The Economics of Stereotypes

Robert Frank looks at stereotypes in The New York Times:

A quick Web search identifies thousands of jokes about dumb blondes, this one among them: A married couple were awakened by a call at 2 a.m. The wife, a blonde, picked up the phone, listened a moment and said, “How should I know, that’s 200 miles from here!” and hung up. Her husband asked, “Who was that?” She replied, “I don’t know; some woman wanting to know if the coast is clear.”

There are almost as many jokes poking fun at the supposed mental deficiencies of athletes. Two offensive linemen in a rented boat catch an unusually large number of trout in a secluded cove. As they start back to the marina, one reaches over with his felt-tip pen and marks an X on the starboard bow. “I want to make sure we can find this spot again tomorrow,” he explained. “Idiot,” his friend replied, “what makes you think we’ll get the same boat?”

Since there is no persuasive evidence that blondes and athletes are less intelligent than others, such jokes pose a puzzle. Where do the underlying stereotypes come from? Definitive answers remain elusive, but an armchair economic analysis suggests some intriguing possibilities.