Yes the latest chapter in my book is entitled Pinked and fitting for the content and for the most recently celebrated holiday. This chapter covers the concept of marketing and the evolution of how "once upon a time" children were not color coded and it is because of marketing trends that we have developed the perception of certain colors for girls and boys. Agree. This made me think about my own son and how recently he was given an adorable outfit by his grandparents for his 1st birthday pictures. It was the traditional, however somewhat non-traditional for our time, one piece "shortall", complete with smocking, knee socks and white long sleeved collared shirt. I laughed at first, but he looked adorable in it. My mom was quick to say, at least I didn't have you dress him in your dad's pink shortall from when he was a baby. Pink, are you kidding me. However, after reading this chapter I quickly learned that pink was actually the masculine hue when nursery colors where first introduced. It was a pastel version of red---strength. Blue, symbolized femininity. The author points out that maybe that is why so many of the early Disney princesses were dressed in blue. Ahhhhh, quite interesting if I do say so myself.
It is marketing by clothing manufacturers that have brought us the plethora of "kid categories" like infant, toddler, kid, tween, and teen, that's right they were not developed by psychologists, they were developed by manufacturers of clothing. And with the categories, comes the split of genders and an easier audience to market. The author has found that there is is actually a "pink factor." The pink factor? Yes, that is when toy manufacturers and marketers make a toy in pink as well as a "boy color" in hopes that parents will purchase the pink one for their girl, have a boy and then have to repurchase the same toy for their boy, or vice versa depending on the birth order. HA! I say, we did not fall into your pink factor trap. We most recently bought black and red skates as opposed to the pink ones for Danica, so Jasper could use them. Her Leap Top is green and white and I have even bought some jackets in greens and reds so we can hand them down and every year so far, Danica has gotten black crocs for the summer and her tricycle is red.
Gender behavior, inborn or learned--still waiting to find out.
