HAVE YOU HEARD THIS BLONDE JOKE?

Carol Davis was named Miss SA in 1965, becoming only the second blonde/fair winner in the then 10 year history of the pageant. Blondes or fair-haired winners at the Miss SA pageant in later years were not as commonplace as one would think given that, until 1977, the pageant was only open to white contestants.

The truth is that blondes or fair-haired contestants have never been particularly popular at the Miss SA pageant throughout the entire history of the pageant. From 1956 until 1976 (after which the pageant was opened to women of all races), the brunettes/dark-haired winners outnumbered their blonde/fair-haired counterparts 66% to 34%.

The ratio stayed the same until 1992 when the first Miss SA "of colour" was crowned. By the end of the 2009 pageant, the ratio was 74% to brunette/dark-haired winners and 26% to blonde/fair-haired winners. Not exactly the picture that journalists like Janet Smith from the Star would like us to see when she paints her "oh so carefully contrived pseudo-lib picture of the white beast" when reporting on the 50th anniversay pageant in 2007.

"While white South Africa ruled - for nearly 40 years of the pageant - it was a smouldering assault of lissome blonde upon blonde."

So typical of journalists in this country. They tell the uninformed, gullible masses what they feel they should hear. If she'd bothered to do her homework, she would also know that the "smouldering assault of lissome blonde upon blonde" lasted for 3 years from 1970 until 1972 and that the preference for brunette/dark-haired women was not restricted to winners alone. The preference for darker haired women was evident in the make-up of the annual groups of finalists as well.

Granted, there were a few years when there was an even distribution of dark and fair-haired finalists, but they were few and far between. Ms Smith would have had her PC niddle twiddled in 1972 when all 7 regional finalists were blonde, be that naturally or chemically. Obviously there have been fewer blondes/fair-haired contestants in the most recent editions of the pageant, but there is always at least one blonde (with a few exceptions), be it by design or chance.

So, have you heard this (Miss) blonde joke?