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How the "blonde bombshell" became a symbol of desire and danger
2025-08-12 19:29:56 / SHOWBIZ
Blonde hair has long been a powerful and often contradictory symbol in popular culture. From mythology to modern cinema, the image of the blonde has evolved, personifying innocence and danger at the same time. In her article, cultural historian Lynda Nead explores this phenomenon in her book, “British Blonde: Women, Desire and the Image in Postwar Britain.”
In early Hollywood, the blonde Mary Pickford was “America’s sweetheart,” a symbol of innocence. However, this figure was quickly replaced by blonde “bombshells” like Jean Harlow and later Marilyn Monroe. The term, according to Nead, suggests an explosive, almost “weapon-like” power—an ideal of beauty that is both seductive and threatening.
In 1940s film noir, peroxide-dyed blondes like Veronica Lake and Lana Turner became cunning characters who used their looks to manipulate men. The image of the “icy blonde” was repeated in films like Blonde Ice and later in thrillers like Basic Instinct, where Sharon Stone plays a seductive and intelligent assassin.
Blonde hair, often dyed, created an interesting duality: a pure and childlike image that concealed a darker or more intriguing reality. The dark roots of the hair, as Nead writes, “exposed the transgression in the feminine masquerade.”
British blonde vs. American blonde
In post-war Britain, dyed blonde became a symbol of freedom and material luxury. However, British icons like Diana Dors and Barbara Windsor were different from their American counterparts. Dors was more daring and almost cartoonish, while Windsor embodied a more vibrant blonde, playing with the idea of false innocence and overt sexuality.
Contrary to the stereotype of the "dumb blonde," films and characters have shown that this image often conceals hidden intelligence and ambition. Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde and Marilyn Monroe's character in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes defy this expectation. As Dolly Parton sang, "This dumb blonde ain't nobody's dumb."
Ultimately, the blonde is a complex image that continues to be present and important in our culture, symbolizing beauty, desire and an unexpected and often dangerous power. BBC
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