Blondes Aren't Dumb. In Fact, There's Proof They're Smarter.

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If you make it through grade school, you're bound to hear a joke about how dumb blondes are. If you don't make it through grade school -- joke's on you. But that whole dumb blonde stereotype? It ain't true. In fact, a new study says the exact opposite.

Examining the connection between hair color and intelligence, researchers at the Ohio State University found that both blonde men and women were the most likely to be "exceptionally intelligent," earning that title over people with brown, black, and red hair. The study, which was limited to caucasians and based on data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979, also found that blonde women had the highest average intelligence out of all women surveyed, reaching a mean IQ of 103.2 to edge out brunettes, who scored 102.7.

Because the numbers were so close, study author Jay Zagorsky put the results in context, saying, “I don’t think you can say with certainty that blondes are smarter than others, but you can definitely say they are not any dumber."

When speaking to Ohio State News, Zagorsky also mentioned that on average, blondes had access to the most reading material growing up, which would naturally shape their intelligence, saying, “If blondes have any slight advantage, it may simply be that they were more likely to grow up in homes with more intellectual stimulation.”

This is all to say blondes are far from dumb, and they have more fun. The latter point is based on Rod Stewart, not science. But Rod Stewart is basically science.

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Kara King is a News Writer at Thrillist and is sort of blonde. Send news tips to news@thrillist.com and follow her at @karatillie.