Wednesday 14 January 2009

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/4230941/French-university-to-study-whether-gentleman-really-do-prefer-blondes.html

French university to study whether gentleman really do prefer blondes

Top thinkers will convene in Paris' prestigious Sorbonne University this week to try to solve a crucial academic conundrum: do gentlemen really prefer blondes?

By Henry Samuel in Paris
Last Updated: 3:29PM GMT 14 Jan 2009

Marilyn Monroe - French university to study whether gentleman really do prefer blondes

The conference is called Gentlemen prefer Blondes after the Howard Hawks film starring blonde screen legend Marilyn Monroe

During a series of erudite talks, experts in literature, art, music and film will examine the male fascination with fair-haired women, delve into stereotypes such as it is easier to seduce a blonde, and see whether they stand up to academic scrutiny.

[ ... ]

In his book Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov's described the girl as a brunette, but in all the films of the book she was depicted as fair-haired.

Blondes in paintings by masters like Titian and Botticelli will be examined, while one session will compare different versions of the song Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend – from Marilyn to Madonna.

The organisers insisted that Marilyn Monroe would have approved of the conference, which runs from Jan 16 to 17. "To bring Marilyn into university would have been her dream," they said.

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