In Western societies there is a prevailing stereotype that a beautiful blonde—man or woman—is an unintelligent man or woman. It has been known since the days of Kings and Queens of 18th century Europe that female Royals were encouraged to reduce their facial movements to curtail the aging process. This obsession with facial beauty continues to affect the Royals (and many non-Royals) to the present day (see Footnote 1). The aging process of the face is arrested in patients suffering from severe Parkinson’s disease (Sacks 1976, 2012). Indeed, Parkinson’s disease reduces all body movements including movements of the face, which decreases the frequency and depth of one’s facial age-lines as accumulated over a lifetime. As well, Parkinson’s patients are prevented from having continuous mental experiences since their thoughts (like their movements) are either arrested or continuously repeated, kept in a loop (Sacks 1976, 2012). What this suggests is that an elderly person whose face is riddled with age lines will have more wisdom through experience to share than someone whose face has not been exposed to the ups-and-downs of life. So, the stereotype of a beautiful blonde lacking in intelligence may have some basis in fact. It should not be of surprise, therefore, that when delivering a speech, the gestures produced by one’s face (which contribute to aging) enhances the comprehension of the verbal details of a speech, and all incongruent gestures diminish the comprehension (Yu, Beauchamp et al. 2024).

Footnote 1: A facial treatment being used by Queen (Consort) Camilla: “It’s her signature Bee Sting Facial that generates such a buzz. The treatment begins with a (surprisingly tasty) drop of collagen – said to be an anti-aging elixir – on the tongue. Pure collagen is then slathered onto the face and massaged in using acupressure techniques, tightening the skin while relieving tension. Next comes her famous bee-sting moisturizer. Packed full of naturally occurring toxins found in the venom of worker bees, it mimics the effect of a sting to increase blood flow, boosting collagen production and elastin. …The result is transformative. Stubborn frown lines evaporate and skin appears dewy and plump. Camilla has a special golden moisturizer, which rather fittingly uses venom from the queen bee.” (Worcester 2022).