To start off this little spiel, I am going to come right out and say that “pink think” definitely still exists in today’s society. The Pink Think of today, however, has many different attributes than that which was presented in the essay. Today’s society is all about the working woman. She is a stylish, chic, strong willed and adventurous feminist whose biggest fear is breaking a well-manicured nail. Girls of today’s world have no chance to grow up without the influence of the Pink Think.
As Ms. Peril mentioned, it all starts with a pink blanket. From the moment a mother gets the ultrasound telling her she is having a bouncing baby girl, she goes all out with decorations and shopping. The moment Baby Girl pops out into the world screaming, she is dressed in a pink blanket, pink hat, and a pink jumper. Not only are all of Baby Girl’s clothes sickeningly sweet, cute and pink, but poor Baby is also bombarded with happy frolicking unicorn borders and rosy painted walls as soon as she is brought home. Not once does the expectant mother consider buying a truck or G.I. Joe for her baby. Why for heaven’s sake that would be downright blasphemy! Nothing but the best squishy pink unicorns, pink booties, pink outfits, and pink bedding are bought for precious Pink Baby Girl.
From the first moment on, a child’s behavior and worldly role is defined by the very color she is dressed in. Little Baby Girl is constantly reprimanded for getting dirty, thus becomes a prissy girly girl. Baby Girl has never before seen a G.I. Joe or a toy truck, therefore she shuns them in order to play with her pink and fashionably dressed Barbie. These thoughts and actions stay with Baby Girl throughout her entire life, shaping the way she thinks, the way she lives, and the way she works. Baby Girl would NEVER want to work as a truck driver or trash woman; those jobs are too dirty and dull by far. She would much rather become successful as a Doctor, a Lawyer or a Business woman like her pretty Barbie was. The power embedded in the color pink is a terrifying but very real thing. From the very beginning it begins to shape women’s thoughts, behaviors, careers, and futures.
Another concept that I personally think closely relates to a woman’s Pink Think, is what I am going to call Straight Think. For this portion I am mainly going to focus on how this affects men in today’s world. Straight Think is a well established schema in today’s society. It is basically all of the acts and thoughts that shape and make up a person’s (mainly a male’s) heterosexuality. It is what some people think make you, in essence, a “good” or “Christian” person. Or as a few would say, what makes you a Manly Man. It is playing with “boy toys,” being a typical boy, and of course wearing blue. As with Pink Think, this can be brought into existence from the very moment of Baby Boy’s birth. Like Baby Girl, Baby Boy is encouraged to play with HIS toys with the fear that if he would play with HER toys he may be more likely to become *gasp* gay. He is discouraged from every playing with “dolls,” instead he is given “action figures” and trucks. Baby Boy is dissuaded from being in gymnastics, dance, or ballet. Rather, he is encouraged to become “tough” by participating in football, fighting, and roughhousing. All of this is in the hopes that he will turn out to be “normal” and straight.
However, I find this to be a dim-witted and foolish view to take. If a child is in fact homosexual, the parents and teachers are only isolating him. If a child wants to take place in the supposedly “other sexes” sport, he should be allowed to. Parents fear having to raise and own up to having a homosexual child and try to take all precautions to prevent it. Thus, they install in Baby Boy a homophobic sense of reality, in which anything different such as pink shirts and male cheerleaders are gay. It is an anxiety for all to be thought gay. Or to actually be gay in a society that was raised to shun and reject homosexuals with hate and fearfully constructed biases. Straight Think is definitely seen in the comedy movie “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry.” Beyond all of the obviousness of the movie, the great fear of the parent is that his boy will is gay, and he is constantly discourages his son from dancing and singing, only to be push him towards more manly sports. In all reality, Straight Think is a concept that every parent strictly adheres to and fears the consequences of disobeying in case they accidentally allow their child to become gay. Oh the horrors.
As Ms. Peril mentioned, it all starts with a pink blanket. From the moment a mother gets the ultrasound telling her she is having a bouncing baby girl, she goes all out with decorations and shopping. The moment Baby Girl pops out into the world screaming, she is dressed in a pink blanket, pink hat, and a pink jumper. Not only are all of Baby Girl’s clothes sickeningly sweet, cute and pink, but poor Baby is also bombarded with happy frolicking unicorn borders and rosy painted walls as soon as she is brought home. Not once does the expectant mother consider buying a truck or G.I. Joe for her baby. Why for heaven’s sake that would be downright blasphemy! Nothing but the best squishy pink unicorns, pink booties, pink outfits, and pink bedding are bought for precious Pink Baby Girl.
From the first moment on, a child’s behavior and worldly role is defined by the very color she is dressed in. Little Baby Girl is constantly reprimanded for getting dirty, thus becomes a prissy girly girl. Baby Girl has never before seen a G.I. Joe or a toy truck, therefore she shuns them in order to play with her pink and fashionably dressed Barbie. These thoughts and actions stay with Baby Girl throughout her entire life, shaping the way she thinks, the way she lives, and the way she works. Baby Girl would NEVER want to work as a truck driver or trash woman; those jobs are too dirty and dull by far. She would much rather become successful as a Doctor, a Lawyer or a Business woman like her pretty Barbie was. The power embedded in the color pink is a terrifying but very real thing. From the very beginning it begins to shape women’s thoughts, behaviors, careers, and futures.
Another concept that I personally think closely relates to a woman’s Pink Think, is what I am going to call Straight Think. For this portion I am mainly going to focus on how this affects men in today’s world. Straight Think is a well established schema in today’s society. It is basically all of the acts and thoughts that shape and make up a person’s (mainly a male’s) heterosexuality. It is what some people think make you, in essence, a “good” or “Christian” person. Or as a few would say, what makes you a Manly Man. It is playing with “boy toys,” being a typical boy, and of course wearing blue. As with Pink Think, this can be brought into existence from the very moment of Baby Boy’s birth. Like Baby Girl, Baby Boy is encouraged to play with HIS toys with the fear that if he would play with HER toys he may be more likely to become *gasp* gay. He is discouraged from every playing with “dolls,” instead he is given “action figures” and trucks. Baby Boy is dissuaded from being in gymnastics, dance, or ballet. Rather, he is encouraged to become “tough” by participating in football, fighting, and roughhousing. All of this is in the hopes that he will turn out to be “normal” and straight.
However, I find this to be a dim-witted and foolish view to take. If a child is in fact homosexual, the parents and teachers are only isolating him. If a child wants to take place in the supposedly “other sexes” sport, he should be allowed to. Parents fear having to raise and own up to having a homosexual child and try to take all precautions to prevent it. Thus, they install in Baby Boy a homophobic sense of reality, in which anything different such as pink shirts and male cheerleaders are gay. It is an anxiety for all to be thought gay. Or to actually be gay in a society that was raised to shun and reject homosexuals with hate and fearfully constructed biases. Straight Think is definitely seen in the comedy movie “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry.” Beyond all of the obviousness of the movie, the great fear of the parent is that his boy will is gay, and he is constantly discourages his son from dancing and singing, only to be push him towards more manly sports. In all reality, Straight Think is a concept that every parent strictly adheres to and fears the consequences of disobeying in case they accidentally allow their child to become gay. Oh the horrors.
3 comments:
what's this? image+text=visual rhetoric
I love your picture for this one Kirsten! It is as scary as it is true. And you make several good points as to explaining how "Pink Think" rains today's culture for women. The "straight think" holds a lot of relevance too. Although our culture is becoming a little more acceptive to those who chose to live a gay or lesbian lifestyle, it is no where near letting kids go without a fight. No parent, unless totally open and fearless of repercussions, would encourage a child to "become gay" by not conforming to the straight think. How many fathers will take a toy doll out of the hands of a son, because it is too "girlie" for a man to be playing with?
I have my own private collection of motivational posters like the one you used. It numbers in the hundreds.
I'm pretty sure that pink think isn't as common as it used to be. I'm the oldest of three. I have a younger brother and an even younger sister. I'm pretty sure that me and my brother have had an effect on our sister. Society may be changing a little. At this point it seems ok for girls to become tomboys. Parents seem to be able to accept this, but your right feminine boys are still taboo.
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