Reeling Economically? Look at Some Blue-Eyed Blondes; You’ll Feel Better, Say Evolutionary Psychologists

The blue-eyed, blonde trophy wife may bring more to the table than meets the eye. Dr Abigael San, a chartered clinical psychologist, tells the London Times today that not only are blonde hair and blue eyes classically beautiful but that Westerners associate the combination with wholesomeness and truth — both of which have been in too-short supply by those running the show in recent years.

“The association with blonde hair goes back to childhood,” says San. “We associate these characteristics with forces of good, honesty and trust. We’ve recently been deceived by bankers and politicians, so the need to trust is even greater.”

Lance Workman, an evolutionary psychologist at Bath Spa University, has his own compatible theory of why blondes attract, offering that “fair or lighter-colored hair is one of these signs [of youthfulness and fertility that Western men have historically been drawn to] because women have a limited period of fertility,” and “hair darkens the older you become.”

While at least one brunette — ahem — questions the psychological tie-in between blondness and how people are feeling about their stations in life, there’s little question that these days, advertisers are pushing blue-eyed blondes as if they were excess inventory needing thinning. (Check out your local newsstand.)

More, some modeling agencies agree that demand for blondes is a reaction to a shaky economy and bleak prospects for a recovery any time soon.

“We’ve definitely experienced a larger than usual demand for the classic rather than the quirky,” says Carole White, founder of Premier Model Management, to the Times. “In a recession clients won’t stick out their necks, they know what sells and they want to hire models with wide-ranging appeal.”