Here's why. Just because she doesn't wear pink doesn't mean I don't want her to be feminine or have girls' things, I think people misunderstand and think I want to turn her into some kind of tom-boy or goth. I don't at all, I just think the colour is insipid and boring and I would rather have her in a wider range of colours than one. The clothes shops are getting better at providing a variety of different colours. But when you want to buy toys for girls, it is pink all the way, equally disgusting and lazy on the manufacturers part is the only blue option for boys. If you go to the Early Learning Centre website, it is blue and green for boys and pink for girls. Most clothes shops selling babies' clothes have pale blue for boys and pink for girls. Most people want more variety than that. At least the parents of little boys I have spoken to, get fed up too with the lack of choice. This doesn't seem to be as much of a problem in the US, as the people I have asked about it tell me there is certainly more choice and not the same level of princess etc. stuff. One girl told me about logos on her daughter's bibs (for a 3 month old) saying "flirt", "hot babe" on them. They were in a pack and bought as a present. I would've sent them back to the manufacturer asking them why they think it's appropriate to sexualise a baby.
If you read this article which was in The Guardian the day before Alice's 1st birthday you will understand more why I feel so strongly about it and hopefully understand my position. This isn't an issue for me, I just don't buy pink. So I'm really hoping that the lazy designers are going to be sacked soon and they'll get people in with a bit more imagination than, to be a girl you must love fairies that are pink. So that by the time Alice wants to buy her own clothes she will love all colours and want to wear a variety and not feel hoodwinked by huge multi-million pound corporations. Also, it will be up to her what she wants to wear, within reason and decency.
http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/family/story/0,,2268921,00.html
2 comments:
Hi Pauline, sorry if I upset you with my comment on the "pink" shoes. (- was just joking:-)I must admit I hate pink too - Leah (when about 4yrs old) did go through a pink phase were everything was pink - she just loved the colour, but that passed (thankfully) and from about the age of 6 she didn´t like pink anymore.
Just to warn you that Alice might, for a while, really love the colour pink, but it should pass!! Youre right that the manufacturers/designers should have more imagination and produce things that aren´t only pink!! We had a pink barbie house, a pink buggy for the doll,pink barbie car, everything they produce for girls to play with is pink. So no wonder they go through a pink phase! Ok got to go - Laura
I agree with you about the amount of pink toys in shops. The only non-pink toy prams I've seen cost around £200. Disgusting.
We were watching a programme "child of our time" which is a documentary series here in the UK. It is by a renowned scientist Professor Robert Winston, following the lives of children born in 2000 until they are 21. They are now (obviously) 8 and last week talked about marketing. The had two types of pop; one blue saying rocket pop and one pink saying princess pop. All the girls wanted to drink the pink one and all the boys wanted to drink the blue one. Even more than that, the boys (bar one) said the blue one tasted better and the girls said the same of the pink. Marketing to young children should be banned as they are too young to process the adult content of a lot of the marketing which is aimed at them.
I could go on and on about it. I just feel such a strong sense of responsibility to protect her from this airy-fairy celebrity culture this country is in the grip of.
Overall we want her to know God as we do and obviously that will be her choice (depending on your stance on irresistible grace ;-}), our job is trying to assist her in becoming (hopefully) a well adjusted adult.
Anyway, she's just woken up.
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