Items related to On Blondes
Synopsis
Book by JOANNA PITMAN
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
Joanna Pitman read Japanese at Cambridge University and was Tokyo correspondent for The Times from 1990-1994. She is now the photography critic for The Times. This is her first book. She lives in London with her family.
From Publishers Weekly
Pitman, a writer for the London Times, offers a history of the world as seen through abundant locks of magnificent blonde hair, from the ancient sexual power of Aphrodite to the California sun-streaked hair of Farrah Fawcett. In this world history, Eve and Mary Magdalene become the blonde "bad girls" who represent forbidden sexuality, eternal beauty and sin, while Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana gain attention because they continued to lighten their hair as they aged, attempting to harness the power of blondeness. The examples may sound a bit frivolous, but Pitman takes great care to treat the topic with a serious edge, particularly in the second half of the book. The obsession with blonde hair may have created seemingly innocuous Hollywood icons like Marilyn Monroe and Jean Harlow, but it also was essential to the notion of Aryan supremacy, and the author addresses how Nazi Germany attempted to lighten the hair of its population by ordering soldiers to procreate with blonde female citizens. Later on, Pitman looks at 1970s ad campaigns for hair dye and their internal conflicts about whether a woman ought to dye her hair to appeal to men or to feel good about herself (as L'Oreal so famously puts it, "Because I'm worth it"). In this way, the book tackles issues of race, gender and class, ultimately asking, "[W]hy is America, a culture so publicly concerned with overcoming its problems with race, still so fixated on the blonde?" Pitman admits there are no clear answers, but she offers a bright, energetic and witty exploration of the topic.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherBloomsbury
- Publication date2003
- ISBN 10 0747560765
- ISBN 13 9780747560760
- BindingHardcover
- Number of pages304
- IllustratorIllustrated
- Rating
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On Blondes
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Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2003
ISBN 10: 0747560765
ISBN 13: 9780747560760
Used
Hardcover
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On Blondes
Published by
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC 03/03/2003, 2003
ISBN 10: 0747560765
ISBN 13: 9780747560760
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Condition: Very Good. Illustrated (illustrator). This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. . Seller Inventory # 7719-9780747560760
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On Blondes
Published by
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, United Kingdom, London, 2003
ISBN 10: 0747560765
ISBN 13: 9780747560760
Used
Paperback
Seller: WorldofBooks, Goring-By-Sea, WS, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Illustrated (illustrator). In art and literature, in history and popular culture, blonde has never been a mere colour. For two-and-a-half thousand years, it has been a blazing signal in code, signifying beauty, power and status. To feed this obsession entire industries have developed, influential trends set. From Greek prostitutes mimicking the golden-haired Aphrodite, to the Californian beach babe; from pigeon-dung and saffron dyes to L'Oreal - because you're worth it - we see the lengths to which women will go to become blonde. The power and duality of the blonde as either erotic symbol or saintly virgin waxes and wanes but never disappears. By looking at the world through the prism of what it is to be blonde, or make oneself blonde, we are drawn into an intriguing portrait of the world. Why is it that blondes rose to prominence in Hollywood and Nazi Germany at the same time? Why do young Japanese women today want to be blonde? Weaving a story rich in anecdote, history and high intrigue, Joanna Pitman effortlessly combines the wealth of her knowledge with a sharp and clear-sighted view of the power of the blonde throughout the ages. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Seller Inventory # GOR003453868
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On Blondes
Published by
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC 03/03/2003, 2003
ISBN 10: 0747560765
ISBN 13: 9780747560760
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On Blondes
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ISBN 13: 9780747560760
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On Blondes
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On Blondes
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Hardcover. Condition: Bon. Illustrated (illustrator). Ancien livre de bibliothèque. Ammareal reverse jusqu'à 15% du prix net de cet article à des organisations caritatives. ENGLISH DESCRIPTION Book Condition: Used, Good. Former library book. Ammareal gives back up to 15% of this item's net price to charity organizations. Seller Inventory # F-419-168
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On Blondes
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ISBN 10: 0747560765
ISBN 13: 9780747560760
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On Blondes
Published by
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, 2003
ISBN 10: 0747560765
ISBN 13: 9780747560760
Used
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On Blondes
Published by
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc., London, 2003
ISBN 10: 0747560765
ISBN 13: 9780747560760
Used
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First Edition
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Hardcover. Condition: As New in As New jacket. Dust Jacket Included. Illustrated (illustrator). 1st Edition. First edition in hardcover with dust jacket. 292 pp. Illustrations, notes, bibliography, index. A few tiny specks on foredge, jacket has hint of edgecreasing otherwise Fine/Fine. Seller Inventory # 29464
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