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Why are blonde jokes socially acceptable?

  • 24-09-2001 3:59am
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 79 ✭✭


    Another thread and several PMs have lead me to think that a lot of people here find blonde jokes socially acceptable.

    Without going back to the other thread or making this thread about me personally, can I ask why you think blonde jokes are socially acceptable, if in fact you do?

    My reason for starting this thread is that, whilst I don't think those that tell blonde jokes usually mean to offend, I genuinely find them offensive.

    I'll put forward a general blonde perspective, in case people here don't know what it can be like for blondes:
    • A lot of people assume blondes are stupid. In general blondes find it harder to get people to listen to them or take them seriously. At worst people think they can make fun of a blonde without the blonde even noticing. At best blondes get told they are smart a lot. This should be a compliment but it isn't really because what people often mean is 'I had presumed you were dumb but actually you're not'. In business especially, it is a huge downfall to have blonde hair, because you need to be taken seriously, and usually you aren't.
    • A lot of men seem to think blondes are 'easy'. Blondes tend to get propositioned a lot. It is not really a compliment though, because most of these men have no interest in the blonde as a person, they just seem to think it likely she might sleep with them. A small portion of the men that a blonde rejects will be nasty after being rejected. It is relatively common for a blonde to be ignored by a man once she has rejected him, and sometimes called derogatory names.
    • People who tell blonde jokes often think that blondes who don't find them funny just need to get a sense of humour. The same people might think that jokes about black people being worthless or Irish people being stupid are in poor taste but for some reason blondes are not given the same respect. They are expected to not take offence at people making fun of them.
    • Blondes are a minority, in this country at least. They are not however recognised as a minority the way Asian, African, Eastern European or other groups of people are. Ok, blondes can do stuff to diguise the fact they are blonde, but they shouldn't have to. At least when people tell jokes about women in general being stupid you are in a group that makes up half the country. When people single out women that are blonde and poke fun, you feel very small if you are blonde.
    Thanks, Alis.


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,803 ✭✭✭Xterminator


    My response to the initial question, 'why are blond jokes socially acceptable', is because they are jokes.

    Joke -1 a : something said or done to provoke laughter; especially : a brief oral narrative with a climactic humorous twist b (1) : the humorous or ridiculous element in something (2) : an instance of jesting : KIDDING <can't take a joke> c : PRACTICAL JOKE d : LAUGHINGSTOCK
    2 : something not to be taken seriously : a trifling matter <consider his skiing a joke -- Harold Callender>

    Kidding and not to be taken seiously, as per Webster.

    To deal with your finding them offensive , and demeaning.
    I draw a parallel between the popular art of making men look stupid in advertising. Watch a few ads on TV. Very many use men as the butt of their jokes, with a smart women often about. Examples

    1. Dial a direct loan. The 'stupid man' walks about in the rain, and reaches the bank as it shuts. The wife sitting on front of a wasrm fire, uses the phone, and gets " a great deal."

    2. Car insurance online. The 'stupid male' asks his girlfriend did she ring around all the insurers for the best deal, like his mammy advised. The girlfriend says no I went to Xweb site which searches lots of insurers for the best deal. Because shes so busy, she took the timesaving option. Punch line . "everyones happy except you and your mum!"

    ETC .. ETC.. ETC
    Why are males targetted here? Because they are considered a safe target. Males are usually resonably secure enough, to be able to laugh it off. I agree if it were black men, or some 'sensitive' minority then there would be a lot more complaints.

    I believe it is similar with blonds. You are considered to be a group of self assured individuals, who GENERALLY can laugh off the sterotype. Obviously there will be exceptions, just as i'm sure some males object to be type cast as dumb too.

    You could consider it to be a backhanded compliment, that you are a group so well thought of, you can be slagged without this silly PC attitude, that pervades may things today, and means that
    innocent expressions are banned, incase they cause offense.

    Finally if there really are any people out there who are retarded enough to think that the color of ones hair determines their IQ, well they probably need your pity, not your disdain, Alis.

    P.S. Seeing as your blonde, do you fancy going out for a drink sometime ...?

    X


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 79 ✭✭Alis


    Thanks for writing such a long response Xterminator.

    I'm not sure I agree with everything you said but on the whole it seems like sensible stuff.

    Maybe I do take the whole thing too seriously. I'm not sure, hence why I asked.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,264 ✭✭✭✭Hobbes


    So are you like Blond Alis? Because we can't take you seriously if you are. :D

    I thought blond jokes were unacceptable?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 512 ✭✭✭beaver


    Originally posted by Alis
    Another thread and several PMs have lead me to think that a lot of people here find blonde jokes socially acceptable.

    Without going back to the other thread or making this thread about me personally, can I ask why you think blonde jokes are socially acceptable, if in fact you do?

    My reason for starting this thread is that, whilst I don't think those that tell blonde jokes usually mean to offend, I genuinely find them offensive.

    Then you are more sensitive than is normal I would imagine. There's no need to get annoyed with other people for sharing a harmless joke.
    I'll put forward a general blonde perspective, in case people here don't know what it can be like for blondes:

    • A lot of people assume blondes are stupid. In general blondes find it harder to get people to listen to them or take them seriously. At worst people think they can make fun of a blonde without the blonde even noticing. At best blondes get told they are smart a lot. This should be a compliment but it isn't really because what people often mean is 'I had presumed you were dumb but actually you're not'.

    Really? At best? You've done extensive surveys of what people mean when they compliment you? You sound a bit insecure to be honest. What exactly is it you want?
    In business especially, it is a huge downfall to have blonde hair, because you need to be taken seriously, and usually you aren't.

    Blonde haired individuals in this office are taken every bit as seriously as anyone else. I can't speak for other places, and I suppose that because blondes are often perceived as being better looking than females, they're the subject of more "male" jokes.
    [*]A lot of men seem to think blondes are 'easy'. Blondes tend to get propositioned a lot. It is not really a compliment though, because most of these men have no interest in the blonde as a person, they just seem to think it likely she might sleep with them. A small portion of the men that a blonde rejects will be nasty after being rejected. It is relatively common for a blonde to be ignored by a man once she has rejected him, and sometimes called derogatory names.

    I really don't see why that wouldn't go for other women too, if the men were like that... Furthermore, I don't see that that behaviour would be considered socially acceptable, so I fail to see it's relevance in this particular discussion.
    [*]People who tell blonde jokes often think that blondes who don't find them funny just need to get a sense of humour. The same people might think that jokes about black people being worthless or Irish people being stupid are in poor taste but for some reason blondes are not given the same respect. They are expected to not take offence at people making fun of them.

    What about the poor Kerrymen? Jokes deal with shortcomings in life and try to make them humourous. People like to laugh at other people. Therefore, it's easy to apply a particular trait to someone with particular characteristics and it becomes a stereotype (especially if it's made funny).

    Don't be so offended. Jokes are jokes. If you're having other issues with being blonde such as bother with guys being seriously ignorant, I think that's a different matter.

    It'll probably become a no-no to tell blonde jokes in the future because it's not "PC". People won't laugh as much. Won't that be great?
    [*]Blondes are a minority, in this country at least. They are not however recognised as a minority the way Asian, African, Eastern European or other groups of people are. Ok, blondes can do stuff to diguise the fact they are blonde, but they shouldn't have to. At least when people tell jokes about women in general being stupid you are in a group that makes up half the country. When people single out women that are blonde and poke fun, you feel very small if you are blonde.

    You're obviously very sensitive, Alis. I'm not saying that's bad, but maybe you ought to realise that the majority of people telling the jokes mean no harm whatever.

    Cheers,
    -Ross


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,264 ✭✭✭✭Hobbes


    Originally posted by beaver
    Then you are more sensitive than is normal I would imagine. There's no need to get annoyed with other people for sharing a harmless joke.

    They aren't harmless though. As Alis is pointing out is people think Blond people are stupid because of the stereotypes created in the jokes.

    Any joke that makes fun of a race, religion at the expense of them is not harmless.

    The exception being "Tribal" jokes. It is ok for example a blond person to make a blond joke but not a brunette person. :)


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 79 ✭✭Alis


    Beaver wrote:
    Then you are more sensitive than is normal I would imagine... You sound a bit insecure to be honest.

    Can we not talk about the problem in general rather than me personally please.

    Beaver,

    I think from your response you seem to doubt that blondes are often treated differently in the workplace or that some men do treat blondes in a disrespectful way and so forth.

    If you doubt that, then I can understand why you would think blondes that take offence to blonde jokes, are overly sensitive or blonds that feel they are often treated like they are stupid might be insecure.

    The point I'd like to make is that, IMHO, the picture I painted of how blondes are often treated is accurate. Obviously everyone doesn't treat blondes badly, but I think an awful lot of people do and I don't think that blondes are imagining it.

    Alis


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,099 ✭✭✭✭WhiteWashMan


    im probably out on a limb here, but since i have no issues with anyone, either by race, religion, hair colour, number of fingers on left hand, etc etc, i feel i do have somewhat of a right to make jokes about anyone i want to, because to me, that is what they are. just a bit of fun. at least, that gets me of the hook for being rude etc. i dont discriminate
    on the other hand, yes, some people do feel put down by certain jokes. but can you honestly say youve never told a kerry man joke? have you never told an englishman joke?
    would all these not also effect people in the same way?

    unfortunately, all too often people forget about things until they themselves are effected. personally i try not to take anything that is said jokingly to have an effect on me. and besides, most blonde jokes are just jokes about other people with the word blond inserted. theres actually very few blonde jokes.
    besides, i like blondes. but then again, i like everyone coz im really nice :)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 57 ✭✭Hannah


    without meaning to change the topic i would be interested to see how many boards users are blonde, hands up everybody with blond hair,
    i would describe my hair as fair, i don't feel particularly victimised and i don't really feel that blonde jokes are directed at me, maybe i'm not blonde enough.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 512 ✭✭✭beaver


    What WhiteWashMan said ;)

    Alis, I don't doubt that some blondes are treated badly. Millions of people are treated badly. I'm not convinced that it's because they've got blonde hair, though.

    I don't believe in discrimination. However, I do believe in jokes. Any aspect of me that anyone finds funny - I've got no problem with them making jokes about it. Now sure, if they wanted to persecute me for that, I might think differently.

    But, the topic you introduced here was jokes. I don't believe that there's anything wrong with jokes, assuming they're taken properly by both parties. If you want to talk about discrimination against people in a non-jocular fashion because of their hair colour or any other reason, I think you should specifically say that here or start a new thread to deal with the issue.

    -Ross


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,446 ✭✭✭✭amp


    A Kerryman once told me that a lot of the jokes were made up by Kerrymen, but he was under a wheelbarrow trying to find the engine at the time so I can't be sure I heard him right.

    The best way to avoid slagging is to slag oneself. It's the Judo form of slagging. Use your opponents force to against themselves.
    Observe:

    The wrong way:

    Muppet: amp's ghéy!
    amp: NO I AM NOT, I REGULARLY SHAG LOTS OF GIRLS!!!

    The right way:

    Muppet: amp's ghéy!
    amp: A/S/L?? Wanna cybur!

    The worst thing to do when slagged is to get upset and show it. Muppets perceive this as weakness and will slag even more.

    *cue muppets calling amp ghéy:* :)


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,264 ✭✭✭✭Hobbes


    Originally posted by Hannah
    i would describe my hair as fair, i don't feel particularly victimised and i don't really feel that blonde jokes are directed at me, maybe i'm not blonde enough.

    Would blonde people be intelligent enough to know? :) (jk)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,184 ✭✭✭neuro-praxis


    I don't think anyone actually believes the blonde stereotype, do they?

    Alis, if you meet people who genuinely have some preconceived idea that hair colour influences intelligence, then they're maybe not the shiniest pennies in the fountain themselves.

    I suppose you could ask friends to avoid the jokes, if they really bother you. If someone asked me to avoid them, I would. They really don't mean anything to me. But just to let you know: I and all of my friends (some blonde) swap blonde jokes along with our other jokes quite regularly, but not a one of us actually thinks that blondes are less intelligent in any way. We also don't target our blonde friends in particular. It's almost as though the blondes in the jokes are apart from reality blondes.

    The experiences you described with regards to advances from (some) men and the aftermath are universal - they don't happen any much more to blondes (as far as I can see from all my friends) than they happen to brunettes and redheads.

    I'm not dismissing your offendedness (is that a word?) at all though. If you find any joke derogatory or if you find the tone of the conversation is condescending, then you are dead right to stick up for yourself. Go girl.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,522 ✭✭✭Dr. Loon


    Yep... I think all the points here are valid. Nobody really believes blondes are stupid or as they are depicted in jokes. That's just rediculous!! If someone does have the attitude/mentality of the jokes, then they are sexist/racist or whatever, which is a different story altogether.... but jokes are jokes and just that.
    All the Paddy Englishman, Irishman, Scotsman jokes.... the joke lands on the Irish man as being stupid.... I personally think blonde jokes are crap, but I do like the Paddy jokes.:D I'm a proud Irishman, but that doesn't bother me, I don't think that everyone really thinks the Irish are stupid, although I have met Englishmen who think this, but they're racist twats (the ones who think this way).... don't take life too seriously!! A joke is a joke, but a racist comment is a racist comment, or sexist, and so on.....;)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,275 ✭✭✭Shinji


    I think from your response you seem to doubt that blondes are often treated differently in the workplace or that some men do treat blondes in a disrespectful way and so forth.

    I work in an large office which has quite a close-knit spirit about it and a slightly larger percentage of females to males. I've never noticed blondes being treated differently to anyone else. If it happened, I'd know. Maybe this is unusual, but I only have my own experience to go on...

    Some men do treat blondes in a disrespectful way, yes. They also treat brunettes and redheads in a disrespectful way - it's nothing to do with hair colour and everything to do with gender. There are plenty of women out there who treat males in a highly disrespectful and inconsiderate way as well...

    Blonde jokes are acceptable because they're jokes and not meant with ill-intent. The same goes for a lot of jokes about the Irish, about Kerrymen, about Americans, about gay people, about black people, about redheads... Complaining about "discriminatory" humour tends to be political correctness gone mad and nothing more.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 383 ✭✭jaarius


    i think that the stereotype is that you've got the looks or you've got the brains. not both. its an unfortunate stereotype as i have both! :D.

    i am not a PC person by any means... but i do not prejudge folk cause of what they lookit, believe in, blah-di-blah. infact i slag everyone equaly (thats not supposed to be funny). Alis, if you feel that ypu get treated different cause your a blonde that your own problem. there are laws and whatnot that deal with these kind of things. so i suggest that you take legal action against folk you pre judge as being stupid coz you're blonde. that might make folk treat you differently, everybody will ignore/hate you. how about that.

    sweet jebus! how old are you? 16? if ppl think your stupid prove them wrong... if they dont want to know then they are not worth it. if you cant then maybe the stereotype applies. the latter wont apply (i imagine) as you are probably smarter than most of us. isnt that what you said in the blonde jokes thread in the humour board?

    have you ever judged someone/thing/place because of a stereotype? i'd find it hard to imagine you have not.

    the humour in this country is such that you have to take a slagging now and again. some more than others.


    j


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 79 ✭✭Alis


    Ok, I started a thread basically saying that, personally, I'm offended by blonde jokes and asking others why they found them socially acceptable if in fact they did.

    I also explained that the reason I don't find them funny is that I believe blondes are often treated badly in real life, and thus I find it hard to understand why people think it is ok to laugh about that.

    Lets do a round up of some comments I've received so far:

    (I'm excluding the ones on the humour board because I accept that it was not the place to say that I objected to blonde jokes on a serious level.)

    "you are more sensitive than is normal I would imagine"

    "You sound a bit insecure to be honest. What exactly is it you want?"

    "You're obviously very sensitive, Alis"

    "sweet jebus! how old are you? 16?"

    "the humour in this country is such that you have to take a slagging now and again. some more than others."

    So I'm abnormally sensative, a bit insecure, immature, seriously lacking in a sense of humour, you don't believe any blondes are treated badly and I have to put up with people slagging me off now and again anyway.

    I simply stated that I personally didn't find blonde jokes funny? Do you not think you are being a bit unfair right here and now?

    Ok, I'm quoting the worst of the comments I got back (Thank you to everyone who didn't say such things) but to those that did I think you should read this thread again. It is a big world out there and I think you are going to have to start accepting that not everyone shares your attitude. IMHO I don't really think it is fair to call them insecure or whatever else just because they don't.

    Alis


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,099 ✭✭✭✭WhiteWashMan


    phew, im glad i didnt say about you.

    but while you are on the subject, what is it about blonde jokes that you dont like.
    if a blonde came up to you and told a blonde joke would it make a difference?
    ive found myself becoming very defensive when it comes to irish jokes since i moved to london. ive never been perticularly proud of being irish, but i am very proud, but not in an obnoxious way and i think when a paddy tells a paddy joke etc its ok. or one of oyur mates.
    i think its when people you dont really know tell jokes and they hit a little nerve. and often you dont know someone well enough to turn around and say something like, dont be a twat. but instead you bit the bullet and it just gets at you.

    maybe thats the direction youre coming from alis?
    its certainly how i feel sometimes, but again, i generally tend to give as good as i get because i dont discriminate....
    i tell jokes about everyone :)

    you cant be bad anyway, you have a birthday in february if i remeber correctly. hope your an aquarius, we're all cool :)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 79 ✭✭Alis


    WhiteWashMan wrote:
    but while you are on the subject, what is it about blonde jokes that you dont like.

    It is that is doesn't stop with the jokes. If blondes were not, all too often, treated like they are stupid or 'easy' I'm sure I wouldn't be as offended by people laughing about it.

    IMHO they are, and so I find blonde jokes as funny as I find black jokes, gay jokes or whatever.

    OK, I accept that most people who tell blonde, black, gay or whatever jokes do it in jest. I don't really like it, but I can put up with it most days.

    However somedays it bugs me that people tell them. I think I have the right to say to anyone who tells blonde jokes 'I think your blonde jokes suck'.

    I don't think a blonde who expresses her distain for blond jokes, a gay person that expresses his or her distain for gay jokes or a black person that that expresses his or her distain for black jokes should be called 'insecure' or 'immature' or other such things for doing so.

    I know boards.ie is not a democracy but I'm just saying that I think blonde, gay, black jokes or whatever jokes are not always harmless humour and they do hurt some people and I expect to be able to hold that opinion here.
    hope your an aquarius
    Yep, but born in January not February :)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 79 ✭✭Alis


    Going back to what beaver said...
    What exactly is it you want?
    A little respect would be nice :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,628 ✭✭✭Asok


    I`m a blond and i think their bloody hilarious maybe its cause i`m a BOOHIISSSSS man :p


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,079 ✭✭✭Mr.Applepie


    I think blond jokes are like kerry men jokes. It's just joking about a stereotype. No1 with a brain cell believes dat all ppl with blond hair or every1 from kerry is stupid. I know plenty of blond ppl who are extremly smart and the same goes for kerry ppl. To cut a long story short blond jokes are making fun of a stereotype no more no less and any1 who things there is something more to them really aint woth listening to


  • Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Music Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 4,501 Mod ✭✭✭✭Blade


    I'm surprised no ones mentioned this yet but this whole blonde joke thing started years ago when dark haired girls started using paroxide to attract men because at the time it was said that 'Gentlemen prefer blondes' at least thats what the 1950's musical led us to believe, this also started the era of the 'blonde bombshells'. The blonde jokes were not usually directed at natural blondes, all the jokes as I remember them in the 80's where like 'whats the difference between a paroxide blonde..etc' but in the years since then people just started dropping the 'paroxide' bit in their jokes. But the general feeling was that dark haired girls who dyed their hair blonde were just insecure bimbos looking to attract men rather than naturally beautiful well educated girls. I think Marilyn Monroe also helped put out that dumb blonde bimbo generalization thats out there.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,264 ✭✭✭✭Hobbes


    Blade dyes his hair black.


  • Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Music Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 4,501 Mod ✭✭✭✭Blade


    LOL I do NOT hobbes u muppet, my hair is actually light brown and I don't dye it, it just looks black cause of the gel ;)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,525 ✭✭✭JustHalf


    I dunno. I know some stupid blonde women, and some really smart blond women. I haven't polled there opinion on the jokes though.

    Perhaps we shouldn't say anything that could possible harm someone in some way? I don't agree with that.

    If you find them offensive, that's your concern. If men treat you like ****, that's their problem. If you let that bother you, it's your problem. Some people are muppets. Who cares?

    Don't let people get to you. Join the funk.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,099 ✭✭✭✭WhiteWashMan


    Originally posted by Alis
    WhiteWashMan wrote:
    I know boards.ie is not a democracy but I'm just saying that I think blonde, gay, black jokes or whatever jokes are not always harmless humour and they do hurt some people and I expect to be able to hold that opinion here.

    Yep, but born in January not February :)

    well then, youre just a normal person,
    we all get p1ssed at stuff every now and then.

    you will have to come out to the next beer up and i can tell you my collection of donkey pr0n jokes :)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,682 ✭✭✭chernobyl


    Why are blonde jokes socially acceptable..i dunno.

    is that not a very subjective question.how can you answer that question and take everyones opinion into consideration.

    blonde jokes are generally very simple, and light hearted, and i am supprised that someone would find them offensive.
    have blondes been persectuted, isolated and abbused through the years like black peeps...no
    black jokes are not acceptable because the evolve from deep rooted evil, blonde jokes are just light humour.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 9,438 ✭✭✭TwoShedsJackson


    What have a Boeing 747 and a blonde woman got in common?

    A black box.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 78,647 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    I think that Blade said something important. The blondes being 'targeted' by the jokes are those who define themselves as being blonde, of somehow being better than others because they are blonde. It is a self defence that many people use against 'the beautiful people'.

    Quite often in work places and social environments, the shorter, fatter, quieter, balder, non-drinker (if you don't drink you must be anto-social), non-smoker, less tanned, less athletic and the bespectacled are the subject of much greater discrimination than 'the beautiful people' (oft associated with the blonde).

    I'm not there to judge people by their cover. I usually judge people by their attitudes, honestry, trust-worthyness, honesty, diligence and work-ethic. And how much they are paying me. :)
    Originally posted by Castor Troy
    What have a Boeing 747 and a blonde woman got in common?
    A black box.
    Anyway, CT, surely you mean a peroxide blonde? And even some of them don't have black 'boxes' ;) Or was that a further attempt at humour / parody. :)


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 512 ✭✭✭beaver


    Alis,

    I re-read the entire thread as you suggested.

    I still think you're way off.

    You said you would like some respect - do you actually feel disrespected when someone tells a blonde joke? I'm talking about jokes (that's what you started this thread for), not any other descrimination you might experience because of your hair colour. If you do, I think you're being more sensitive than most would. I don't know why you took that as some kind of insult the first time I said it. Have you considered that your position here seems to be very different to most peoples? A bit more sensitive?

    Seeing as you seem to be very much in the minority in being insulted by these. Maybe you ought to explain why you think blonde jokes should not be socially acceptable? I mean beyond the fact that you personally don't like them...

    -Ross


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12 Synpax-Jade


    I suppose you could compare 'blonde jokes' with the same sort of negative humour against people with 'ginger' hair. You could possibly place it with jokes against fat people, or even jokes about the Irish.

    Jokes like that become funny (to some people) because they are pointing out the short comings of others, and using stereotypes to support them. Due to the declining sum of area's you can cover without being over-offensive (such as jokes against any race of people, the main catagory where I live is Asian people), more jokes are created about a specific area.

    In theory, they are wrong and very cheap way of humour, but in reality they're what keeps people in those pubs laughing away (apart from all that alcohol).

    As a tie in, think how boring the world (and pubs) would be if you couldn't slag someone off because they fit into a social stereotype? :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,264 ✭✭✭✭Hobbes


    The real reason people use Blond is because it's only one syllable.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 512 ✭✭✭beaver


    Originally posted by Hobbes
    The real reason people use Blond is because it's only one syllable.

    ... like "black" and "brown" and "fair" and "red" :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,264 ✭✭✭✭Hobbes


    Originally posted by beaver


    ... like "black" and "brown" and "fair" and "red" :)

    Yes, because in those cases you have to explain the context of the colour which makes it harder to tell the joke.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,099 ✭✭✭✭WhiteWashMan


    Originally posted by Synpax-Jade
    I suppose you could compare 'blonde jokes' with the same sort of negative humour against people with 'ginger' hair:)

    not true,
    ginger haired people deserve all the abuse they get.
    and they are inbred as well


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 897 ✭✭✭Greenbean


    Blade made a fine point in that the blondes targeted arose from the dyed blondes with no other interest than to pull, be loud and well to add another steriotype - be a essex girl.

    When we say blonde here, have we been specifically talking about females? I've been reading this thread and its all been about the females and I feel very hurt as a male blonde, I have feelings too you know :p

    Guts of it is, I wouldn't ever get offended by a blonde joke since I know theres no malice in it - though I'd never tell a blonde joke either. Similarly I wouldn't get offended by a paddy joke, say told in ireland, as long as I knew there was no stupidity or malice behind it - but I would probably get offended if it was a english man leering at me, if I suspected he really believed he'd scored a point on me and had hurt me etc.

    Minority groups generally settle around a culture or race - blondes are neither. Also probably about 3/4 of blondes in Ireland are self made so its pretty hard for the majority to really give a damn whats said about their hair colour. Deep down they know that they're not really blonde and just naively yearning for some stupid image pushed at them in a fashion magazine or because they see it as being a great way of buzzing up their image. I think that men might see blonde's as being more on for the "pull", but that could be because dyed blondes are sending that signal in dying the hair, a sort of self fueling cycle. Maybe its just because some girls look better when blond too. I heard of a "scientific" study which suggested men prefer blondes because blonde hair suggests the woman has not had any children (after child birth alot of fair haired women's hair gets darker).

    Overall, my opinion is, if she's blond, then I would.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4 sabre_azure


    I agree with ails. It can be incredibly hurtful when someone comes out with this stereotypical which you're expected to find funny.

    I'm a redhead myself and all the time people tell me I must have a terrible temper or when I get mad I'm told its my colouring. This in turn makes me quite mad.

    I know this stuff isnt on the same level as you Ails cos whats said to me doesnt make me out to be a half-wit etc.

    But I understand where you're coming from. The best thing is ignore people when they come out with such crap!!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 78,647 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    Originally posted by Greenbean
    When we say blonde here, have we been specifically talking about females? I've been reading this thread and its all been about the females and I feel very hurt as a male blonde, I have feelings too you know

    Blonde = Female
    Blond = Male

    Another one of those stupid "manageress"-type words.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,446 ✭✭✭✭amp


    I bleached my dark brown hair blonde (shut up Victor) once and based on my experience before and after and can definitely say I had more fun being blonde. Mind you I did get rid of the red goatee I had at the time so that might skew the experience.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 78,647 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    Originally posted by amp
    I bleached my dark brown hair blonde (shut up Victor)

    [OUTRAGED MODE ON]What did I say?

    [OUTRAGED MODE OFF]

    [SMILE MODE ON] :)

    Slut! ;)


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,099 ✭✭✭✭WhiteWashMan


    Originally posted by amp
    I bleached my dark brown hair blonde (shut up Victor) once and based on my experience before and after and can definitely say I had more fun being blonde. Mind you I did get rid of the red goatee I had at the time so that might skew the experience.

    hmm, i had bleached blonde hair on and off for about 2 years and i had lots of fun.
    hmm, and i guess it kinda was in the slutty way too.
    its true!
    blondes are easy :)


This discussion has been closed.
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