Essex girl

"Essex girl" is a pejorative slang term used in the United Kingdom. It was most widely used and gained popularity during the 1980s and 1990s. Its use has waned somewhat since the increase in popularity of the "chav" label.

Unlike the comparable "Essex man", which developed originally as a political term broadly describing aspirational working-class voters in the South and East of England who voted for Margaret Thatcher, "Essex girl" did not carry such explicit political denotations.

Image

The stereotypical image was formed as a variation of the dumb blonde/bimbo persona, with references to: the Estuary English accent, white stiletto heels, peroxide blonde hair, promiscuity, loud verbal vulgarity, and socialising at downmarket nightclubs in large groups.

The term initially became synonymous with the lead characters of Sharon and Tracey in the BBC sitcom Birds of a Feather. These brash and uninhibited women had escaped working class backgrounds in London and now lived in a large house in Chigwell.

The image has since been epitomised in 21st Century celebrity culture with the likes of Jodie Marsh, Jade Goody and Chantelle Houghton all rising to fame predominantly with the help of their 'Essex Girl' image.

Essex girl jokes

Essex girl jokes are primarily of variations of Blonde jokes though often more sexually explicit. The jokes' derogatory nature and persistence caused some commentators to speak out publicly against them.

In 2004, Bob Russell, the Liberal Democrat MP for the Colchester district of Essex appealed for debate in the House of Commons on the issue and encouraged a boycott of The People tabloid, which has printed several derogatory references to girls from Essex.

Further reading

• Christie Davies (1998). Jokes and Their Relation to Society. Walter de Gruyter. pp. 186–189. ISBN 3110161044.

See also

• Chav
• Westie (person) (Australia/New Zealand)
• Valley girl