Representation on Blondes in the Media free essay sample

Representation in the Media In present day media, there are numerous stereotypes of people that can be found, such as the popular jock or the dumb cheerleader. These stereotypes are displayed on television shows and others forms of media to add humour and make the shows more relatable to the viewer since many schools have such stereotypes. Many forms of media use social stereotypes as a way to provide the audience with a quick common understanding of the characters, so they base the stereotypes on their audience. Other forms of media use stereotypes to take the audience on a journey of social differences. Nevertheless, there are always a few stereotypes that are usually present in many forms of media, such as the â€Å"popular one†, the â€Å"dumb one†, the â€Å"smart one†, and so on. The general social stereotype of the popular, confident and attractive blonde woman is common in many forms of media. We will write a custom essay sample on Representation on Blondes in the Media or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page They all demonstrate this particular woman as very social and confident in herself, but she can also be shown as somewhat unintelligent and rude. This stereotype is quite popular since it is something many people can relate to in their lives. Also, the media frequently portrays unintelligent blondes in a humorous manner, making the representation more enjoyable for the viewer. One depiction of an attractive blonde woman would be in the television show Gossip Girl, in which one of the main characters is Serena Van Der Woodsen, played by Blake Lively. The character of Serena Van Der Woodsen in Gossip Girl is of an attractive blonde woman who is very social and is loved by everyone. In the beginning of the show, Serena is disliked by her friends, but the problems are soon resolved due to Serena’s social personality. This social personality and popularity is a trait that is given to many blonde women in the fictional media, as it is something that is common in the real world and can be relatable to the viewers. Serena is also portrayed as a confident and audacious person, which are attributes common in illustrations of blonde women in the media. Another social representation of an attractive blonde woman is in the song â€Å"’Cause I’m a Blonde† by Julie Brown. This song is a successful representation of blonde women stereotypes because it addresses all the personality traits associated with a blonde woman in an upfront approach. With lyrics such as â€Å"I took an IQ test and I flunked it of course, I cant spell BW but I got a Porsche† and â€Å"I see girls without dates and I feel so sorry for them ‘cause whenever Im around, all the men ignore em†, the song addresses all the stereotypical claims against blonde women. This song establishes that blonde women are unintelligent but prosperous in terms of luxury goods, and that they are popular and adored by everyone. Similar to the media representation of Serena Van Der Woodsen in Gossip Girl, the blonde women in the song are shown as confident, popular and social. The difference between the two representations is that the song also addresses blonde women as being dumb. The third and final media representation that I have found of an attractive blonde woman is the movie character Regina George from Mean Girls. In the movie Mean Girls, Regina George is at the top of the social ladder in her high school. She is beautiful, mean, and blonde. Regina is feared and secretly hated at school by her peers, but her confidence and ego overpowers it all. Unlike many other media representations of blondes, Regina George is neither dumb nor nice. Although she’s not the stereotypical dumb blonde, her rude and ignorant personality fits that of a stereotypical blonde woman’s. However, similar to other representations of blondes, Regina George is very confident in herself. The portrayal of attractive blonde women in the media has become so popular that it would seem it is almost necessary to include this representation in a media source. This is not only because attractive blonde women are relatable and humorous, but also because there are many stereotypical personalities of a blonde that can be included. Social, confident, unintelligent, and rude being just a few of the popular traits. Some of the greatest misinterpretations of attractive blonde women in the media would be that they are unintelligent or rude. These traits come from within people and their social upbringing, not their hair colour, and therefore such traits cannot and should not be associated to their physical appearance. However the most dominant interpretation present in all three of the representations above would be the confidence and social personality of a blonde woman. This may be a misinterpretation, since not every blonde woman is confident and social, but I would agree that attractive blondes tend to be social and confident. References: http://tvtropes.org/