

Or at least something like that.

Blonde jokes stem from female insecurity.

Blonde women with blue eyes are a phenotypic rarity and are admired for their uniqueness.

Given the overwhelming attention given to them, the reactive response in those not so bestowed is to declare them stupid. This is also the reponse of the men ignored by them.

Men, who CAN get some action from these ladies could care less about brains and are more into "hotness" and the women who want to disrespect them are contradicted by all those dying their hair to mimic them.

Ever hear of a blonde dying her hair brown/black/ or red?

Sorry folks, the reactive jealousy reflects more on the insecurity of the accusors than supporting the contention that the intelligence of the natural blonde is suspect.

Yes, I do have blonde hair and blue eyes. Just think what change I could have wrought upon the world if I were not so afflicted?!

IMO, blondes who keep there hair are, while hot, very dumb woman...couldn't care less though.

usually the smarter blondes die their hair.. <_<

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Originally posted by hobbes@15 July 2004 - 04:23
...Ever hear of a blonde dying her hair brown/black/ or red?...

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Why yes, yes I have. My little sister&#39;s hair has run the gamut from dark brown/almost black to a very ugly red. Now it&#39;s ruined and she&#39;s tried to bleach it back to its natural, very blonde, colour. At least, that&#39;s the only reason I can think of for dying your hair the same colour as it&#39;s been since birth.

It&#39;s sad to say she fits the blonde/high-school-popular stereotype though. To a T. Maybe it&#39;s because she has brown eyes, and not blue?

:ninja:

Fantastic, the total, reaches 1.

Anyone heard of a woman dying her hair blonde?
http://spine.cx/~sdinn/fark/intel-hands-up.jpg

A number of her friends have done it too, if that&#39;s any help. ;)

:ninja:

My girlfriend, at the time, dyed her blonde hair a horrible mousey brown colour at the end of our course at university because she supposed it would make her look more professional. It didn&#39;t. Also Christina Aguilera has died her blonde hair jet black - and looks gorgeous, but then she did anyway.

So thats at least 5 girls now and I managed to draw a similarity between my ex-g/f and Christina Aguilera. Some of the bitterness has gone, w00t. :D

i have.

whilst originally a very honey/ caramel coloured blonde it is now dark brown with red highlights. but i&#39;ll go back to blonde eventually, I&#39;m so pale any other colour makes me look sick...

i have a history of punching out people who call me stupid. its upsetting, unfounded and childish.

:angry:

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Originally posted by Randomblonde@18 July 2004 - 11:35
i have.

whilst originally a very honey/ caramel coloured blonde it is now dark brown with red highlights. but i&#39;ll go back to blonde eventually, I&#39;m so pale any other colour makes me look sick...

i have a history of punching out people who call me stupid. its upsetting, unfounded and childish.

:angry:

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Wow, blondes are violent and stupid&#33; Who knew?

Not to cast any aspersions on blondes, but my ex-wife, a frankly stunning American-Indian, went blonde when we divorced, at which point her whorish behavior increased ten-fold.

Prior to the dye-job, she had been known (as I found out later) merely as the most furrowed, rutted, and sown woman in the county; regarding her "blonde" period, I think she is probably listed somewhere in the last Guinness Book of World Records in one or two relevant categories. :huh:

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Originally posted by hobbes@16 July 2004 - 06:58
Fantastic, the total, reaches 1.

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I can think of two more, one is my sister (also blue-eyed), that I know of.

And one was a girl I knew in school.

Of course, this may point to cultural differences, or for that matter genetic, what with me living in a scandinavian country and all.

Blondes are not so uncommon here.


I do know of a lot of bleach-jobs as well.

shouldn&#39;t have even bothered posting. some things just go stright over peoples heads.

one of my best friends killed herself after years of people telling her she was stupid - regardless of her 167 IQ - she was blonde. and the texture of her hair wouldn&#39;t let her dye it. near the end she started shaving her head because she couldn&#39;t deal with it anymore.

sure, she was unbalanced. but every psychosis needs a trigger.

people are cruel.

Im new here, and just read all ur messages, and just thort id say HI&#33; :P and that i am naturally blonde and blue eyes, and ever since i was old enuff and my parents wood let me dye my hair, i havnt been blonde, i hate the steriotypes that go with being blonde, and the fact that people just assume im stupid just by looking at my hair colour, the look on peoples faces wen i tell them im naturally blonde is worth dying my hair every 3 weeks :)

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Originally posted by Randomblonde@19 July 2004 - 03:54
shouldn&#39;t have even bothered posting. some things just go stright over peoples heads.

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You are right.

If you look back through the thread you will find that I have stated that I have blonde hair and blue eyes, so I am obviously taking a poke at myself.

I don&#39;t like to tip off my jokes with smilies, makes them too easy.


Why is my post in all bold? Weird.

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Originally posted by hobbes+19 July 2004 - 10:03--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (hobbes &#064; 19 July 2004 - 10:03)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteBegin-Randomblonde@19 July 2004 - 03:54
shouldn&#39;t have even bothered posting. some things just go stright over peoples heads.

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You are right.

If you look back through the thread you will find that I have stated that I have blonde hair and blue eyes, so I am obviously taking a poke at myself.

I don&#39;t like to tip off my jokes with smilies, makes them too easy.


Why is my post in all bold? Weird.[/b][/quote]
Yeah.

Weird. :D

Personally, I like blondes just fine, it&#39;s more that I don&#39;t usually do to well with them; and on the odd occasion that I do (did), I did much too well. :P

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Originally posted by vampirekitten_xxx@19 July 2004 - 07:32
Im new here, and just read all ur messages, and just thort id say HI&#33; :P and that i am naturally blonde and blue eyes, and ever since i was old enuff and my parents wood let me dye my hair, i havnt been blonde, i hate the steriotypes that go with being blonde, and the fact that people just assume im stupid just by looking at my hair colour, the look on peoples faces wen i tell them im naturally blonde is worth dying my hair every 3 weeks :)

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Welcome - Just to let you know, it is customary to provide a picture of yourself (clothes optional), to prove that you really do have blonde hair.

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Originally posted by Alex H+21 July 2004 - 00:51--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Alex H @ 21 July 2004 - 00:51)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-vampirekitten_xxx@19 July 2004 - 07:32
Im new here, and just read all ur messages, and just thort id say HI&#33;&nbsp; :P and that i am naturally blonde and blue eyes, and ever since i was old enuff and my parents wood let me dye my hair, i havnt been blonde, i hate the steriotypes that go with being blonde, and the fact that people just assume im stupid just by looking at my hair colour, the look on peoples faces wen i tell them im naturally blonde is worth dying my hair every 3 weeks&nbsp; :)

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Welcome - Just to let you know, it is customary to provide a picture of yourself (clothes optional), to prove that you really do have blonde hair. [/b][/quote]
:nono: your spreading the myth

Worth a try though.

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Originally posted by vampirekitten_xxx@19 July 2004 - 00:25
Im new here, and just read all ur messages, and just thort id say HI&#33; :P and that i am naturally blonde and blue eyes, and ever since i was old enuff and my parents wood let me dye my hair, i havnt been blonde, i hate the steriotypes that go with being blonde, and the fact that people just assume im stupid just by looking at my hair colour, the look on peoples faces wen i tell them im naturally blonde is worth dying my hair every 3 weeks :)

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i agree but why do blondes only dye the roots a different colour??????????

Note the fourth poster

Blonde jokes definitely seem to stop the mental activity of some people. If they weren&#39;t born thick that is.