Why shouldn’t blondes have coffee breaks? It takes too long to re-train them. (“Short Funny Blonde Jokes”)
May reasonable conclusions about less-obvious traits be drawn based on shared physical qualities?How much influence can one gene or batch of genes working together have?Though genetic understanding is still in its infancy, according to Stephen Ceci and Wendy M. Williams “most researchers agree that genes do not explain between-group differences.” That is, differences other than the obvious physical features that mark a person as part of a racial group are not genetically based. In modern times, any contrary argument is likely to be found offensive by many, and may result in ostracism or job loss. It seems silly to imagine that genes that cause a person to have a broad flat nose or an epicanthal fold of the eyelids or female genitalia or blond hair can also
impact intelligence. Racial characteristics are already seen as social, rather than scientific markers. Sexual characteristics seem to be becoming the same.
However, some interesting and non-intuitive linkages do exist. A study that suggests that hair color variation developed as a response to limited available breeding partners in Northern Europe points out that non-black-haired and non-brown-eyed individuals have longer second fingers in relation to their fourth fingers. This indicates the new hair and eye colors are associated with a higher ratio of estrogen to testosterone before birth. (Frost) A number of studies have connected the relative lengths of the pointer and ring fingers to personality traits, standardized test results, and even homosexuality (“Your Finger Length TellsAll About You!”)
What do you call an eternity? Four blondes at a four-way stop. (“Short Funny Blonde Jokes”)
Historically scientists have been as prone as the general public to seeing what they are looking for. Darwin and many of his contemporaries “regarded it as so self-evident that white Anglo-Saxon upper-class males were the most intelligent as not to need evidence.” (Rose) One of Paul Broca’s disciples, Gustave Le Bon, revealed their bias, both toward men and toward Parisians, “one of the most intelligent races.” (Gould)
Scientists can become attached to their theories, even in the face of contradictory evidence. For example, for decades the belief that humans came to the western hemisphere by a land bridge about 13,500 years ago kept people from even examining evidence of older settlements. “It wasn't until 1997 that the controversy was resolved.” (Vanderbilt University) That evidence is finally being pursued vigorously, pushing “most scholars” to now put the date 16,000 years ago.
Why did the blonde put lipstick on her forehead? Because she was trying to make up her mind. (“Short Funny Blond Jokes”)
Sometimes those who express themselves most forcefully carry the argument. Broca and his acolytes are evidence of that. Thierry Meyer, joint author of a study on the impact of viewing images of women on men’s cognitive function, provides more evidence, “This proves that people confronted with stereotypes generally behave in line with them,” he said. But the study proves no such thing. He and his team concluded that other conclusions might be drawn from the same data, and their one study cannot count as sufficient evidence to prove anything about humanity (“people”). However, the force of Meyer’s language, with the study’s results simplified in the British popular press might convince a great many people. (Dobson and Swinford)Some folks might not see much to be concerned about if some women choose to act out dumb blonde stereotypes, or even if some men falsely project them on women. I admit to ironically imagining some questioning youth reading about “finger length” then examining his own hand to decide if he’s gay. However, in a recently publicized case Andrew Wakefield’s 1998 study indicating a link between the MMR vaccine and autism, now vigorously rejected as fraudulent, has led untold numbers of
parents to refrain from vaccinating their children. False or misunderstood information, stated with great authority, has led to disease, suffering, even death.
What do smart blondes and UFOs have in common? you always hear about them, but you never see them. (“Short Funny Blonde Jokes”)
Jonathan Wallace comments on the power of language in scientific thought: ...theologians studying angels, later scientists compounding theories of the “ether” around us, or people writing about ghosts or aliens can create entire classifications and lexicons and can sound as sure of themselves as any “mainstream” scientist. A few seconds of searching on Google disclosed a page listing known types of space aliens which includes the following amusing classification:GREY TYPE C: These are the shortest of the greys and tend to be about 3.5 ft. tall. Their facial features are very similar to the Zeta Reticuli greys and are of the same “root race.” They are just as hostile to humans as the Zetas. They are from a star system near the shoulder of Orion called Bellatrax.
This is grammatical, detailed, written with great assurance and probably completely nonsensical.
In what is certainly an extreme example, accused murderer Jared Lee Loughner is said have been influenced by the conspiracy movie Zeitgeist and the writings of David Wynn Miller. A more mainstream example would be your friend who believes his horoscope and was outraged to learn that his astrological sign recently changed.
A few years ago, headlines like “Cavegirls Were First Blondes to Have Fun” bloomed in the popular press and on website front pages above stories about how, according to a study, “north European women evolved blonde hair and blue eyes at the end of the Ice Age to make them stand out from their rivals at a time of fierce competition for scarce males.” (Dobson and Taher) As usual, when you look at the actual study, it’s a little more complicated than that. It isn’t just blonde hair and blue eyes; the speculation is that every hair color other than black, and eye color other than brown, developed in response to environmental conditions. (Frost)
So why did newspaper editors jump to “blondes have fun” in a story about sexual competition?
The answer, I think, says less about genetics or environment, or even blondes, than it does about cultural bias. People make unwarranted assumptions. In England brunettes are better paid and more respected than blondes, yet more women are now dyeing their hair blonde because they believe blondes are more outgoing and sexy, according to studies conducted for hair dye companies.
Why are blonde jokes short? So men can remember them. (“Short Funny Blonde Jokes”)
In the above-mentioned study coauthored by Thierry Meyer, men performed worse on a test of general intelligence after they looked at pictures of blonde-haired women. (Dobson and Swinford) Meyer’s conclusion that people are heavily influenced by stereotypical belief seems more likely than that the same genes that make women blonde give them the magical power to make men into idiots.I HAVE LEARNED When your dad is mad and asks you, “do I look stupid?” don’t answer him. Heather, Age 16. (“I Have Learned”)
Sources
Ceci, Stephen, and Wendy M. Williams. “Darwin 200: Should scientists study race and IQ? YES: the scientific truth must be pursued.” Nature 45711 FEB 2009 788-789. 23 Feb 2009
Dobson, Roger, and Abul Taher. “Corrected--Cavegirls were first blondes to have fun.” The Sunday Times. 26 Feb 2006. 23 Feb 2009.
Dobson, Roger, and Steven Swinford. “You silly boys: blondes make men act dumb.” The Sunday Times. 18 Nov 2007. 23 Feb 2009
Frost, Peter. “Why do Europeans Have So Many Hair and Eye Colors?” CogWeb: Cognitive Cultural Studies. 2006 Universite Laval(Canada) and St. Andrews University (Scotland). 23
Feb 2009.
Gould, Stephen Jay. “Women’s Brains.” 50 Essays. Ed. Samuel Cohen 2nd ed. Boston: Bedford, 2007. 184-90. Print.
“I Have Learned.” Kid-Joke. 23 Feb 2009
Rose, Steven. Darwin 200: Should scientists study race and IQ? NO: science and society do not benefit.” Nature 45711 FEB 2009 786-788. 23 Feb 2009
“Short Funny Blonde Jokes.” JokesBlonde.com. 23 Feb 2009.
Wallace, Jonathan. “Race and Intelligence.” The Ethical Spectacle XIII 12 Dec 2007. 23 Feb 2009
Vanderbilt University. "New Evidence From Earliest Known Human Settlement In The Americas." ScienceDaily 9 May 2008. 26 January 2011
“Your Finger Length Tells All About You!” ViewZone.com. 2009. 23 Feb 2009
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