"All people see when they look at me is blonde hair and big boobs."

These are the words spoken by actress Reese Witherspoon in her portrayal of blonde bombshell Elle Woods in the 2001 hit movie Legally Blonde.

In the movie, main character Woods struggles to be taken seriously in life and in law school despite her hot pink-wearing, toy Chihuahua-toting and platinum blonde-tressed exterior. Although the film takes the dumb blonde stereotype to a whole new level of ridiculousness, in the end, it portrays the main character as someone who has been grossly underestimated and has substance, despite the color of her hair. In that way, the movie takes a more enlightened view of blondes than many people today do in real life.

According to a 1999 study by researcher David Cassidy, people make snap judgments about intelligence, shyness and popularity based on hair color. Since they do so subconsciously, the stereotypes they have about hair color can have real negative consequences in situations like job interviews. When looking at pictures of the same exact woman wearing different color wigs, participants judged the platinum blonde to be stupider than other women and the natural blonde to be more popular than other women.

As a natural blonde (sort of), I have to admit that despite more than a few weekends spent inside doing homework, catching up on sleep or even watching PBS, people who don't know me well constantly comment about the wild social life they think I have. This Cassidy guy might really be on to something.

All things considered, the "party girl" stereotype is harmless and fairly amusing considering how many times my roommates have come back from a party to find me on the couch watching Antiques Roadshow. However, there are times and places a blonde, like everybody else, wants to be taken seriously. For us, it is often a little bit harder.

I once received an e-mail from a reader that explained how stupid and frivolous I was, but had nothing to do with what I had written. "When it's Friday night, and you're out at the frat drunk and you look across the room at all your sorority sisters and who look and dress exactly like you, with the same hair, the same shoes, and carrying the same purse, I hope you know the joke's on you."

I read the e-mail about six more times to all my laughing roommates and friends, none of whom look like me. Then we came to the consensus that this guy had determined I was in a sorority, frequented frats, did poorly in school, wasn't involved in any activities, was an alcoholic and was a clone of my friends. All this was based on a tiny picture of me from the shoulders up. It was the blonde factor at it again.

It wasn't the first time and it wouldn't be the last. Try getting respect at work when your boss calls you "blondie" in front of your co-workers and comments on your wardrobe like he thinks it's the only thing you can hold a conversation about.

How about when your friends suggest you hike up your skirt and twirl your hair to pass your driver's license test, rather than actually learning how to parallel park? Or, try having people you just met talk a little slower when they talk to you or think they have to explain things to you that you already knew.

In fact, men subconsciously dumb themselves down when talking to blondes, according to new research carried out at Paris Nanterre University. Researchers said that without knowing it, men mimic what they believe to be the less intelligence of blonde women in order to get along with them. Some have said that because many babies are born blonde, there is an association with blondeness and childhood that makes others people baby and fawn over them. However, researchers at St. Andrew's University say women evolved blonde hair and blue eyes at the end of the Ice Age to make them stand out from their rivals at a time of fierce competition for scarce males.

With or without realizing it, people get away with assuming ridiculous things about blondes. Most people can get away with making one dumb comment and still be viewed as a smart person who said one dumb thing. However, if a blonde should speak without thinking, then everyone's suspicions have been confirmed. Alas, one dumb moment does not a dumb girl make.

Some blondes actually fully embrace and exploit the stereotype and everything that comes with it. Paris Hilton played the laughing stock after asking if Walmart sold wall decorations. Jessica Simpson was ridiculed for commenting that the Chicken of Sea brand of tuna was actually chicken.

But those who know them best insist they are intelligent in their everyday lives. Meanwhile, Simpson does a Pizza Hut commercial capitalizing on her tuna lapse, asking if buffalo wings come from buffalo. (Ouch.) We laugh at their stupidity. They take ours to the bank.

Being blonde and being intelligent aren't mutually exclusive. Yes, I know what "mutually exclusive" means. And, no, a red head did not tell me.

I'm not asking for a respite from blonde jokes. I'm not looking for pity on behalf of the fair-haired. Clearly, we are already genetically favored and you are out of luck the next time an ice age rolls around. I'm just asking that next time you see someone who upon first glance appears to be a shallow ditz, you, like, totally, for sure, give them a chance to open their bubble gum-popping mouth and like, prove or disprove it, or whatever.