Return of the Dark

I was interested, reading a recent issue of Rolling Stone, to discover that Katy Perry, a natural “dirty blonde”, chooses to dye her hair a dark brown.  She's fighting the status quo we’ve seen in pop culture for the past decade plus.  All the pop singers have been different shades of blonde.  This goes for the naturally fair, obvious brunettes (Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez) and the African American pop princesses (Beyonce, Rihanna, Mary J. Blige).  Everyone has Barbie hair.  Intellectually, I get the blonde appeal: it’s like a halo, this nimbus of light around the head drawing all eyes to the brightest thing.  It makes a lot of sense if you’re going for star appeal.  Practically, I think most people look best with a shade closer to what they have naturally, but I may be in the minority.  Is the culture finally transitioning toward brunette?  Probably not.  But Katy Perry may be cannily riding the pop culture cycles and standing out by her own opposition.  On her music, no comment.

I’d like to think that Katy’s brown locks and Lady Gaga’s noir artistry represent the dark state of the world, like people are finally waking up to the fact that we’re stuck in an endless war and can barely breathe in the clutches of corporate capitalism.  You know, subconsciously. . .