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'It's almost like a weapon': How the blonde bombshell has symbolised desire and danger Western culture, she says, has built a whole mythology around female blondeness − from religious iconography and fairy tales, to art and advertising − that has told specific stories about what it means to be blonde. In cinema's early years, comedies such as Platinum Blonde (1931) and Bombshell (1933), starring Jean Harlow, embedded concepts of the dazzling, devastatingly beautiful blonde into the cultural vernacular. "The idea that you're a bombshell, it's almost like a weapon," says Nead. "On the one hand, it is this kind of ideal, but at the same time, it's also threatening."   Before Harlow, there was another − more natural-looking − blonde on the scene: Mary Pickford, whose amber curls helped earn her the moniker of "America's Sweetheart". But while Pickford played the guileless girl waiting to be rescued, Harlow's peroxide blonde ...
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Meta considers charging for ad-free Facebook and Instagram in the UK


Facebook and Instagram owner Meta is considering a paid subscription in the UK which would remove adverts from its platforms.

Under the plans, people using the social media sites could be asked to pay for an ad-free experience if they do not want their data to be tracked.

It comes as the company agreed to stop targeting ads at a British woman last week following a protracted legal battle.

Meta already provides ad-free subscriptions for Facebook and Instagram users in the EU, starting from €5.99 (£5) a month.

A spokesperson for the firm said the company was "exploring the option" of offering a similar service in the UK.

They said the firm was "engaging constructively" with the UK data watchdog about the subscription service, following a consultation in 2024.

The Information Commissioner's Office previously said it expected Meta to consider data protection concerns before it launched an ad-free subscription.

Meta says personalised advertising allows its platforms to be free at the point of access.

Guidance issued by the regulator in January states that users must be presented with a genuine free choice.

Social media platforms such as Meta heavily rely on ad revenues, and the company says personalised advertising allows its platforms to be free.

Advertising accounted for more than 96% of its revenue in its latest quarterly financial results.

Other social platforms including Snapchat, TikTok and X (formerly Twitter) have also looked to ad-free options as a way to raise more money through subscriptions.

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