blondness
It's weird- out here in the midwest, where there are plenty of real blond people, everyone seems to think I'm blond! I'm used to Spanish-speaking people calling me rubia- I mean, they have less variation, so it's understandable. But these are regular, corn-fed midwesterners. Of course, the ones that are actually blond themselves are more likely to describe my hair as brown, WHICH IT IS!
And here's the really bizarre thing- when people call me blond out here, they say that my pale skin and blue eyes CONTRIBUTE to the label "blond"! It's not just a hair color thing! Just like "rubia!"
Shelly (my roommate) says that she actually perceives my hair the same way I perceive it... but just calls it blond. So here's my mental model:
| MY LABELS | CRAZY LABELS |
| black | black |
| dark brown | brown |
| medium brown | blond |
| light brown | blond |
| dirty blond | blond |
| medium blond | blond |
| light blond | blond |
So what do you think, loyal readers- am I blond?
posted by karenlikescereal @ 8:40 a. m.
7 Comments:
Yeah, you have the Viking look (Tall, Pale Skin, Blue Eyes).. and that usually comes packaged with "BLONDE" so without even seeing your hair, everyone's mental cues automatically point them to blonde.
Or it could be just be that we're fat, stupid, corn-eating hicks.
I think you'll make a good linguist.
You're not blonde. I'm not blonde. But people really want us to be blonde.
For instance, people will refer to my roommates and me as "three blonde girls" when really I would say one of them is dirty blonde, one is light brown, and I have medium brown hair. Maybe it's because "blonde" sounds more descriptive than "brown" and we're not dark enough to be "brunette".
I have always thought of you as blonde -- but I have usually seen you with Emily (clearly not blonde), hence perhaps a contrast-based categorization. (from Emily's mom)
You're definitely not blonde!! I would say you have brown hair with light brown highlights.
Bret is blonde, but like you he is somewhat close to the "line." The hair underneath his first layer is light brown. But, unlike you, he is blonde enough to be called "blonde" because his FIRST layer of hair is YELLOW. Blonde = Yellow.
I'm obsessed with specificity, so if someone just says "blonde" I think of hair that looks yellow, or perhaps whiteish. Not any shade of brown at first glance! If there are traces of brownness, such hair would be more appropriately called "dirty blonde" or "light brown with blonde hightlights" or something like that. SPECIFICITY IS THE KEY.
hehehe
Don't worry, you're not blonde.
OK, 2 votes for blond(e), 2 votes for not blond(e), and one vote for being a good linguist. I'll take it. Especially since it PROVES MY THEORY that the MIDWESTERNERS- Mike and Emily's mom- are unable to judge blondness. I mean, they have a different definition. We're all equal. Kumbaya.
Of special interest is the fact that Emily's mom, Andrea, and Hilarie all first saw my hair before I ever highlighted it at all, and this does not affect their blond(e)ness determinations.
Oh here's something for you. For most of my life, many "blonde" people as you've defined it in your chart have been telling me my hair is black... which it's not!
Publicar un comentario
<< Home