Voice for Women: Roses are red, violets are blue, girls love pink – could that be true…?
For as long as I can remember, when choosing gifts for a new baby or colours for a layette, by and large, pink has been the preferred colour for baby girls and blue for baby boys. Advertisements popularise it; stores ‘endorse’ it and many people still propagate the myth that this is somehow…appropriate.In modern times, new parents have started moving beyond the boundaries of many of these accepted norms and the standard new-parents-colour-chart is no exception. We see stores carrying new born baby blankets in light yellow, cream, lemon and peach etc as an alternative to pink and blue. Still not a great variety to choose from, but certainly better than the two-toned colour palette that has been in existence for far too long.
Why is it that there is an inherent colour scheme locked into our brains that tells us that there are certain colours that suit certain occasions? For instance, people traditionally wear black or white to funerals – depending on which philosophy governs your life. We try to adhere to the simple, no colour notion – and thereby often end up with the white/light option by default – to some places of worship, and quite the opposite by being as colourful as possible to others. Even the upcoming festivities of our great traditional New Year Celebrations, encompasses a “good colour”, which most families try to don for the start of events to ensure the most auspicious start to the year.
There are also universally accepted colours which communicate standard messages around the world: Red means stop and Green means go. According to Jill Morton in Colour logic for Power Point, Colour plays a vitally important role in our world. Colours and what they represent are so powerful, they can sway thinking, change actions and cause reactions. It can irritate or soothe your eyes, raise your blood pressure or suppress your appetite. Apparently, when used in the right way, colour can even save on energy consumption. According to Jill’s Colour Symbolism Theories, colour conveys meaning in two primary ways – natural associations and psychological symbolism. She claims that people are comfortable when colours remind them of similar things. For example, a soft shade of blue triggers associations with the sky and a psychological sense of calm. Similarly red, the image of blazing fire brings about a feeling of danger. We associate green as the colour of vegetation and therefore it forms an obvious link with nature. No surprise then that “Green Day” requires no explanation. Idiomatic American English reflects colour in phrases such as “singing the blues” and “blue chip stocks.”The official Olympic logo was created by Baron Pierre de Coubertin in 1913 and consists of five interlacing rings of blue, yellow, black, green and red. At least one of these colours is found in the flag of every nation. Historically in times of war, “The Colours” of the King, were carried into battle and served as a natural rallying point and to date inspires powerful feelings of patriotism and allegiance. Institutions award “Colours” for excellence and outstanding sportsmanship. Taken at large, there are several natural associations that we make with colour. Cultural; Political and historical; Religious and mythical; Linguistic and Contemporary fads.
Following this train of thought, is the colour pink hard wired into our psyche as the colour for girls – just as blue is for boys? The traditional toy companies seem to think so, even though newer, more contemporary and market savvy producers are more adventurous and tend to go for more colours. Educational toys too, by and large, favour a multitude of colours and textures.
Having grown up the veritable Tom Boy (I would take climbing a tree over playing tea party every time!) I shied away from all things pink when I was younger. I hardly wore the colour, never had toys that bore the colour and certainly never called it my favourite. In fact when our children were given their first toys, we were advised by the midwives to steer clear of the typical gender colour schemes of blue for boys and pink for girls. Our daughter in fact had as many blue and other coloured items as she did pink. In fact I am quite certain she was never given the impression that pink should be ‘her’ colour. Incredibly enough however, today, our three-year-old daughter’s world is PINK. AND sparkly! How did that happen? Why did that happen? Not due to over-emphasis of it from us, nor from her everyday peers and playmates. So where did it come from? Is there something inherent in this colour that associates it with softness and sweetness and therefore automatically extends to little girls? There is significant research to show that actively introducing varied colours into a child’s life at the earliest stages of their development, improves and positively affects the brain. But does that mean we need to eradicate pink completely? I certainly hope not.
According to Steve Jobs, “What’s your favourite colour?” is going to be one of the most important questions for consumers in the future. Our son has moved on from the traditional blue to orange, yellow AND green – he tells us that a favourite colour can easily encompass three of them and need not be just the one – so we must be doing something ‘right’ in the sphere of breaking down colour stereotyping! My favourite colour has been rich hues of bronzed-gold for a long time now. Nevertheless, on occasion – and more often now than ever before – I have been known to favour that softer and sweeter colour. For a girl who grew up distancing herself from anything remotely girly, the notion truly has me tickled pink!
Wishing all readers a Happy, Prosperous and Colourful New Year! Any comments, suggestions and contributions are most welcome. Confidentiality Guaranteed.Please email: KJWVoiceforWomen@gmail.com