Are blondes still perceived as less intelligent than their brunette sisters?
Mariella Frostrup seems to think so.
The television presenter has spoken out against fair-hair stereotypes.
"Being blonde means never saying you don’t understand unless you want to be predictable. Being blonde means always trying to tell the blonde joke first," she says.
"Female stereotyping has changed little in the last seven decades."
The 47-year-old first went blonde when she was 16 after her father's death turned her hair grey. But in hindsight, she doesn't know if this was such a wise move.
"If I'd known then what my shade of choice suggested to the world, I might have thought twice.
"Few women may be born blonde but that hasn't stopped it becoming a noun. In blonde world, whether you're a brain surgeon, a lap dancer or an oligarch's wife, it's all the same. Blonde is the description - anything else merely informs us of the variety. Pinch me if I'm living in the 21st century."
Mariella will be presenting Blonde on Blonde, a new Radio 2 series looking at the lives of three of Hollywood’s most famous blondes – Marilyn Monroe, Diana Dors and Doris Day.
So which shade would you take more seriously? Blonde or brunette? Take a look at our gallery below to see some stars who have tried out both.
Visit The Book Show on Sky Arts for more Mariella.
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