"At the same time, people tend to presume that blondes are less serious-minded and less intelligent than brunettes, as reflected in "blonde jokes".The roots of this notion may be traced to Europe, with the "dumb blonde" in question being a French courtesan named Rosalie Duthé, satirised in a 1775 play "Les Curiosités de la Foire" for her habit of pausing a long time before speaking, appearing not only stupid but literally dumb (in the sense of mute).