pink vs blue

As humans we always create classifications in order for us to understand things that are surrounding us and have better communication with one another. Color is one of those things that just help us to image, relate and categorize. The Word association game helps to demonstrate the idea of pairing words with a certain color for example, like bananas- yellow, oranges — orange, boy –blue, girl- pink. It makes since why bananas and oranges are associated with colors yellow and orange but the weird thing is boys are not blue and girls are definitely not pink. So why are these colors affiliated with those genders? It seems as if you go to a baby shower or walk into a kid’s store you know that this is for a boy or for a girl because either a section is all blue or all pink. Surprisingly, the idea of pink is for girls and blue is for boys seems as if it has been this way for centuries. But things weren’t always this way. In fact only a few years ago, blue was actually for girls and pink was for boys. Pink is derived from the color red so it was automatically associated with masculinity because it was a strong color and blue was associated with girls since it was more of a soft and graceful color.

Every generation brings a new meaning of masculinity and femininity by establishing itself within children’s clothing. When we look back at the 19th century, we notice that many of the photographs that were taken of boys and girls that are age 7 or younger were wearing white dresses, meaning that gender neutral was a norm once in our society. Pink and blue were never considered gender specific during that time and they were used exchangeable between infants. In the year 1927, Time magazine published a chart that reveals gender appropriate colors for the two different genders. In the chart it basically set up a gender specific colors but it was a little unusual than what we consider normal now in the 21st century. It told parents to dress boys in pink. Also According to Life Magazine, 1955 marked the “Peak Year for Pink” for men and women alike. “Across the US,” the article tells us, “a pink peak in male clothing has been reached as manufacturers have saturated more and more of their output with the pretty pastel…pink is shown here in almost everything short of a trench coat — even in a golf jacket and a dinner jacket. Now more of a staple than a luxury, the color is even acceptable to teen-age boys.” (http://www.artofmanliness.com/2015/03/18/real-men-wear-pink/).

This contradicts our societies norms and beliefs today; we consider pink as a weak feminine color, while blue is seen as masculine. This sexual classification never took place in our society before the 20th century; it was a recently created to generate inequality. Especially after WWII were women became more empowered by taking the men’s place at work and providing for the family. The society realized that equality is not and option that when there was a specific gender color. The idea behind was to continue male superiority and make sure its not tainted by anything slightly feminine. The division continued to grow to the point were we stand today. Dexter Thomas argues against determination of sexual orientation through color. He wonders if a color can really determine a man’s masculinity and if that was the case why does it matter? In his article called #whyismasculinitysofragile Thomas speaks to Dremali who was called gay at the gym because of his pink shoes t “Last month, University of North Texas senior Abdul Dremali was working out in the gym when another man walked by, pointed at his bright pink shoes, and said:“Hey, nice shoes … ,” using an anti-gay slur. It has come to the point were out society categorizes and insults people based on a color. The fear of being emasculate is so deep-rooted in our life that it can give a man the right to become violent against women and create a superiority idea with in out society. Hegemony doesn’t mean violence but it could be supported by force. Those ideas were passed on from one person to another and it was then encouraged by society at birth .Hegemony became a dominant value and become common sense. It becomes a common sense, to have men in power not because it excites but because we make it excites.