Blondes do not have more fun: a non-blinded crossover field study

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether blondes have more fun, as proposed by Sir Roderick David Stewart in 1978.

DESIGN: Prospective, non-randomised crossover field study, 1-2 June 2018.

SETTING: Single centre medical writing course, during a break in the course program.

PARTICIPANTS: Convenience sample of 21 healthy Danish researchers: ten blondes, nine non-blondes, and two with missing data (bald).

INTERVENTION: Participants completed a visual analogue scale (VAS) for fun and Profile of Mood States - Adolescents (POMS-A) questionnaires before and after two rides each on a waterslide (once sitting upright, once lying down). There was a wash-out between rides.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Fun, as assessed by VAS completed moments after completing each waterslide ride.

RESULTS: Blondes did not have more fun than non-blondes, neither while sitting upright (median VAS, 60 [IQR, 23-66] v 25 [IQR, 4.5-57]; P = 0.39) nor lying down (median VAS, 70 [IQR, 60-85] v 66 [IQR, 35-80]; P = 0.62). Riding the waterslide lying down was significantly faster (median duration, 9 s; range, 8-13 s) than sitting upright (median duration, 13.6 s; range, 8-37 s; P < 0.001), and also more fun (median VAS, 72 [IQR, 59-85] v 41 [IQR, 14-66]; P = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings are not consistent with the statement by Sir Roderick David Stewart that "blondes have more fun"; we found no evidence that blondes experience more fun or are more susceptible to mood changes than non-blondes.