Essex girl
An Essex girl is a pejorative stereotype in the United Kingdom of a female who is said to be promiscuous and unintelligent, characteristics jocularly attributed to women from Essex.[citation needed] It is applied widely throughout the country and has gained popularity over time, dating from the 1980s and 1990s.[citation needed]
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Image [edit]
The stereotypical image was formed as a variation of the dumb blonde/bimbo persona, with references to the Estuary English accent, white stiletto heels, silicone augmented breasts, peroxide blonde hair, over-indulgent use of fake tan (lending an orange appearance), promiscuity, loud verbal vulgarity and to socialising at downmarket nightclubs.[citation needed]
Time magazine has written:
In the typology of the British, there is a special place reserved for Essex Girl, a lady from London's eastern suburbs who dresses in white strappy sandals and suntan oil, streaks her hair blond, has a command of Spanish that runs only to the word Ibiza, and perfects an air of tarty prettiness. Victoria Beckham – Posh Spice, as she was – is the acknowledged queen of that realm ...[1]
Essex girl jokes [edit]
Essex girl jokes are primarily variations of dumb blonde jokes, though often sexually explicit. In 2004, Bob Russell, Liberal Democrat MP for Colchester in Essex, appealed for debate in the House of Commons on the issue, encouraging a boycott of The People tabloid, which has printed several derogatory references to girls from Essex.[2]
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ Elliott, Michael (19 July 2007), "Smitten with Britain", Time
- ^ Rose, David, MP urges boycott of The People over Essex Girl jokes, retrieved 2007-09-12
Further reading [edit]
- Christie Davies (1998), Jokes and Their Relation to Society, Walter de Gruyter, pp. 186–189, ISBN 3-11-016104-4
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