On Wednesdays We Wear Pink
I’m not a mean girl but after watching the classic film “Mean Girls” several times, I realized two things: 1) the Library of Congress should preserve the film print for the ages, 2) my life needs more unbreakable rules. And then I borrowed one: on Wednesdays I wear pink.
I fully acknowledge that Regina George, a.k.a the leader of “the plastics” clique, was super passive-aggressive. But maybe she was onto something because apparently the color pink can help to suppress aggressive behavior. Were the weekly pink outfits just a misguided attempt at self-medication?
Correctional officers in Texas seem to know this interesting fact, too. According to the Guardian, correctional facilities in The Lone Star State have begun to dress their prisoners in pink. It was done to partly humiliate inmates, and partly because of the belief that pink can reduce aggression.
Fortunately, I don’t have an anger problem so I don’t need pink for that reason. Wait a sec. Dammit my browser almost froze, WTF I’m so tired of this shi—
Anyway, by wearing pink on Wednesdays, I’m able to look cute, feminine, and consistent. But surprisingly enough, the idea that pink represents femininity wasn’t always true!
Gavin Evanswriter, a lecturer and color expert, spoke with Business Insider about the way that colors have historically been associated with gender roles. Around the end of the 19th century, mothers were encouraged to dress their sons in pink if they wanted them to grow up masculine. If they wanted their girls to grow up feminine, they had to dress them in a feminine color like blue. This gender association had its roots in both Europe and religion. Blue was the supposed color of the Virgin Mary’s outfit.
As for pink? Gavin explained, “Pink was seen as a kind of boyish version of the masculine color red.”
Around 1950, there was a huge push by several advertising agencies to characterize pink as an exclusively feminine color and it totally changed the perception! In 1953, Mamie Eisenhower wore a pink dress to the Presidential inauguration. Many people believe this is what finalized the feminization of pink.
So, we’ve established that pink is a win-win color for anyone who wants to be perceived to be more feminine or who is trying not to punch a wall. But why should we wear it on Wednesdays?
Getting ready for spoilers, and a possible financial life hack!
According to one survey, bosses are actually the most welcoming to requests from their employees on Wednesday. Maybe it’s because everyone is wearing pink, neutralizing all of the anger, and as a result, the bosses just don’t feel like clashing with their worker bees. Or maybe it’s bad science. Anyway, if you want to ask for a pay rise next Wednesday, be sure that you’re following “Mean Girls” code and subconsciously programming your boss to be less angry about it.
Wednesday is coming, and so is the little pink army.
