When watching a movie, show or reading a book — who do you root for? The girl in pink skirts who curls her hair and fixes her makeup? Or the girl who doesn’t care about her looks and eschews the frivolousness of the other girls around her? It’s always the traditional feminine one vs. the one who thinks they are smarter, more moral, more professional and overall more deserving of respect because they are not like the former. Think Cady and The Plastics vs. Janet in “Mean Girls,” or Elle Woods vs. Vivian Kensington in “Legally Blonde.”
There are, of course, many reasons to hate the color pink. There’s the strict gendering of baby clothes and toys, the use of the color to push products to women consumers as well as how the color commercialised and sexualised the awareness for breast cancer.
However, these validities aside, it seems the main reason so many hate the color, is because it’s usually girly.
Psychologically, the color pink is associated with romance, compassion and gentleness. These are all traits associated with women, and since everything traditionally associated with women is deemed inferior, so is the color and the traits. Compassion and gentleness is never a bad thing — those and other stereotypically feminine qualities should be embraced and allowed for everyone.
While everyone has their own personal tastes, pink doesn’t have to be avoided and looked down upon. Colors don’t need to be put in a restrictive box of gender — a person should be able to embrace harmless things without judgement just because they’re feminine. Men’s interests and stereotypical qualities should no longer be the only ones worthy of respect in this day and age.
It’s high time that we need to stop fearing that liking the color pink is inherently feminine, weak and undeserving of respect.