The Maleficent Ways of Pink Tiaras & Blue Crowns

Right from the tiny blessed thought of having a baby to going bonkers over the guess game of will it be a “prince with a blue crown” boy or a “princess with a pink tiara” girl, our minds are ruled with certain connotations when it comes to gender association.

It starts very unknowingly from the fancy store we walk by and catch a glimpse of the “Pink satin booties” hanging from the hook & the “Blue denim cap” kept at the base.  Giving a faint smile when one enters the store it seems to be world divided between everything that is pink, rosy, red, scarlet and sometimes orange; to shades of blue, black, brown & then a few ignored tints here and there.

Childhood Consumerism has gobbled up every single parent into its trap and has given roots to another level of gender stereotyping which very few have escaped from. But, worse even if someone escapes, this color coding has travelled down and settled outrageously into the socializations of even the toddlers in kindergartens. 

For my boy who liked “pink” once upon a time, the idea of having pink in his wardrobe seems silly because it’s just so in front of his eyes. For me, I have always liked pink on boys too. What’s so wrong about it anyway? It’s just another colour in a world full of colors.  And as for “blue”, I have always been complimented on the shade looking good on me. Moreover, I don’t think there is anything biological or scientific in girls and boys having an inclination towards one of these tones. Otherwise I am sure every one of us would have even painted our hair pink!

The world is too divided between these two hues making it at most frivolous. We as parents, care takers, teachers have already decided on their behalf that they will love this colour, this toy, this book, this dress etc. It just shows how marketing plays a role in creating cultural connections out of no sense. Right from the hospital folders to even baby diapers now, everything has been conceptualized, designed and marketed with the precious little munchkins in mind. However, larking behind these ornamental luxuries are ­­glittery business models, and behind that is the hidden influences and side effects of gender division. Right from the first cuddly toy a child holds for sensory experiences to the school bag they carry to school and everything in between, a gender pattern is building up and wrecking the right of equality for not just both the genders but also the third, making the acceptance of gender non-conformity more stubborn.  

The historic journey of the pink and blue does not have a solid explanation. Some call it a marketing ploy of the 20th century (French Fashion connection) & some call it a bio-cultural urban legend of the 19th century (A Sociologist’s take). Whatever may be the case I will still pick up a blue sapphire or a green emerald to treasure it!