Pink! Why does it have to be pink!?

[Celianna]

I don't count myself a feminist,

Take the test!


Like whichever colour you want. I am proud to like pink, and no one is allowed to shame or ridicule me for liking a shade of the rainbow spectrum.

 

[Alkorri]

Take the test!

Like whichever colour you want. I am proud to like pink, and no one is allowed to shame or ridicule me for liking a shade of the rainbow spectrum.

Darnit, you fooled me. And I knew you would love pink, Celianna

 

[Touchfuzzy]

Actually, I do not identify myself as being a feminist despite passing that test.

Personally, I share the core beliefs of feminism (gender equality), but I'm not an active participant in the movement. I'll give someone a lot of **** if they act like a sexist jerk in front of me, but that is just being a good person, not working to make a difference. I have no interest in the label of the movement being applied to me, as I'm not part of it. I applaud the people who are, and wish them well, but it is not me.

 

[djDarkX]

Nothing wrong with pink. Luckily for me, my fav color happens to be blue, so the gender icons fits. I can see why this might be an issue for others, though.

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

girls use pink because men likes pink


boys use blue since women likes blue

 

[Alkorri]

girls use pink because men likes pink

boys use blue since women likes blue

Mind blown 

And for the boys who like boys, and girls who like girls?

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

I think those are exceptions

 

[Milkdud]

girls use pink because men likes pink

boys use blue since women likes blue

I object to this because I hate pink.

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

there are always exceptions...

 

[Alexander Amnell]

girls use pink because men likes pink

boys use blue since women likes blue

   I never thought about this... but I could actually see it as being true in a lot of cases. I don't understand why anyone should really care anyway about this. I don't really like the color blue but that doesn't mean that seeing that the letters were blue when I checked my gender bothered me or anything. There are always going to be labels used to identify people at every level, I don't believe we'll ever get to the point where we don't because it's natural for people to perceive the world around them in terms of social labels, that said it's only when we identify ourselves by said labels that we truly go astray.

   Choosing not to be defined that way is different than getting upset when such forms are used and the latter rarely accomplishes anything. It's like the feminist test posted, I passed it but I am absolutely not a feminist, to many people who choose to associate themselves with that label go way to far and actually go from "equality" to "reverse-oppression". The movement was a good thing, equality is a great goal, but when you label yourself as part of a group you are instantly making a statement, whether conscious or not, that you hold yourself higher than some other group. Even if you don't do this as a proclaimed feminist you associate yourself with the likes of Valerie Solanas and Catherine Comins. Every group in existence has radical elements to it, and will become worse and further removed from whatever noble causes gave it birth the longer it lives for. I understand the reason for people to come together as one voice against something that is truly wrong, but the moment we start identifying each other as anything other than people we're a step closer to becoming oppressors ourselves and it only takes one charismatic leader to show up in guise and we've stepped backwards.

That test wasn't to determine if you are a feminist, it's a quality of being a decent person, but it was missing at least one question. Any other label associated with that is meaningless and slightly dangerous. (Think about it this way, if it ever became the norm in feminism to actually despise men, which is a belief that a lot of prominent people that claim to be feminists and accumulated large followings have been proven to have in the past, then suddenly men no longer = human beings therefor the mantra is perceived true yet it's corrupted. After all believing men are human wasn't a requirement, because a lot of the groups that make up the collective of "feminism" wouldn't fit the bill if it was.)

Man or woman be a person, not a group. Individual identities coming together bring about change for the better, group identities that form after the fact just Frick everything up.

*I swear at first I only meant to comment on the quoted comment, then I kept typing, sorry.

 

[Davant]

Pink was originally a masculine color due to it being a derivative of red, which is normally associated with power or ambition. Blue was originally a feminine color because it was considered a more natural, beautiful color. Neither color has ever been specifically ordained to either gender throughout time, but around the late 40's, marketing strategies swayed the thinking of the 'American' people, and by the 50's pink was associated with femininity because of it. I can't pinpoint the exact event or date that this happened, sorry.

 

[Probotector 200X]

But, pink is the best color! You probably wouldn't guess that I feel that way with an avatar like mine, but oh well.

I think the problem isn't expecting girls to like pink, the real, or bigger problem is expecting boys to not like pink. Or that pink will make them gay and effeminate (I say and because lots of people seem to think those are synonymous).

But I think that colors have natural symbolism, and most of societies stereotypes are extensions of that, while some are backwards.

Take the color green. It's normal the main color of nature, or preservation, it's also a relaxing color. But it's also used for money. "Green" can be slang for money, dollar bills in particular.

I've heard that red and yellow invoke feelings of hunger to most people. And that's why McDonalds has red and yellow, to make you think you are hungry when you drive by.

Also, in the wild, lots of poisonous plants and animals are very brightly colored. It's like a warning sign. Because when does their poison work? When they are being eaten! Better to tell them you are poisonous so they back off rather than spite them in death.

But humans do exaggerate and twist some things, like they do with everything.

 

[Centipede]

Don't stress. It's culture.

 

[captainproton]

I don't think you're being silly at all. It's kind of arbitrary for any particular color to represent a gender. That being said, I'm glad when parents color-code their newborns, because you can't really tell otherwise without *looking*.

 

[Of_Dust]

Pink. Pink, pink, pink. There was a time I disliked it. Now, I don't mind it. It's just a color, after all. Barbie needs to rethink things over, though. You can't be serious when you're actually spitting pink saliva. I love Orange. Do I want all of the things surrounding me (even my clothes) to be orange? Hell no!
 

Good lord, I tried high heels once. I FELL.
 
Never again 
 

Is it me talking there? Are we the only females in this world who doesn't have the desire to wear heels...ever? I don't get what's all the fuss about heels. I hate them. They're pain-factories. And, call me crazy, but I like to move freely. Free like the wind.

 

[Solistra]

I'm really not sure if there is a correct answer to what to do with it.

No one complains about grayscale. That may cause people to have to look for half a second longer, but seems like a good compromise to me. I also don't particularly like pink, by the way, but it never bothered me enough to say anything about it.

Also, for the record, it's far too easy to accidentally post an empty topic when writing replies on a phone. (Yes, I just did that with this post and had to fill it in with something quickly.)

I also just noticed that most of this topic is from back in January. Maybe it's time to sleep at 2 AM, not browse forums.

 

[orochii]

Pink is the colour of blood, after being washed from all your (white) butcher aprons.

 

[Ruby]

Pretty sure that was part of the original board software. Maybe? I don't know, I didn't add it.

We could change it, but then it would just turn into a "well what colors DO we use?" If we change them both to different colors, it does come up as a bit less stereotypical I suppose, but it also bypasses the mental shortcuts that are there, even if only because of cultural programming that some could consider damaging, and the color becomes mostly meaningless entirely. I'm really not sure if there is a correct answer to what to do with it.

It should be allowed that we choose the associated color with a drop down list. Just a simple one, maybe? <3

 

[Simon D. Aelsi]

Hmmm, that's a good question!  In some countries, RED is actually a girl's color (Supposedly) instead of pink.... Purple is an awesome color IMHO.

 

[greentiger]

I feel somewhat silly posting this, but it's been gnawing at me for a few days now. Itty bitty brain worms nibbling in my subconscious and I happily go on with my life until I see the one thing that triggers it again and my brain goes, RAR this is not right!

[Rant Warning]

That trigger? I'm quite happy to tell people I'm female, but when the time comes to set gender in your Profile, I immediately notice that I get a pink icon. PINK. Boys get Blue! Girls get Pink! Why ARGH why? 

I don't count myself a feminist, and I'm a bit puzzled myself because I am not the type to soul search, but there's something in me that twitches hard when I see mothers dress up their pretty little girl babies all in pink. That twitch occurs again when I trot along supermarket toy aisles and see all the princess tiaras and dresses in pink. (I do see the occasional purple dress, and I go Huzzah!)

I have happily declared to one and all that I am a tomboy and hate the colour pink, when secretly I've played with Barbie dolls *cough*, own things that are coloured "light red" and even today, stare mesmerised at My Little Pony figures (hush you, they are collectibles). 

But when it comes to this, forcing my finger to do that one little thing and switch your gender from Not Telling to Female... I just can't do it. I reserve the right to refuse!    

Am I being silly? ;P

Soft pink/Pink, about the time of World War I was more of a boy's color (it was considered a soft red); but after WWI or thereabouts became marketed as a girl's color.

Blue also went from a girl's color to a boy's color around the same time. For whatever reason, probably marketing, the two colors just switched.

Occasionally you'll see a man wear pink in some fashion (shirts or whatnot); I happen to like the color myself (O-> here) and have pink shoe laces, I get grief from guys but I get all kinds of compliments from the lady-folks.

"Lavender" was a 'code-word' back in the 50's for gay men and so Purple and Pink are associated with girls/gay people to this day.

Personally I think it's a dumb association but that's what it is for most western countries.

Hell in America, it wasn't all that uncommon for boys to wear girl's clothes when they were toddlers just to save on expenses.

Then everyone got all bent out of shape about "what if my kid grows up perverted?". Really, it's just dumb  nonsense.

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/when-did-girls-start-wearing-pink-1370097/?no-ist