Why is pink a feminine color?

[WillJ]

Here's something I always wondered: Why do most societies (or at least mine) treat the color of pink as being a feminine thing?

Like most other guys, I don't like the color pink, but I imagine it's not something natural, and instead is just the result of me being conditioned by society so much. For example, I would never think of going to school with a pink bookbag. But is it because I truly don't like pink, or is it more because I'm (possibly only unconciously) afraid of being made fun of, and nothing else?

So, again... Do females naturally like pink more than males? If not, is pink being feminine a tradition that actually has some sort of meaning? Or is pink being feminine just a tradition that has no real meaning?

And this reminds me of the novel The Legends Never Die (IIRC) that I had to read over last summer. It mentioned that in the Ute tribe, black was the color of males and blue was the color of females. (Of course, that might have just been made up by the author.)

 

[Simon Darkshade]

Simple. Pink is feminine because pink is a shade of red. Red is the colour of communism, and feminism is a shade of the same overall dastardly conspiracy.

 

[GenMarshall]

This is actualy a big barrier in the Demogame on the choice of being the french. Since there unique color is pink.

Personaly I beleve pink is a feminine color

 

[WillJ]

Originally posted by Simon Darkshade
Simple. Pink is feminine because pink is a shade of red. Red is the colour of communism, and feminism is a shade of the same overall dastardly conspiracy.

*snaps fingers* I knew it!

 

[bobgote]

* looks suspiciously at WillJ *

mate, if you want to walk around with a pink bag, just do it. don't have a big moral dilemma over it.

 

[WillJ]

Originally posted by CivGeneral
This is actualy a big barrier in the Demogame on the choice of being the french. Since there unique color is pink.

That's not the only reason I wouldn't want to be the French.

()

Originally posted by CivGeneral
Personaly I beleve pink is a feminine color

Yes, but can you explain why?

Originally posted by bobgote
* looks suspiciously at WillJ *

mate, if you want to walk around with a pink bag, just do it. don't have a big moral dilemma over it.

Considering I live in southern Alabama, I might as well shoot myself.

 

[Moonsinger]

I have always like pink for as long as I can remember. Now that you mention it, I'm not sure why I like pink. I guess it's the same question as why the good guy usually dress in white and the bad guy usually dress in black.

 

[WillJ]

Originally posted by Moonsinger
I guess it's the same question as why the good guy usually dress in white and the bad guy usually dress in black.

The good guy usually dresses in white?

 

[Simon Darkshade]

Originally posted by WillJ
Considering I live in southern Alabama, I might as well shoot myself.

There's no need to do that! Just stand over here next to the lovely man with the bucket of tar and the feathers.

 

[h4ppy]

Well the more "manly" colors are usually the darker ones, (blue, dark green, brown, bpack) while the more feminine colors were lighter. (yellow, pink, light green, light purple) With pink being the mose light popular color around (mix of red and white) it would naturally be assumed to be the most feminine color. Although personally I believe "Easter Candy Purple" is the most feminine color, except that it is only used once a year and then forgotten until next Easter.

 

[Moonsinger]

Originally posted by WillJ
The good guy usually dresses in white?

Well, the White Wizard in LotR may be an exception.

 

[Yago]

Nerf pink !

Indeed, in computer games, no one wants to have pink. Except for girls. Which is actually very unpractical, as you need enough colours which can be distinguished.

I think it's socially-trained behaviour. I'm not sure about that, but I believe that white is the colour of war or dead in some countries/societies. In this case a white dove wouldn't mean no good. Does a black crow mean luck then ?

I am not sure, which is the colour of kings ? Purple or pink ?

 

[Simon Darkshade]

Depending on yer position, so might the blokes in white from 'The Birth of a Nation'.

 

[stratego]

Some studies have shown (although I don't know how good those studies are) that colors can trigger certain reponses.
Red can trigger the hunger response, probably because in the prehistoric era red berry means good berry.
A light blue room can make you feel smarter. Probably because it imitates clear weather, when the brain is more active. ??

By that same token, pink may elicite some level of estrogen or other feminine thing.

 

[h4ppy]

Originally posted by Yago
I am not sure, which is the colour of kings ? Purple or pink ?

I always thought that purple was the color of the church but I'm not really sure about kings.

 

[WillJ]

Originally posted by Moonsinger
Well, the White Wizard in LotR may be an exception.

Not to mention the two "Men in Black" movies. And Batman, and Spiderman, and most other superheroes. In fact, I'm having trouble thinking of one good guy that wore white.

Originally posted by Yago
I am not sure, which is the colour of kings ? Purple or pink ?

Purple, I believe.

 

[h4ppy]

Originally posted by WillJ
In fact, I'm having trouble thinking of one good guy that wore white.

The White Ranger. (Power Rangers)

 

[Moonsinger]

Originally posted by WillJ
In fact, I'm having trouble thinking of one good guy that wore white.Purple, I believe.

"The Almight" where God wore White. In most old movies, the good guys have usually wore white or in lighter color than the bad guys.

 

[Loaf Warden]

I can count the number of grown women I've met who don't despise the color pink on one hand.

When a female tells me she hates pink, I always ask why. I'm intrigued by anyone who could have such scorn for an innocent color, so I try to probe their minds (figuratively speaking) to find out what lies beneath this hatred. So far, I've always gotten the same inane response: "Because they always make baby girls dress in pink."



. . .



So what the deuce does that mean? They dress baby boys in blue, and you know, I've never met a man who didn't like blue. Everyone likes blue. I like blue. What if they dressed baby girls in yellow? Or orange? Or maroon? Or black? Would those colors become 'feminine' and hated by women? Who cares? This hatred of pink is an irrational knee-jerk response to . . . nothing at all, really. I keep hoping there's a more meaningful answer, so I keep asking the question of women whenever it comes up. But I'm afraid that I'll never find one that goes past the banality of the "it's what baby girls wear" answer.

Men, obviously, hate pink because our society has decided it's feminine. That, as well, is meaningless. Frankly, a lot of men are just too insecure in their sexuality. I have nothing against pink. I've worn pink shirts in public before. Some people might find that questionable. But I know that on the rare occasions I get to have sex, it's always with a female. That's good enough for me.

Edit: To address the 'color of royalty' thing that came up while I was typing that. The answer is purple. In Roman times, purple dye was tremendously expensive (because it was incredibly hard to get), so only high-ranking people were permitted to wear purple. Senators could wear a white toga with a purple stripe, but only the Emperor could wear a purely purple toga. So purple was the Imperial color for the Romans, and the royalty of Europe in days afterward no doubt got the custom from that. Again, it's all relative. In China, yellow was the Imperial color, and only the Emperor was allowed to dress all in yellow. This just goes to show there's nothing inherent about any one color being used for any one purpose. It's all what the culture comes up with.

 

[Yago]

Not to mention the two "Men in Black" movies. And Batman, and Spiderman, and most other superheroes. In fact, I'm having trouble thinking of one good guy that wore white.

The white knight. Aren't the "men in black" supposed to feared or be mysterious with a hidden not goody, goody agenda. Yet, don't fear us, cheer us. The white wizard in LOTR is a trap, while sauron is honestly black/dark. Gandalf gets white in the end. The elves are all white, the orcs are all dark and dirty.