Beyond Blonde

THE HISTORY AND RESURGENCE OF BIMBO CULTURE

By Jessica Katz, Lifestyle Editorial Assistant and Maya Greenberg, Contributing Writer Photographed by Hunter Kiehl, Staff Photographer Modeled by Jessica Katz and Maya Greenberg

Today’s concept of bimbofication is to transform yourself into your own idea of beauty, no matter who you are.

How many bimbos does it take to change a lightbulb? Women, particularly those considered a “bimbo” or “dumb blonde,” often find themselves as the punchline of jokes like these. Society often views women who look pretty and act dumb as bimbos, just as they view women who are sexually empowered as sluts and women who are older, yet hot, as MILFs. The assumption seems to be that if a woman looks good, she’s more of a caricature than a person.

Though originally used to describe a “foolish and inconsequential man,” the modern usage can be tied back to Irving Berlin’s 1920 song “My Little Bimbo Down on the Bamboo Isle,” which tells the story of a pretty, carefree girl who seduces a young sailor.1 In the late 1920s, director Jack Conway further popularized the idea of a bimbo as being an unintelligent, sexually attractive woman, often sporting beautiful blonde hair. His film "Our Modern Maidens" revolved around the love life of a carefree heiress, one of the blueprints for bimbos.

The 1980s were the decade of bimbo representation, filled with scandals surrounding

1 Melissa. “The Origin of the Word Bimbo.” Today I Found Out, March 3, 2015. beautiful young women. In 1987, rumors circulated that former Senator Gary Hart had an extramarital affair with Donna Rice, CEO of Enough Is Enough. Although intelligent and highly successful, media attention focused on Rice’s appearance, characterizing her as Hart’s blonde and beautiful bimbo.2

Model Jessica Hahn also came to attention that year after accusing televangelist Jim Bakker of rape when she worked as a church secretary. Media outlets took this event lightly, labeling the rape a scandal and sexualizing the victim. After gaining the media’s attention, Hahn focused on building a career around her sexuality, which included posing nude in Playboy, while remaining committed to her faith. In her words, “people will always consider me a cartoon character, a bimbo. They will never give me credit.”3

The 90s saw a new era of iconic bimbos — “booby blondes, supermodels and reality TV stars”4 — launched to fame through new, popular media like MTV. One name we all know is

2 Ibid. 3 Ibid. 4 Cortés, Michelle Santiago. “No Thoughts. Head Empty. Just Vibes: The Rise Of The New Age Bimbo.” New Age Bimbos and Bimbofication TikTok Trend. Accessed January 26, 2021. Paris Hilton, the beautiful blonde heiress to the Hilton-Hotel fortune.5 Her world has always been filled with fame and power, which fueled her modeling and socialite career early in life. By 16, Hilton was known as “New York’s Leading IT Girl.” Known as a wild party girl, anywhere Hilton would go everyone else would follow.

Despite being branded as a “dumb blonde,” Hilton has been successful in multiple ventures, including reality television, modeling, and music. She also helped Kim Kardashian rise to fame, thus launching the Kardashian empire. Hilton revitalized the bimbo idea in the 90s, but proved to be much more than a dumb blonde with her media savvy and iconic style.

Other well known bimbos are the iconic Playmates. Hugh Hefner was known for having lavish parties with his “house bunnies,” Playboy models that lived with him in the Playboy Mansion.6 By 2005, the house bunnies had their own show about life in the mansion titled,

5 Linch, Caroline. “A Timeline of Paris Hilton’s Fame: From Socialite to Business Mogul”. Celebrity Page, September 24, 2020. 6Graham, Ruth. “The E! Reality Show The Girls Next Door Was the Best Thing Hugh Hefner Ever Gave Us”. Slate, September 29, 2017.