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Historical context

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""From time immemorial, blonds and brunettes have cordially despised and hated each other; and lovers of beauty, according to unexplained natural affinities, have taken sides ... in this world-old struggle." - Richard Le Gallienne, 1911[1]

Comparing blondes and brunettes originated in Europe where blonde women, mostly found in northern Europe, were held in contrast to brunettes, largely from Southern Europe. Blondes historically considered "sexy, fun loving and dumb", while brunettes were considerd "boring and sophisticated, but better lovers."[2]

Competitive events

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Physical competitions between blonde and brunette women have been a male fantasy for nearly 100 years: 2016 powder puff football game (top) and a film review for for the 1925 motion picture A Thief in Paradise (bottom)

For well over a century, blondes and brunettes have been competing against each other in a variety of formats. Much of this may be due to the interest of men watching blonde and brunette women trying to defeat each other in physical contests of speed, strength, and endurance. In some cases, blondes and brunettes on the same team may compete against each other. Anson Dorrance the women's soccer coach at the University of North Carolina is known for dividing his team into blondes and brunettes and then having them compete against each other. Losers have been forced to stand in front of the goal facing the rear of the net while the winners take penalty shots against their posteriors.[3] Dorrance, in his years of coaching female athletes, claims to have learned that women are motivated differently from males and that his "blondes vs. brunettes drill" worked with his female team because it was a "matter of pride".[3][4]

Baseball

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An example of the blonde vs. brunette rivalry in the U.S. being used in a competitive event dates back to at least 1875 when the first female professional baseball players were recruited to play on teams according to their hair color.[5][6] Illinois businessman Frank Myers established the "National Amusement Association" that advertised the novelty of women playing baseball. Despite Myers promoting the games as family entertainment, suitable for women and children, the first several games in his home state of Illinois were attended almost exclusively by men.[5] Media reaction was severe, as many newspapers decried the event as "revolting" and "... a species of semi-immorality." Myers enterprise collapsed financially in less than a year, but the concept of blondes and brunettes playing baseball was picked up by Pennsylvanian newspaper publisher Sylvester Wilson who, similar to Myers, attempted to promote the sport as a healthy exhibition of female athleticism, suitable for all audiences. After successfully sponsoring a half-dozen well attended games, Wilson was arrested in New York city for employing girls under the age of 16 for "immoral purposes."[5] Blonde vs brunette baseball games continued after Wilson's efforts failed and for decades were a popular event to stage at picnics and fairs.[7][8]

Beauty contests

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Blondes and brunettes have been the subject of physical comparison for centuries. Beauty contests have often juxtaposed blondes and brunettes.

Chess

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Competitive event between blondes vs. brunettes extend to chess matches that began in 2011 as part of the World Chess Tournament held in Moscow. The match was hosted by the Botvinnik Central Chess Club and featured two teams of young girls, blondes dressed in light colors and brunettes dressed in dark colors. This division is a play on the fact that chess is a game played using light and dark pieces. All of the contestants had to prove a degree of expertise to participate. The inaugural 2011 match was won by the brunettes who also went on to win the 2016, 2018, and 2019 matches. The team of blondes, by comparison, defeated the brunettes in 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2017.[9][10] The 2013 match, also held at the Central Chess Club, resulted in a tie score.[11][12] Brunettes continued their winning streak in 2020, defeating the blondes, 57:43.[13] In 2021, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, blondes and brunettes played each other again, without masks. Brunettes prevailed by a score of 37:27.[14] Although chess is a cerebral game, the matches between blonde and brunette girls have been described as a physical contest where the girls are fighting each other.

It was April 1st and the world's top chess players were involved in the thrilling finale of the Candidates Tournament in London. But at the same time the Central Chess Club in Moscow was the venue of fierce fighting between Blondes and Brunettes who set out to determine the prevailing color. This was the third match of the ladies. Two years ago Brunettes won, but a year later the Blondes struck back. The third tournament was seen as an opportunity to claim the supremacy of one color over another. The girls were motivated, exchanging punches round after round, but when the dust has cleared the overall score was a 50:50 tie! The claim of supremacy will be postponed until the next meeting.[15]

Powderpuff football

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Team Blonde during the 2011 Blondes vs. Brunettes Charity Powderpuff Football game

A more contemporary example is the gridiron football game called blondes vs. brunettes powderpuff football, a charity event that raises money for the Alzheimer's Association.[16] The annual contests were started in the fall of 2005, in Washington D.C. The games have received considerable publicity to include feature articles in The Washington Post and aas of 2012 were played in 16 cities around the United States.[17][18]

Tug of war

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Tug of war events have also featured teams of blondes and brunettes competing against each other. During a 1918 picnic in Ohio, a tug of war between blondes and brunettes was "Won by the blondes (They stripped the brunettes off the rope against a tree like beads off a string.)"[19] Sports writer Pete Axthelm refereed a 1978 tug of war between blonde and brunette women at a Kentucky charity event, declaring the blonde team, led by Anita Madden, winners of the event.[20]

 

Wrestling

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Matches promoted as "blonde vs brunette", have long been a staple of women's professional wrestling.[21]

Other events

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1875 advertisement for the National Amusement Association's "Blondes vs Brunettes" baseball game.
 
Fairs and picnics often featured sporting events between blondes and brunettes
  1. ^ Le Gallienne, Richard (1911). The Loves of the Poets. New York: Baker & Taylor. p. 247. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  2. ^ Akande, Habeeb (2015). Illuminating the Difference: Black, White and Brown Women. Londdon: Rabaah Publishers. ISBN 978-0-9574845-4-2. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  3. ^ a b Crothers, Tim (2006) The Man Watching: Anson Dorrance and the University of North Carolina Women's Soccer Dynasty. New York: St. Martin's Press, page 221
  4. ^ Brockway, Kevin (November 19, 2011) "UNC women find offense in NCAA" The Raleigh News and Observer. Retrieved December 30, 2012 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-04-11. Retrieved 2013-02-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. ^ a b c Shattuck, Debra. "Bloomer girls : women baseball pioneers". University of Illinois Press. University of Illinois Press. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  6. ^ Thorn, John (2011) Baseball in the Garden of Eden: The Secret History of the Early Game. New York: Simon and Schuster, page 191
  7. ^ "Local Ladies to Stage Baseball Game". Atmore Advance. August 23, 1934. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  8. ^ "Carnival Will Close School at St. Xavier". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  9. ^ "Chess Match: Blondes vs. Brunettes in Moscow" (May 23, 2012) Chessmate News Retrieved April 7, 2013 [1]
  10. ^ "Blondes Take Revenge on Brunettes" (May 22, 2012) Susan Polgar Chess Daily News and Information. Retrieved on December 22, 2012 [2]
  11. ^ Kublashvili, Eteri (April 3, 2013) "Blondes and Brunettes tie the match 50:50" ChessDom[3]
  12. ^ "Chess Leagues". Vancouver Rapid Chess League. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  13. ^ Crowther, Mark. "10th Blondes vs. Brunettes match 2020". The Week In Chess.
  14. ^ ChessTech https://www.chesstech.org/2021/brunettes-outperform-blondes/. Retrieved 30 July 2022. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  15. ^ Kosteniuk, Alexandra (April 3, 2013) "Blondes-Brunettes Chess Match Drawn" ChessBlog.com[4]
  16. ^ Blondes vs. Brunettes Powderpuff Fundraiser
  17. ^ "Athletes First, Stylistas Second" (Nov 19, 2011) The Washington Post page A13
  18. ^ "Hair's The Thing: Blondes vs. Brunettes is a Win-Win" The Washington Post. Retrieved March 12, 2012 [5] Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine
  19. ^ "Miami Conservancy Bulletin, volumes 1-2". Miami Conservancy District, Dayton, Ohio. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  20. ^ York, Marva. "Annual Funny Farm Bash Big Hit for Boys Ranch". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  21. ^ Van Creveld, Martin (2013). Wargames: From Gladiators to Gigabytes. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781139579872. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
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