It's Okay to Hate Me (After All, I'm Blonde)~ A Rant

Today, browsing works by a few writers, several female poets seemed to key on the same thing: putting down, envying, or making fun of women who are blonde. This poem is my response to their stereotyping and shallow observations. It's not my usual style. J

If I wore a wig for one day, would other women treat me more kindly?

If I died my hair, would it lessen their distaste every time I dare to open my mouth?

Would men stop assuming I was easy, or that I had no brain?

 

I work with children. Children no one else wants to work with.

I write.

I write about my own experiences in the attempt to help others, and I write just because.

I have an IQ of 136.

I'm a good mother.

I've never cheated on a  boyfriend, not even on the husband who was unfaithful to me,

the one who eventually knocked out 2 of my teeth.

I survived him.

I survived homelessness.

I survived and I use the things I've learned to help others.

 

But when I pass you on the street, what do you see?

You see a mass of golden hair, two blue eyes, and a rack and you assume.

You assume I am dull, shallow, cruel, greedy, wanton, a thief of love and affection.

 

Do you think about the times men have dated me

just to brag to their friends they banged a blonde?

Do you think I always saw them for what they were, when I was younger?

How many do you think had any love to show me?

How many do you think treated me as though I am real?

 

Oh yes, I've had it so damned easy.

Ha. You don't know the half of it.

But it's okay to hate me.

After all, I'm blonde.

 

Paste women who look like me on the covers of your magazines.

(Women edit most of them.)

Vote women like me Miss America.

Cast every starring role with a blonde.

Do it, and then hate me.

Hate what you expect me to be.

Hate me for what I am not.

 

There is always a reason for hate.

A stupid reason.

If I were black, and you hated me for my skin,

it would cause an outrage, and justly so.

If I were a cripple, and you hated my for my disability,

you would be thought cruel, and it would be true.

 

 

But it is just fine to hate me.

I have pale skin.

I have blue eyes.

I have a certain color of hair.

In olden times, the redheads were the first to be burned at the stake for witchcraft.

The modern witch-hunt has it in for blondes.

 

But it's okay to hate me.

It's okay to hate me because I don't look like you,

 or because I remind you of some stupid b***h you knew.

It's okay when men use me.

It's okay when I'm denied a raise.

It's okay when my boss sexually harrasses me.

It's okay when someone who looks like me has a hard time.

Because we had the audacity to be born with a lighter shade of hair.

 

Tell me though, what will you do, the day your daughter is born,

if her skin is pale and her hair is fair?

Will you give up on her ever being human?

 

 

 

Author's Note

This is not in my usual style. It is a rant inspired by the work of other writers here, that today showed me that many women have a lack of empathy for other women who happen to be blonde.
Please do not take this as an example of my body of work. It was merely something I had to say.

Reviews

[L.G. Knight]

This is so very true! that sterotypes exsist in todays world most especially against blondes... my mother is a blonde with big b***s so she has it hard in that area so I can understand and agree with what you wrote here it was very well done! my sister who also has blonde hair and a rack would find you to be her hero if she read this very well done!

~Frances~

[Natalie C]

Now this was such a brilliant piece and I am so happy that someone eventually had the courage to write something like this. Ok yes, I am blonde myself and can relate to almost everything you said here.
Your piece reminded me of a song "Pieces of you" from Jewel. Don't know if you are familiar with it. She ends up saying "do you hate them/her/him, 'cause they are pieces of you?" Think that is what scares the people so much about life, not necessary being blonde. We are all pieces of each other and I personally think it scares the hell out of us at times. Knowing that it could have been or should have been you.

I read so much more into the piece than just a simple rant about ones appearance, deep within you lines lies so many other deep thoughts that is worth exposing and exploring
Brilliantly thought provoking, I loved this

[Constance]

The person below me was the third of three poems I read by women, who placed the blame for all their problems on blondes. Sorry, but stereotyping is still wrong, even if it's against whites, or blonds.
If I wrote a poem about how all Lebanese are the same, like stupid robots, and they ruined my life, it would be found offensive by everyone. I was making a point, and I stick by that point.
I didn't talk about denying blond children life. I talked about treating someone like they are human. There is a big difference. The point in those lines is a point that was driven home to my racist grandparents when I had my Hispanic daughter. They loved her. Those lines are about realizing love, about how it changes the way you see things.
Yes, there are larger problems in the world. But everyone who wasn't blond wanted to write about blonds yesterday. So I dared to make a reply. If I were of any race but white, it would be a civil rights issue. Since I'm blond, blue-eyed and white, I know I'm not normally allowed to stand against racism. The reviewer below me says :"People of every damn color and "HAIR COLOR" Have been through the same s**t you have." that was precisely my point. But they are empty words to most.

[Jayden]

Honestly, this poem makes me sick. You are going on a freakin rant about my poem. Have some freakin class instead of saying "your poem sucks." My poem had NOTHIGN to do with hair. It had to deal with a group of people I was with. i have never in my life looked at "a blonde" and thought they were a w***e or whatever. I have been through s**t too. S**t that I choose to never repeat. And obviously I am not racist and obviously I love different people...I am part lebanese and I am a nursing student. I accept everyone. I have never been shallow or judgemental. People of every damn color and "HAIR COLOR" Have been through the same s**t you have. So don't even think I would "deny a child life" because she's blonde. I think the world has more to worry about than hair color. So focus on that.

[unclecharlie]

That is very good. I read it twice.

[oranges_melt]

that's good, being about descrimination against certain type of ppl. lol, i admit i have made fun of blondes, i mean, we all know blonds, generally, are not dumb or stupid or w.e., i mean i've seen a bunch of dumbass brunettes, haha, but idky ppl only say blondes--and only girl ones 2... :/ but it was a good poem! nicely done!

[[untitled]]

I like this. It says a lot. Even though I'm not a blond I can still understand where you are coming from. This is very good.