The Power of... Pink
Posted 03-21-2008 at 10:58 AM by dragon wench
A friend reminded me recently that I hadn't updated my blog in a while, so I thought it was probably time 
A rather trivial topic, to be sure, but hey, it's the beginning of a long weekend, it's morning, and I'm only just getting started on my first cup of coffee.
Well, it's like this, for a long time I have eschewed the colour pink, even though it actually looks quite good on me. In part, there are some shades of pink I really dislike, hot pink and neon pink come to mind, for example. But also, it are the gender associations involved with pink.. baby girls get pink, baby boys get light blue, and on it goes through life, at least traditionally anyway. So, I've generally avoided pink, plus I don't really care for pastels all that much.
Some time ago my SO and I were having a conversation about pink, and he commented that the colour looks nice on me.. I said, "But, but.. it's well.. PINK." He replied.. "Well I wear it." I then said, "Yes, but that's perfectly OK, you're male, so it's fine for you to wear pink." And thus it went..
But then a few days ago, I was strolling around downtown...and something caught my eye..something very spring-like...something actually quite attractive... something... *gasp*... PINK!
There, in a neat little shop that sells an assortment of books, candles, jewelry and a little clothing.. hung a 3/4 sleeve Tshirt.. in a delicate shade of..pink. I paused, and went inside.. because what really grabbed me was the colour..combined with what was written across the chest.. "Stop Bitching, Start a Revolution."
I instantly loved it. the wonderful irony of a statement like that, written in stylized black letters upon a pink background..
Thus, I am now the proud owner of a yes.. PINK article of clothing..
A rather trivial topic, to be sure, but hey, it's the beginning of a long weekend, it's morning, and I'm only just getting started on my first cup of coffee.
Well, it's like this, for a long time I have eschewed the colour pink, even though it actually looks quite good on me. In part, there are some shades of pink I really dislike, hot pink and neon pink come to mind, for example. But also, it are the gender associations involved with pink.. baby girls get pink, baby boys get light blue, and on it goes through life, at least traditionally anyway. So, I've generally avoided pink, plus I don't really care for pastels all that much.
Some time ago my SO and I were having a conversation about pink, and he commented that the colour looks nice on me.. I said, "But, but.. it's well.. PINK." He replied.. "Well I wear it." I then said, "Yes, but that's perfectly OK, you're male, so it's fine for you to wear pink." And thus it went..
But then a few days ago, I was strolling around downtown...and something caught my eye..something very spring-like...something actually quite attractive... something... *gasp*... PINK!
There, in a neat little shop that sells an assortment of books, candles, jewelry and a little clothing.. hung a 3/4 sleeve Tshirt.. in a delicate shade of..pink. I paused, and went inside.. because what really grabbed me was the colour..combined with what was written across the chest.. "Stop Bitching, Start a Revolution."
I instantly loved it. the wonderful irony of a statement like that, written in stylized black letters upon a pink background..
Thus, I am now the proud owner of a yes.. PINK article of clothing..
Total Comments 7
Comments
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There are far too many ways to get myself in trouble here, so let me just say that I am tickled pink that you have found a way to integrate your love of wickedly subversive slogans with gender-appropriate apparel.Posted 03-22-2008 at 02:25 AM by thantor3
- Go for it...girl!
Took me quite awhile to gather up the nerve to wear my pink Chuck Taylor's....have over 15 pairs but always had second thoughts about the pink pair I got as a gift...finally said to myself..at my age..what the heck!Posted 03-23-2008 at 01:27 PM by BlueSky - @Than,
I had no idea you had such an aversion to getting yourself into hotspots...
Nonetheless, I'm most gratified at your appreciation of my efforts to change the world into a better place
@BlueSky,
well I have no idea what things are like in Kentucky, but my other half wears pink a great deal. Of course, we do live on the liberal, hippy West Coast... so a man getting in touch with his "pink side" isn't just accepted, it's pretty much expected...Posted 03-23-2008 at 08:56 PM by dragon wench
Updated 03-23-2008 at 09:00 PM by dragon wench - I hate pink as much as I hate Jerry. Sorry.Posted 03-27-2008 at 01:53 AM by DesR85
- Funny you write this, just the other day I read an article in the newspaper about the colour pink as a feminist and social class marker and it has become a key sociocultural symbol in today's society
PS I just bought a pink, well coral pink, top too, the first pink piece of clothing I've ever owned! And I've used it - at a conference even! DSPosted 04-03-2008 at 08:04 PM by C Elegans - Guys and pink? Hmm... I'm gonna end up like thantor3 if i continue so I'll just end it with, I like girls in pink. = )Posted 05-24-2008 at 09:55 AM by Rein
- I thought I would update this thread because of something that happened over the weekend...
Summer has hit here on the "Left Coast" which means temps are in the mid to high 20s (that would be the 70s for you Yanks), so I am obviously not wearing a jacket when I go out, thus exposing my pink shirt in all of its glory.
Well... I've discovered the shirt attracts a lot of attention, and reactions are pretty extreme. Younger, more alternative women inevitably say, "I love your shirt."
The middle aged and senior dowagers, on the other hand, shoot me all manner of horrified looks. Men...well let's just say they aren't at all hostile...
This past Saturday the SO and I were out taking a long walk along the waterfront, and I found I was getting an unusual number of unpleasant stares from the aforementioned demographic... until finally one woman who was probably somewhere between 45 and 50, wearing tacky bleach blond hair, excessive makeup, and a halter top that barely contained her voluminous bulk gave me a patently disgusted up and down stare.
OK... at that point I got pissed.. and when that happens, my temper flares and I say pretty much anything that comes to mind. So, I "commented" to her:
"Lady, stop staring at my chest, I don't swing that way, and even if I did, you wouldn't even make it onto the list."
My SO, to his credit, burst out laughing
Her reply was something along the lines of "How rude!" And didn't I know how vulgar my shirt was...
That irritated me yet further, and I informed her that fake blond hair, excessive cosmetics and the donning of a skimpy halter top when one didn't have the body to flatter it were far more vulgar than my shirt.....
Damn, I have to admit that felt good. It's been a while since I've been so mouthy
But any humour aside... I don't get it, the shirt is hardly obscene...
In fact here's a link. The only difference is that mine is pink with black lettering, otherwise it is identical to the photo.
And if people are offended by the word "bitching"... that is just really, really sad...
Also, what is it about the middle-aged and older women, why do they hate it so much? Because I'm taking a traditionally feminine colour and subverting it maybe? Still seems pretty silly to me...Posted 07-14-2008 at 01:49 PM by dragon wench
Updated 07-14-2008 at 01:57 PM by dragon wench
