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Is It Okay for Boys to Wear Pink? Kids, Dads Discuss Color and Gender Stereotypes (Video)
Pink vs blue: gender and color stereotypes
Is it okay for boys to wear pink?
The color and gender stereotypes issue has come up time and time again – see most recently, the J. Crew catalog that included a boy with pink nail polish or the fact that a boy has joined the ranks of the Toddlers & Tiaras pageant circuit.
But what about what young boys think about wearing pink? Or what dads think?
Good Morning America addressed the whole “boys wearing pink” issue (or non-issue, as the case may be) in this video clip.
Dads were asked about their thoughts on their boys wearing pink and then kids were put through some tests to determine their preference for the color pink and their thoughts on wearing the color.
All of the dads in the interview seemed okay with having their son choose to wear pink. One man noted he would prefer blue, but ultimately it’s up to the child.
The boys in the piece were put through a couple of nonscientific tests – first, their choice of scooters to ride when given the choice of green/blue/pink and second, a rack of shirts to try on, where there were only enough shirts as there were kids and two of the shirts were pink.
In the first test, the kids didn’t pick the pink scooter at first, but some had no issue with trying it out on the second round.
For the shirt test, the kids went for the colors other than pink first, but when there were two boys and two pink shirts remaining, both were okay with wearing the pink shirts.
When asked about their feelings about the color pink, most seemed okay with wearing the color. They weren’t, however, okay with wearing a shirt with a princess on it. One noted that it “crossed the line” and said he wouldn’t want to be made fun of for wearing a girl’s shirt.
What are your thoughts on the color/gender stereotype debate? When my son was little, he flat out refused to use a pink or purple cup. We never made a big deal about the distinction between what was a “boy color” or “girl color,” but somehow he figured out that pink and purple colors were not for him.
Over time, he was fine with it. “It’s just a color, mom,” he said when I realized he no longer had an issue with the pink cup. With years, comes wisdom, I suppose!
Should you let your kids express themselves, even if it goes against popular opinion?
Should you let your kids express themselves, even if it goes against popular opinion?
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Is It Okay for Boys to Wear Pink? Kids, Dads Discuss Color and Gender Stereotypes « Women Born Transsexual commented on Jul 21 11 at 12:46 amMarlene commented on Jul 21 11 at 5:31 amBefore WW2, the colors were actually reversed!
For hundreds of years, red was seen as a strong, masculine color, and pink was seen as a variation of red, while blue was thought to be a more delicate pastel color, and thus feminine.
For some reason in Germany during the late 1920s/early 1930s, the Nazi leaders swapped the colors, and the troops stationed in Germany after the war brought the swap back.
wendi commented on Sep 12 11 at 11:06 pmIf i had a son i would not want him to wear pink because it is a feminine color but if it was a shirt that he wanted to wear then it would depend on the shirt i guess for me to be comfortable with him wearing it.
Heidi commented on Nov 05 11 at 12:28 pmI don’t really care too much. I have let my sons get their nails painted. They do not like pink, and not because of parents. I love my blond boys in red, and have dressed they in red as little boys. It is their favorite color now, so most of what they pick to wear is red.
As a preschool teacher I guess you could say that I have done a similar test, but not by choice. For several years my co-teacher and I decided as a Christmas present to our class we would knit them all hats. So for a class of 24 we made 26 hats in a variety of colors. About a third in traditional girl colors, a third in more traditional boy colors, and the last third in gender nuetral colors. Our classes both years were a fairly even split of boys vs. girls. Instead of handing the hats out we let each child pick what they wanted, as each hat was unique. I figured to let the boys go first. While they might pick a “girl” hat, the chances were slim, but a girl would pick a “boy” hat without a problem leaving less choice for the boys who did not want pink.
Sure enough boys given the choice of all the hats did pick the neutral or “boy” hats for the most part. Only one boy each year picked a hat that we would have thought to be more “girl”, but not overly pink or frilly. While the girls surprisingly free about their choices picking anything that they liked in any color. This worked very well for us and no one got feelings hurt, and everyone enjoyed a warm winter hat. SO….
leigh commented on Nov 07 11 at 2:56 pmwhere I am from (caribbean island), there is no hard and fast rule that boys mustn’t wear pink or baby blue or girls cannot wear blue or green or whatever color. Boys usually follow their fathers and in single parent households (mother-run) the boys are dressed from small in pants. Out shopping, the boy may be presented with a few pants options. Growing up I was what you would call a tom-boy. I grew up with brothers and I was quicker found in pants rather than a skirt. Dresses were reserved for church or special events. Even today, I wear more pants than skirts. And as for colors, it’s whatever looks cuter. Even our male counterparts will put on a shirt just because it matches better with the rest of their outfit.
Kenny commented on Mar 11 12 at 1:55 pmAs a 56 year old male I have several shirts in various hues of pink. I love the color.
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