Col Rouge, it seems you have taken an extremely surface reading of this article. Blondes versus brunettes?? Hardly. This article is more about the media's focus on appearances as a means of 'entertainment value' - considering the manner in which society views certain individuals as 'more important' than others due to their physical features. The mention of hair colour is an example of a deeper issue - hardly the central issue in itself. I would also argue that racial issues are more of a focus here than 'blondes versus brunettes'.

My question about the quota or contractual obligation was in regards to your comment - "i think it is a "filler", something written to meet a quota or contractual obligation. Thus it is the stuff of fairy-floss, all appearance and no substance."

Just wondering why you believe this to be the case?

Can you believe what is reported in the media?

The flat answer is NO!

Unless the reporting is purely factual. Which very often, it is not.

Melaine Phillips did a good expose' on a number of stunts conducted by the palestines that were dutifully reported by our tame media. Please note the media has not admitted that they had been had.

Well it is a blonde article and that explains a lot.

The Jo-anne Lees case also received world wide saturation coverage and she was definitely not blonde it had more to do with the unusual aspects of the case, I think the same is true in the Jon-Benet Ramsay case. You don’t often see glamorous show girl photos of kidnap victims dancing on stage. Also the fact that she was found in the basement of her own home was different and puzzling.

These cases become conversation pieces around dinner tables because of the more bizarre circumstances surrounding them. Everybody hates these kind of crimes and sympathise with the victims and their families no matter what race or colour but some just haunt people’s minds more. I do agree if the girl is really good looking does seem to be one of the criteria in the bigger public response. This is true of every situation in life though , mother Theresa never received a quarter of the adulation that Princess Diana did and that was mainly because she lacked Diana’s looks.

Humans are just programmed to respond with attraction to the genetically perfect, it is a desirable trait in a possible breeding partner

I agree with Sharkfin's comments above. I'm a true crime buff and it's more to do with the intrigue and the characters involved. You mentioned the Caylee Anthony case which rivals the Jon Benet case for saturation media coverage in the US also the Laci Peterson case had huge media coverage. Both Caylee and Laci are not blondes but both would be from middle class backgrounds. I think what catches people's interest is that a family can appear perfectly normal on the surface, they could be your next door neighbour but behind closed doors there is all this dysfunction. Jon Benet's case had wealth, mystery, an eccentric mother, child beauty pageants. Just look at the coverage the OJ Simpson case received. These cases are always going to get publicity. I don't think it is a question of race.

There is a definite prejudice in favour of the caucasian victim. Does anyone remember the toddler who was taken from her family home in Sydney around the time of the Madeline McCann kidnapping in Portugal? From a family with a Middle-eastern surname, pretty little girl, mother devastated and unable to front the media. We're still hearing about Madeline McCann from half a world away, but I don't even know if the little Australian girl was ever found. The fact that Jon-Benet and Madeline McCann are instantly recognised by so many says it all.

In 1975 I was in Switzerland when Cyclone Tracy hit Darwin. The loss of 45 lives in an Australian cyclone was front page news in the local paper. Several pages later there was a tiny paragraph about the death of 450 people in monsoon floods in India.