Our society has come a long way in reducing discrimination on the basis of gender, creed, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Indeed, we have instated laws that attempt to impede any such intolerance, even if their efficacy can be argued.
However, a final frontier of discrimination still remains: discrimination on the basis of hair color.
The only prejudice that is not only tolerated but propagated by mainstream society, follicalism is rampant among our generation. For the purpose of argumentation, I will ignore the many facets of tone that occur in human hair and assume only three categories: brunette, blonde, and redhead.
We all know the traditional stereotypes. Aloof, mysterious, or even boring brunettes. Blondes that are stupid but somehow manage to have more fun. Redheads that are feisty, short-tempered, or frail. Although we all recognize that these stereotypes are silly, it is disturbing how deeply ingrained many of these clichés are in our collective unconscious.
So who experiences the worst of these stereotypes? Everyone.
Unfortunately, many argue that brunettes have it the easiest and often gloss over difficulties based solely on hair color, but they are still subject to societal expectations. I asked my two brunette roommates for their thoughts, and they both immediately agreed that they had never experienced discrimination on the basis of their hair color.
“Not as a brunette” stated sophomore Meghan Willis. “I don’t think there are any stereotypes for brunettes.”
And again. “No, never” added Marguerite Poeske, another sophomore brunette. But when I pressed them further, they admitted that being a brunette had its limitations. Both referenced the popular 2001 film “Legally Blonde,” in which the blonde protagonist is bullied by a snobby brunette. Indeed, both admitted that brunettes have been archetypally demonized as the repressors of blonde fun.
Amanda Kroiss, a native Dallasite and sophomore at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, reveals that she felt discriminated against as a brunette in Dallas, but not north of the Mason-Dixon Line.
“I think that the concept of beauty in Dallas is very different from up here,” Amanda explained. “Those who were blonde were considered more beautiful. In Dallas, I get different attention, which affirms at least for me this opinion.” Is Amanda’s case isolated? Perhaps. But I think it is telling.
Further, both positive and negative stereotypes for blondes are extremely limiting. The expectation that blondes have more fun is one that many blondes are not ready to prove. Why should hair color dictate behavior? Do those blondes who do not meet standard idea of blondeness feel like failed blondes, or even failed women?
When did hair color become such an ingrained element of a person’s identity?
Out of all the stereotypes based on hair color, those surrounding redheads seem to be particularly severe. The exaltation of the pejorative term “ginger” in youth culture is for me particularly disturbing.
Ironically, the origins of its use can most certainly be attributed to an episode of the popular animated series “South Park,” in which redheads were subjected to extreme racism. The episode was meant to be allegorical, proving how silly discriminatory ideologies can be. Instead of embracing the lesson the show’s creators attempted to convey, popular culture instead adopted the term “ginger” as a veritable slur.
The term’s widespread use is only more solid proof of the damage this sort of discrimination can bring. Because hair color is such a transient and inconsequential part of our identity, this bigotry is often dismissed as equally insignificant. It is clear, however, that it can be just as damaging as any other prejudice and just as unfair.
In light of this problem, I offer a challenge. Next time you meet someone new, abstain from judging them on their hair color. Indeed, their hair cut should be left out too.
For that matter, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, nationality, weight, height, and socioeconomic class can be left out too. Who knows, you might be surprised- I myself know plenty of blondes who are not dumb, redheads who are less than feisty and more than frail, and brunettes who have much more fun than I, who just so happen to be a blonde.
Rebecca Quinn is a sophomore Spanish, French, and art history triple major. She can be reached for comment at [email protected]
