Duke University is arguably the blondest place I have ever experienced thus far in the 18 years of my life. More so than a simple hair color, capital B Blondeness is an attitude, a fearlessness, a free and giddy personality, the human incarnate of sunshine. Blondeness is a lifestyle, a nonchalant attitude and the radiation of sexuality. This Blondeness is not limited to blondes, and can be projected by any individual.
Waltzing into parties and flirting with men without lifting a finger is the epitome of the typified college social ideal. This combined with the desire to acquire personal validation, the liquid dopamine we all crave in some way or another, through male attention creates a particularly toxic mindset, and one that, to a Duke student, can become incredibly overwhelming. Prancing through a campus that itself is an aesthetic masterpiece, manicured lawns and gothic archways abound, cultivates an obsession with the beautiful. What is more idealized in beauty standards than blondes?
To my dismay, however, when considering ignoring my natural coloration and dyeing my hair blonde (in a fit of deep insecurity), I realized that Blondeness is an attitude that can be manipulated. It is the self-confidence and initiative that I lack. It is the giggling and airy voice, the seductive glance and open smile.
This is to say, though, that capital B blondeness is largely an archetype, a crafted persona that is exaggerated in films and television series. Some of my loveliest friends embody this capital B blondeness and then skip out on a party to complete their multivariable calculus homework. While Duke University can appear- on weekends at least- to be a blonde, frat-saturated campus, it is also a community filled with multifaceted and surprising individuals. And so, I must check my on toxic mindset, my own desire to confine people to categories and buy into hyper-sexualized and contorted visions of beauty. Capital B Blondeness is a fluid term and it is in no way the ideal personality type.
Now, when gazing at the blonde student population at Duke, I can pare away my refracted self-image and see potential friends. I can see the multivariable textbooks hidden away in bags, the alternative rock music blaring through headphones, the baggage, the insecurity, the flaws and quirks that every person wears with them. I see that and I celebrate those that embrace their Blondeness, that profit from it and enjoy it all the same.