Margaret Thatcher, a chemist, lawyer, politican and prime minister of Britain for 11 years, had strawberry blonde hair. So who says blondes are dumb and ditzy! I used to feel strange having long blonde hair and studying science. What did people think of me? I didn’t want to be seen as a ‘dumb blonde’. I been teased in high school about my hair colour and what that implied. I didn’t have that at uni thank god. When I was halfway through my PhD (I finished it as a MPhil – Master of Philosophy), I finally made the leap and died my hair red. I’d wanted to for a while – I liked the fiery and passionate nature it implied, my favourite actress Rita Hayworth had red hair (dyed) and I never thought being blonde was really me. And I was making a statement against all those who wanted to be blonde – I was blonde and didn’t want to be! So I have had red/strawberry blonde hair since and it suits me and its as though I should have been born a red-head with my colouring and passionate nature. I’m no longer blonde haired, but I still believe society should stop ridiculing blondes for being dumb. And isnt it rather strange and ironic that so many women want to be blonde and it is seen as a sexualised and pornographic ideal when blondes are ridiculed for being dumb, ditzy and incompetent?
Archive for the ‘Female Scientists of the 1940’s & 1950s’ Category
Blonde hair – DOESN’T mean you are dumb!
Posted in Female Scientists, Female Scientists of the 1940's & 1950s, Feminism, Role Models, Scientists, Women in Science on February 27, 2012| 2 Comments »
Female Scientist Poll
Posted in Female Scientists, Female Scientists of the 1940's & 1950s, Women in Science, tagged Scientist, Women in Science on June 25, 2011| 1 Comment »
When asked to name a female scientist who springs to mind?
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