Olive Grrrl Popstars & Blonde Ambition

(initially posted here)

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately.

Madonna. Lady Gaga. Gwen Stefani. These women all come from strong Italian roots (that they often talk about). They are all natural brunettes, but dye their hair peroxide blonde. They all became famous after they dyed their hair.

I take issue with this. Why does there have to be so many damn blonde popstars, especially ones who routinely discuss their Italian background? Why dye your hair blonde? To fit in? To be like everyone else? To be “subversive” in some backwards way?

I’m not saying that there are no natural blonde Italians out there; there are. Duh. But, come on! They are feeding into the hair color hierarchy of our culture/society. These women are applauded for being “strong,” “independent,” and “unique,” but really, what’s the deal with looking remarkably pale-skinned and blonde? How is that “unique” at all? I question the authenticness of this. I question whether their outward appearance is really who they are, or if, instead, it’s who they wish to be, or who the world wishes them to be–stereotypically “American”; to erase any visual cue that they carry another ethnicity.

These women do, however, resist this stereotypical “American” appearance by repeatedly discussing their strong cultural background.

-Madonna has stated:
I am Italian American and proud of it.

Also this:
I love blonde hair but it really does something different to you. I feel more grounded when I have dark hair, and I feel more ethereal when I have light hair. It’s unexplainable. I also feel more Italian when my hair is dark.

If you feel more “grounded” being brunette, then why are you still blonde?

-Lady Gaga has said various things about her Italian ancestry as well. She states:

I come from an Italian family–what more can I say? I love to cook. I am really good at Italian food. So I make great meatballs, pasta and all sorts.

She has also said:

Taking a break today, in bed with mommy having glass of wine waiting for sis to get home. Just us Italian girls running the house tonight.

-Gwen Stefani hasn’t said much about her heritage, but apparently payed homage to her Italian roots in No Doubt’s music video for,”Cool,” which was shot in Lake Como, Italy.

I love that these extremely famous women are out there, doing their thing, and taking pride in their heritage, but I also loathe the fact that they try so desperately to fit in via their outward appearance. Some of you may say, “Well, what if they want to be blonde, etc…”

To that, I say, okay, I can get behind that to an extent, but really? These women are major pop artists. They have a large following. I hate to pull the “role model” card, but it would be nice for young women out there to see more famous brunette singers.

Come on, Olive Grrrls! Get it together! As Lady Gaga sings, “Show me your teeth!”

Disclaimer: This post was written by a Feministing Community user and does not necessarily reflect the views of any Feministing columnist, editor, or executive director.

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