guides
Where Did The Catchphrase 'Bleach Blonde, Bad Built, Butch Body' Come From? Memes About Marjorie Taylor Greene Explained
The House Oversight Committee saw two U.S. Congresswomen duking it out and exchanging petty insults during a late-night hearing this past week. The catchphrase bleach blonde, bad built, butch body has come to be associated with controversial right-wing Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, after she and Texas Representative Jasmine Crockett came to loggerheads over a comment Greene made about Crockett's appearance.
Videos of the interaction went viral over the past weekend, with many internet users comparing the catty interaction to an episode of prime-time reality TV. Others still have taken it upon themselves to immortalize the catchphrase in the form of catchy songs and damning memes. Here's how the bizarre interaction went down.
Where Does The Catchphrase "Bleach Blonde, Bad Built, Butch Body" Come From?
The line "Bleach blonde, bad built, butch body" comes from a May 16th, 2024 session of the House Oversight Committee, convened to decide if U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland could be held in contempt of Congress.
During the hearing, Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene responded to a question posed by Texas Democrat Jasmine Crockett by saying, "I think your fake eyelashes are messing up what you’re reading."
Despite receiving backlash, Chairman James Comer said that Greene’s insult ultimately did not violate House rules, to which Crockett responded by saying, "If someone on this committee then starts talking about somebody’s bleach blond, bad-built butch body, that would not be engaging in personalities, correct?"
How Did 'Bleach Blonde, Bad Built, Butch Body' Become A Meme?
Clips of Crockett and Greene's interaction were shared to multiple subreddits on May 17th, including /r/clevercomebacks, /r/PublicFreakout, and /r/WhitePeopleTwitter.
X (Twitter) users were not far behind, with the catchphrase "Bleach Blonde, Bad Built, Butch Body" making the rounds on the platform alongside some unflattering images of manly-looking blonde women sourced from White Chicks and The Powerpuff Girls posted by @aramnotagoat and @bong_rot.
The phrase soon bled over to TikTok, where the TikToker @casadimusic posted a remix using the catchphrase, gathering over 2 million plays. Meanwhile, TikToker @timecreature62 using Viggle AI to show Greene doing the Jojo Siwa Karma Dance, gathering over 700,000 plays and 90,000 likes in a day.
For the full history of "bleach blonde, bad built, butch body," be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.