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What Are Blonde Jokes?

Mark Wollacott
Mark Wollacott

A blonde joke is a brand of joke mocking people, usually women, with blond hair. These jokes revolve around the reoccurring theme that blondes have low intelligence and lack common sense. Many work on similar lines to David Beckham jokes in the 1990s and early 2000s and jokes in Britain against the Irish or the jokes New Zealanders make against Australians.

The use of the term varies, but blond is a rare type of adjective that has male and female forms. Others include brunet and brunette. Few men are referred to as blonds and all references to a blond or blonde bimbo mean a woman. This means the ‘e’ in ‘blonde jokes’ refers to jokes making fun of women with blond hair.

Some people believe that the on-screen personas of actresses like Marilyn Monroe were the inspiration of blonde jokes.
Some people believe that the on-screen personas of actresses like Marilyn Monroe were the inspiration of blonde jokes.

Typical blonde jokes ask a question and then give an answer. One has a blonde falling to the ground and dying. Later, it is discovered the battery on her music player had died and the tape continually repeated “breathe in, breathe out” — the woman died on the "breathe in." This joke was also transcribed with the blonde replaced by David Beckham in the late 1990s.

On occasion, blondes can get revenge in the jokes. One joke asks, “Why are blonde jokes so short?” The answer: "So brunettes can remember them." The film “Legally Blonde” also tried to bust the stereotype of blondes by having the blonde main character become a lawyer.

Blondes are chosen as the victims of blonde jokes because they are associated with carefree fun. The exact origin of blonde jokes is unknown. Some people believe it is because of the blondes played on screen by actresses such as Marilyn Munroe, Suzanne Summers and Diana Doors.

Another possible reason is jealousy. Blondes are seen as beautiful and special in many cultures. Many men find blonde women attractive and desirable compared to others. Simple jealousy may have had non-blondes making snide comments about the man only wanting the blonde for her looks and not her brains.

Many blondes believe blonde jokes are harmless, while some try to take action to stop them and still others strive to prove them wrong. Subtexts in jokes are hard to spot and define, but some are easier to discern than others. If a joke becomes spiteful or denigrating, it is often hostile; if it revolves around wit where the person mocked can change and the joke would still be funny, then it might be okay.

Jokes, such as blonde jokes, that target a particular element of society are often viewed as hostile. It is believed such jokes carry a prejudicial sub-text to them. Jokes about women are sexist, jokes about black people are racist and those about Jews are anti-Semitic, for example. Many groups have taken such jokes made about them and neutralized them by making the joke about themselves.

Discussion Comments

Buster29

I grew up with a very ethnic last name, and I had to endure a lot of "Pollock jokes" at school. The idea was that people of Polish heritage weren't supposed to be very intelligent, and the jokes reinforced that idea. Because my surname was definitely Eastern European, a lot of kids assumed I needed to hear the latest joke about dumb Pollocks. I was a straight A student with a 140 IQ, but I was also Polish, which automatically made me naive or stupid in their eyes.

I feel sorry for blonde-haired people who also have to endure an endless series of stupid blond jokes. They may be very funny jokes, and I have enjoyed a lot of them myself. I've even told some clean blonde jokes at parties. The problem is that some people are very impressionable, and hearing a steady stream of these types of put-down jokes can affect the way they deal with the subjects in real life.

I don't mean to be a downer, but I'm always glad to see these kinds of jokes run their course and fall off the joke-telling radar. It stops being funny after a while.

Inaventu

I'd say most of my blonde friends don't seem to be offended by dumb blonde jokes, as long as the people telling them don't actually buy into the stereotype. Sometimes they'll change the jokes to stupid brunette jokes just to get some payback. I've even heard a few good smart blonde jokes over the years.

I think one reason why blondes became the butt of stupid blonde jokes is that a lot of them are treated like delicate hothouse flowers by the people around them. Sometimes it's easier to fit into a peer group by playing into certain stereotypical behaviors. A young, attractive blonde is expected to act naive or inexperienced, for example.

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    • Some people believe that the on-screen personas of actresses like Marilyn Monroe were the inspiration of blonde jokes.
      By: 1950sUnlimited
      Some people believe that the on-screen personas of actresses like Marilyn Monroe were the inspiration of blonde jokes.