Pink Stinks and colour/gender stereotyping
Once upon a time, not so many years ago, but definitely last century, pink wasn’t a girls colour. It wasn’t even a feminine colour. Slowly and gradually an erosion as has taken place and girls have taken pink for themselves.
- Image via Wikipedia
A few years earlier, the Sunday Sentinel had been of the same opinion: “use pink for the boy and blue for the girl,” it said in March 1914, “if you are a follower of convention.” So accepted, in fact, was this convention that as late as 1927 Time magazine was observing, on the obviously disappointing birth to Princess Astrid of Belgium of a daughter rather than the infinitely preferable son, that the cradle had been “optimistically decorated in pink, the colour for boys”.
This is, as you may have noticed, no longer the case. For maybe the past decade or so, little girls have inhabited a universe that is, almost entirely, pink. It is made up not just of pink princesses and fairies and ballerinas and fluffy bunnies, but of books, bikes, lunchboxes, board games, toy cookers, cash registers, even games consoles, all in shades of pink. Source: The Guardian
Oscar Wilde used to be dressed in dresses and slowly dresses for boys and night shirts have been replaced with trousers and pajama’s. We exult the male of the species to get in touch with their feminine side but slowly we have eroded and taken anything that actually is feminine in our books, and made it our own.
Pink Stinks is a fascinating campaign to make the parenting public aware that of more female role models, females who are inspirational and interesting not because they are married to someone famous, married to a sporting star or any other of the inane things that are so called role models to our daughters.
They also have the belief that the colour pink when surrounding girls limits their aspirations. I think they could be right. Emma and Abi Moore don’t have an easy task, but they have had the courage to take a public stand and say “Enough”. I hope enough parents are listening and enough people support them.
Immersing girl in pink has another affect to, it affects how people treat them. Instead of forming an opinion on the personality of the child, opinions are based on what colour they are wearing – pink – ballet, princess, girly and the girls are treated accordingly. That narrows their outlook too, and not for the better.
Part of the story about the women behind ‘Birds on the Blog’ is that they are inspirational role models. In the next few weeks I shall be populating the profiles and you can see their achievements. They are not ‘mommy bloggers’ they are not ‘tech bloggers’, they are woman with interesting things to say. Many of them are mums, myself included, but they don’t allow that to define them or limit them. You certainly wouldn’t catch any of them wearing pink from top to toe…
So for now, Birds on the Blog remains a feminine, old fashioned pale blue. For all the right reasons. Good luck Emma and Abi, we salute you.
Birds on the Blog Admin.
About Sarah ArrowSarah Arrow is the managing editor of Birds on the Blog, in real life she is the communications director of a same day courier service. She is an enthusiastic UK based pro-blogger and co- author of the soon to be published Zero to Blogger
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22 Responses to Pink Stinks and colour/gender stereotyping
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Well, I actually think that if a girl wants to wear pink she should go ahead. Which is a bit removed from the “Pink Stinks” campaign, but in my opinion that just goes too far. It is annoying that there is sooo much pink everywhere, aimed at girls, both little and big, but we don’t have to buy it – if anything it makes it easy to encourage a child to be different. I think that we’ve worked hard enough for young women to do what they want and say “I’m going to wear pink – what of it!!”. The same goes for men who are man enough to wear pink – just do it. I certainly think there are more pressing issues to take a stand against than the colour pink – it’s up to us to reverse any ridiculous notion that a colour signifies any kind of weakness, surely…
(Note – I do not “do” pink, except for my new phone case – and that’s just so that I can more easily find it in my bag!)
Twitter: babssaul
Well, I actually think that if a girl wants to wear pink she should go ahead. Which is a bit removed from the “Pink Stinks” campaign, but in my opinion that just goes too far. It is annoying that there is sooo much pink everywhere, aimed at girls, both little and big, but we don’t have to buy it – if anything it makes it easy to encourage a child to be different. I think that we’ve worked hard enough for young women to do what they want and say “I’m going to wear pink – what of it!!”. The same goes for men who are man enough to wear pink – just do it. I certainly think there are more pressing issues to take a stand against than the colour pink – it’s up to us to reverse any ridiculous notion that a colour signifies any kind of weakness, surely…
(Note – I do not “do” pink, except for my new phone case – and that’s just so that I can more easily find it in my bag!)
Twitter: babssaul
I do find myself broadly in agreement with the campaign – not because I am against pink, it’s just that the sheer amount of it is overwhelming.
And littel girls of a certain age seem all to be dressed head to toe in pink – and some of those pinks clash horribly with each other. It’s a kind of visual pollution
I reckon it should be banned completely for ten years, and then slowly re-introduced, to see if society can handle it…
Lol a ten year ban, now that I could support. I agree there is far to much, look in Halfords and you will see a pink tool kit with pink screwdrivers etc. How is that any better for women than a normal screwdriver. How would it look if I refused to use a chainsaw unless it was pink?
I agree that it should be their personal choice Babs, I just think it is overwhelming. I may disagree if it was all another colour
And pink is a good choice for things you don’t want to lose 
but how many people just buy pink because the gift is for a female?
Sarah
I do find myself broadly in agreement with the campaign – not because I am against pink, it’s just that the sheer amount of it is overwhelming.
And littel girls of a certain age seem all to be dressed head to toe in pink – and some of those pinks clash horribly with each other. It’s a kind of visual pollution
I reckon it should be banned completely for ten years, and then slowly re-introduced, to see if society can handle it…
Lol a ten year ban, now that I could support. I agree there is far to much, look in Halfords and you will see a pink tool kit with pink screwdrivers etc. How is that any better for women than a normal screwdriver. How would it look if I refused to use a chainsaw unless it was pink?
I agree that it should be their personal choice Babs, I just think it is overwhelming. I may disagree if it was all another colour
And pink is a good choice for things you don’t want to lose 
but how many people just buy pink because the gift is for a female?
Sarah
I like Pink.
Even though the choices are limited I find it interesting shopping with a little one and how she prefers pink items over any other colour. Nothing wrong with it…. She’ll grow with it or out of it in due course.
And I love flowery tools!
Thats a good point Lynn, do young children gravitate towards pink? My nephew loved pink and like you say, he grew out of it.
I like Pink.
Even though the choices are limited I find it interesting shopping with a little one and how she prefers pink items over any other colour. Nothing wrong with it…. She’ll grow with it or out of it in due course.
And I love flowery tools!
Thats a good point Lynn, do young children gravitate towards pink? My nephew loved pink and like you say, he grew out of it.
I don’t like pink, it’s a rather yuck colour. However I do think that stereotypes are useful signals. My first born had cradle cap and was bald until she was about 2 years old. Dressing her in pink stopped people saying “Isn’t HE adorable”.
It’s helpful that there is a colour to represent femininity and I don’t see a reason to fight society’s current choice of pink, but if you want it to be blue ……
I don’t like pink, it’s a rather yuck colour. However I do think that stereotypes are useful signals. My first born had cradle cap and was bald until she was about 2 years old. Dressing her in pink stopped people saying “Isn’t HE adorable”.
It’s helpful that there is a colour to represent femininity and I don’t see a reason to fight society’s current choice of pink, but if you want it to be blue ……
My 5 year old son won’t be seen dead in pink – but he didn’t care until he went to school. Now there are all sorts of things he won’t do because he wants to be like the other boys most of the time. Fortunately his innate stubborn streak (inherited from his mum…) is holding up!
Oops, will stop talking kids and say that the Elvis documentary tonight just mentioned that Elvis used to wear a pink jacket and black slacks. Now that’s cool…
Twitter: Subutcher
My 5 year old son won’t be seen dead in pink – but he didn’t care until he went to school. Now there are all sorts of things he won’t do because he wants to be like the other boys most of the time. Fortunately his innate stubborn streak (inherited from his mum…) is holding up!
Oops, will stop talking kids and say that the Elvis documentary tonight just mentioned that Elvis used to wear a pink jacket and black slacks. Now that’s cool…
Twitter: Subutcher
The pink culture has finally infiltrated the previously un-trendy equestrian world, notably by Katie Price who cleverly brought together little girls’ love of her Barbie Doll image plus that of cuddly ponies. Naturally the colour pink is splashed all over that, as you can see here:
http://www.kpequestrian.com/Home
But the true absurdity of pink horse kit was brought home to me the other day when I was at my local horse feed store and caught sight of their manure scoopers, previously available in black only.
Now? Baby blue and pink. For a sh*t shovel.
http://www.trot2.com/detail.jsp?pid=6005712&id=6005718&src=froogle
Says it all, doesn’t it?
Twitter: SuzeStMWrites
The pink culture has finally infiltrated the previously un-trendy equestrian world, notably by Katie Price who cleverly brought together little girls’ love of her Barbie Doll image plus that of cuddly ponies. Naturally the colour pink is splashed all over that, as you can see here:
http://www.kpequestrian.com/Home
But the true absurdity of pink horse kit was brought home to me the other day when I was at my local horse feed store and caught sight of their manure scoopers, previously available in black only.
Now? Baby blue and pink. For a sh*t shovel.
http://www.trot2.com/detail.jsp?pid=6005712&id=6005718&src=froogle
Says it all, doesn’t it?
Twitter: SuzeStMWrites
If people are asked to describe my one of the words they may well choose is “pink”.
I love it. It’s a soft. warm and easy colour. It suits my skin tone and hair colouring and my personality.
I am the very girlie, feminine one … there’s always at least one in any group of friends … and I’m it.
But liking pink doesn’t limit what I can achieve in life or define who I am. Surely, no colour choice can possibly do that??
I’m all for individuality and removing stereotypes but the problem isn’t with the colour. The problem is retailers have worked out that “colour” sells. The current high street trend happens to be pink and it is very much saturating the market.
But it you don’t want a pink screwdriver, buy one that ain’t pink. But there is one big advantage of owning a pink screwdriver … it’s always where you bleeping well left it when you need it.
If people are asked to describe my one of the words they may well choose is “pink”.
I love it. It’s a soft. warm and easy colour. It suits my skin tone and hair colouring and my personality.
I am the very girlie, feminine one … there’s always at least one in any group of friends … and I’m it.
But liking pink doesn’t limit what I can achieve in life or define who I am. Surely, no colour choice can possibly do that??
I’m all for individuality and removing stereotypes but the problem isn’t with the colour. The problem is retailers have worked out that “colour” sells. The current high street trend happens to be pink and it is very much saturating the market.
But it you don’t want a pink screwdriver, buy one that ain’t pink. But there is one big advantage of owning a pink screwdriver … it’s always where you bleeping well left it when you need it.
Good point Wendy, I doubt any pink screwdrivers would accidentally find their way into his toolbox
Good point Wendy, I doubt any pink screwdrivers would accidentally find their way into his toolbox
Birds scoop QI
Just seen on QI (BBC1 as we speak): The whole blue/pink issue, “use pink for the boy and blue for the girl,”
and they quoted the “disappointing birth to Princess Astrid of Belgium of a daughter rather than the infinitely preferable son, that the cradle had been “optimistically decorated in pink, the colour for boys”
So well done Birds!
Twitter: Linda_Mattacks
Birds scoop QI
Just seen on QI (BBC1 as we speak): The whole blue/pink issue, “use pink for the boy and blue for the girl,”
and they quoted the “disappointing birth to Princess Astrid of Belgium of a daughter rather than the infinitely preferable son, that the cradle had been “optimistically decorated in pink, the colour for boys”
So well done Birds!
Twitter: Linda_Mattacks