Newspapers
prefer blondes
I am a blonde.
I come by this condition by genes and not by Clariol, yet it
something I say hesitantly and without pride.
Blond hair has been favored since Roman times, yet it
carries with it all of the familiar jokes and stereotypes of
stupidity, promiscuity and a frivolous nature. It is not unlike the
paradox of American femininity - on a favored pedestal yet
trapped there.
Blonde jokes enjoyed a rash of popularity about two
summers ago-my equally fair-haired cousin told as many as
we could think of at our family reunion, to the amusement of
our German and Scandinavian-stock relatives. There's the
hiteout on the screen after the blonde uses the computer, how
9 e turned the car around after she saw the sign "Disneyland
left," and her first words in the morning: "Are you guys all on
the same team?"
My favorite blonde joke is arealstory. "Uh, when's theum,
center-thing?" one blonde asked in a high-school class as the
teacher looked at her uncomprehendingly. "She means the
midterm," one friend of mine said. "I speak blonde."
Yet more women color their hair blond than any other
color,and Marilyn Monroe rode to her fame on the premise that
entlemen prefer blondes." However, America's most fa-
mous blonde also spent a lifetime playing characters who
would have had trouble holding a book right side up. ("The
king wants a motorcycle to ride around town and ... oh what
was that other thing? (giggle) Oh yes, I remember! A general
election," Monroe says in "The Prince and the Showgirl.") In
real life, Monroe had an interest in Russian literature and often
spent hours reading.
As handicaps go, being blond is not one to complain about.
Yet veiled under this is its similarity to being female -it gets
u attention from men and a few advantages, but no respect
as an equal in the long run.
A woman who complains about being blond is often seen
as a hypocrite - if you come by this favored state naturally,
why disown the advantages associated with it? As just one
case, I feel extremely ambivalent about talking about the
disadvantages of being blond. It's almost like talking about the
disadvantages of being white or being male, and opens you up
to all kinds of misunderstandings.
I feel like the woman in the utterly offensive shampoo
mmercial who begs, "Don't hate me because I'm beautiful."
Yet numerous studies in social psychology have docu-
mented the disadvantages of beauty for women - many
beautiful women suffer from low self-esteem and often ruin
their lives. Aside from general beauty, the happenstance of
blond hair carries some similar circumstances.
When meeting someone for the first time, I am not taken
seriously until I mention that I'm in a doctoral program; after
that, they're simply confused. My brother and I had the same
coloring as children, and he was relieved that his hair turned
Erker by the time he entered high school. It's also amazingly
easy to fall into the trap of expectations - when someone
expects you to be stupid, sure enough, you start acting stupid.
I laugh at blonde jokes to be a good sport and even tell them on
occasion, but inside I don't like them much.
Playing dumb is an ancient feminine skill, and blondes
have elevated it to an art form. Especially in decades past, it was
unwise (and rude, in a way) to be smarter than your boyfriend
or husband. Many blondes take this to extemes, snaring mas-
line attention through their looks and keeping it by playing
umb and compliant.
One of these days, I've promised myself, I'm going tocolor
my hair red or brunette. In blonde joke language, that's called
"artificial intelligence"; my guess, however, is that it would
end up being "perceived intelligence."

Wednesday, July 20, 1994 - The Michigan Daily - 5
Filibusters hinder Senate effectiveness,
subvert democratic principles
WASHINGTON, D.C. - While the dominated by individual interests instead of to make concessions to the renegade senator
Constitution does not spell out procedural the national interest, and prevent the Senate on a completely unrelated issue just to get
rules for Congress, one requirement is from establishing a coherent schedule. the threatened legislation to the Senate floor.
explicit: A simple majority of votes is First, the issue of majority rule. Simply This was hardly the original intent of a
required to pass legislation. Ostensibly, this put, 41 senators can block any bill form filibuster.
is true of Congress today. However, the even coming to the floor because the Senate If the leadership will not give in to the
Senate filibuster, a pernicious and outdated will not consider any bill that it cannot threat, the bill could get lost in closed-door
tradition, forces Senate leaders to round up invoke cloture on. Therefore, should 59 negotiations indefinitely - whereas before
60 votes - not the constitutionally required senators think highly of a bill while 41 are 1965, there would be immense public and
51 - to move bills. vehemently opposed, a filibuster could kill it private pressure to give in on a filibuster.
Unlike the House of Representatives - - or completely alter it. This is an obvious This has the predictable effect of distorting
where a "previous question" vote to limit distortion of the principle of majority rule. the Senate calendar, as well as making
debate requires a simple majority - Senate Second, filibusters discourage full and House members nervous of going out on a
rules require 60 signatures to invoke cloture, complete debate on an issue. Because Senate limb for fear of a Senate filibuster.
or end debate. leadership and proponents of bills fear After a successful filibuster by 11
While many people associate filibusters filibusters will prevent passage, they will senators blocked President Woodrow
with glamorous, drawn-out standoffs on the make significant compromises before the Wilson's attempt to arm U.S. merchant
Senate floor - or perhaps with ignominious bill is even introduced to the body to avoid ships in 1917, the president raged:"A little
debacles akin to the failed 83-day filibuster the filibuster. These concessions are often group of willful men... have rendered the
on the 1964 Civil Rights Act - this is aimed at a small group of senators who great government of the United States
hardly an accurate portrait. Since the 1965 should not wield so much power. However, helpless and contemptible." This was before
invention of the "two-track" filibuster, because they guard the door of the Senate, cloture existed and when filibusters were
which allows other Senate business to they have undue influence. reserved for issues of national importance.
continue around a filibuster, its use has Congressional scholars often point out Today, even with cloture, the filibuster
skyrocketed and the entire nature of the the increased individualism in late 20th has proven to be a nuisance to democracy
legislative body has changed. century Congress. The weakening of the and a hindrance to efficient government.
The Congressional Research Service committee system, post-Watergate sunshine Today, a little group of not-so-willful men
notes that there were more filibusters in the laws, the weak party system and other can bring the entire legislative process to a
last Congress than in the entire 18th century, factors make Congress an institution full of halt with a filibuster.
and estimates that 48 percent of all individualistic members. The filibuster has While it is unlikely that the Senate would
filibusters have occurred since 1980. The become a popular tool to manifest this vote to rescind its own power privilege, it
sheer number of filibusters, however, is not individualism. would be in the name of responsible
the fundamental threat to Senate effective- It is hardly rare for a single senator to government to do so.
ness, it only accentuates the threat. threaten a filibuster in order to gain leverage Goodstein is a Washington correspondent
The multivariate problem is that on a pet issue. Because of the immense for the opinion staff and an summer intern
filibusters subvert majority rule, discourage workload the Senate faces, even a threatened for the House subcommittee on elementary,
serious policy debate, allow politics to be filibuster is often enough for the leadership secondary and vocational education.

The fear of Rush Limbaugh
The problem with Rush Limbaugh is not that he is a
conservative talk radio attack dog, but that he, and other
militant Clinton-bashers like him on the right feed off the
worst fears and biases of the American body politic. Listen-
ing to himslamAnthony Lewis of The New York Times and
others in the mainstream (read: liberal) press, for failing to
objectively critique the Clinton presidency - and the bro-
ken promises, lies, deceit and dishonesty that Clinton's flip-
flops represent-I found myself agreeing with a man whom
I found morally repulsive. True, Rush Limbaugh is no more
responsible for the pervasiveness of cynicism in American
politics than those who participated in the House Post Office
scandal, including Rep. Dan Rostenkowski, a liberal giant.
Yet behind Rush'slambastsofso-called "feminazis"(equat-
ing the feminist movement with the systematic elimination
of 6 million people, a revolting notion), is a deep-rooted fear
of what liberalism represents, and it stands for much more
than Bill and Hillary Clinton. It stands for all that Limbaugh
is not - a tolerant, open-minded individual who accepts
those unlike him. This is the real problem with Rush and his
followers who assail feminism, "radical"environmentalism
and other progressive movements. They instill fear and
hinder necessary change. -Jason S. Lichtstein

Novw it'svq ood[voiog.
The wait is over. The newly remodeled Original Cottage Inn is open...and
we've got an expanded menu of culinary delights waiting for you.
For the hottest Italian food in town, head straight to
T 0iRL51 .WIn 3 b-3l -

,L

~I I