light red, light rose, and light magenta colors.
The use of the word "Pink" for colour first occurred in the 17th century to
describe the light red flowers of pinks, flowering plants in the genus
Dianthus.
Pale Pink, a light, desaturated shade of pink.
Pastel Pink. Pastel Pink is used to symbolize baby girls just as baby blue
is used to symbolize baby boys.
Medium Pink. This is actually the web color officially designated as "Light
Pink", but it is a deeper shade of pink than the color displayed above.
Therefore, if proper English usage regarding color nomenclature is to
maintained, this color has to be called medium pink if the above color is
accepted as the standard for pink.
Dark Pink, a darker, desaturated shade of pink.
Hot Pink. This is a popular color for womens clothing. Hot Pink is
sometimes used as slang to describe female genitalia.
Deep Pink. This color is popular among teenage girls.
Shocking Pink, (also called neon pink) is bold and intense. Fashion
designer Elsa Schiaparelli invented this color in 1936, naming it shocking
pink; it was the color of the box her perfume called Shocking Pink came in
(the box was shaped like the torso of film star Mae West).
"This intense magenta was called shocking pink" in the 1930s, hot pink in
the 1950s, and kinky pink in the 1960s...[it] has appeared in the
vanguard of more than one youth revolution...to some it sings, to others
it screams". This color is now again called "shocking pink" to distinguish it
from the web color hot pink (shown above). Its appearance is more akin
to magenta than it is to traditional pink. This color has always been
popular among the avant-garde.
The term Shocking Pink or Hot Pink is sometimes used as slang to
describe female genitalia.
NHRA drag racer, Shirley Muldowney was famous for driving a shocking
pink dragster.
A tree with shocking pink flowers
On its way into the German language, shocking pink lost the "shocking"
and is called only "Pink", while the English color "pink" is referred to as
"Rosa". Meanwhile in Portuguese one of its nomenclatures arrived intact
becoming "cor-de-rosa choque" ("shocking pink") used more frequently in
Brazil. It's also called "çingene pembesi" (gypsy pink) in Turkish.
Pink in human culture
Thinking about pink
• Pink is used to describe a range of colors, from shades of red to
the more popularly used shades comprised of both red and purple.
• Pink can mean the scarlet coat worn in fox hunting (a.k.a. "riding
to hounds"). One legend about the origin of this meaning refers to a
tailor named Pink (or Pinke, or Pinque).
• The leader in the Giro d'Italia cycle race wears a pink jersey (maglia
rosa); this reflects the distinctive pink-colored newsprint of the
sponsoring Italian La Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper.
• Similarly, the London Financial Times newspaper has, since 1893,
used a distinctive salmon pink color for its newsprint, mainly as a way to
distinguish itself from competitors. In other countries, the salmon press
identifies economic newspapers or economics sections in "white"
newspapers.
• In Catholicism, pink symbolizes joy and happiness. It is used for
the Third Sunday of Advent, the Sunday of joy for the impending birth of
Jesus. However, in some Protestant denomunations, the pink candle is
sometimes lit on the Fourth Sunday of Advent, the Sunday of Love.
• Pink, along with red, is traditionally used on maps for territory
ruled by the British Empire or for members of the Commonwealth of
Nations.
• Pink, being a 'watered-down' red, is sometimes used in a
derogatory way to describe a person with mild communist or socialist
beliefs (see Pinko).
• In maps of political parties in Portugal, pink is used to represent
the Socialist Party.
• The staff at Kandersteg International Scout Centre wear bright
pink t-shirts and sweatshirts as a uniform. This has given them the name
Pinkies. The color is used because it was either Baden-Powell's favourite
color, or because it is the only color not to currently appear in a National
Flag, thus reflecting a truly international staff team.
• "Paint the Town Pink" a phrase that arose in the 1950s reflecting
its influence on fashion and design and the popularity of pastel colours.
• The Chicago Transit Authority recently debuted the Pink Line light
rail service.
Pink in gender and sexuality
• The color pink is now associated with womanhood and little girls,
just like light blue is associated with little boys and manhood. However, in
1918 "Infant's Department" (an industry publication) said the reverse
was the "generally accepted rule", describing pink as "more decided and
stronger" while blue was "more delicate and dainty". Pink continued to be
used for both boys' and girls' clothing through the early 1960s, though it
is becoming more and more associated with femininity. For example,
Carrie from Sex and the City often wears pink dresses. Pink is also the
signature color for Elle from the Legally Blonde movie series.
• The color pink also has an association with female genitalia. Used
as a slang term to refer to female genitalia.
• Pink is the color of the Breast Cancer Awareness ribbon. Breast
cancer is a leading killer of women, and pink was chosen partially because
it is so strongly associated with femininity.
• Some feminists have decried the color pink,[citation needed] along
with dresses and skirts, as something related to the pre-feminism "old-
style female", which they view as a symbol of the oppression and
limitations of that era. Although this trend persists, the current wave of
feminism advocates choice, and many women have sought to reclaim
aspects of the old-style female, including pink (and indeed dresses and
skirts), as something to be proud of. For example, the Swedish radical
feminist party Feminist Initiative uses pink as its colour.
• Pink is also associated with gays, lesbians, and bisexuals, often in
the form of a pink triangle. This symbolic usage stems from the symbols
used by the Nazis to label their prisoners in the concentration camps.
Where Jews were forced to wear the familiar yellow stars of David, and
Roma people were forced to wear a black triangle; men imprisoned on
accusations of homosexuality or same-sex sexual activity were forced to
wear a pink triangle. Nowadays, it is often worn with pride. A Dutch
newsgroup about homosexuality is called nl.roze, roze being the Dutch
word for pink. In Britain, Pink News is a leading gay newspaper and online
news service. In business, the pink pound or pink dollar refers to the
spending power of the GLBT community. Advertising agencies call the gay
market the Pink Economy. There is a magazine called Pink for the GLBT
community which has different editions for various metropolitan areas.
Sometimes the expression That is as gay as pink tea is used when
someone or something reminds one of homosexuality. (The only tea that
is actually pink is herbal hibiscus tea, which is appropriate since Hibiscus
was the person who founded the popular gay liberation theatre troupe
the Cockettes on 31 December 1969 in San Francisco). (See also
lavender for its GLBT associations.)
• In 1993, artist Gioia Fonda created a conceptual piece in the form
of a week long holiday called "pink week". The intention of pink week is to
liberate the color pink from all dogma and simply celebrate the color pink
as a color. Although the artist acknowledges that it is nearly impossible
for most people in our culture not to associate certain meanings with
certain colors, she hopes that we can let pink, and all colors for that
matter, be just colors for one week a year. To participate, simply
appreciate the optical qualities of the color pink. While you're at it, slow
down, appreciate and consider the particular qualities of every item,
person and place. Pink week is usually celebrated by wearing pink
clothing, eating pink foods and looking for pink items in your everyday
life. It is also celebrating many many other ways, to numerous to list
here. For those that don't like pink, pink week can be celebrated through
abstinence, that is, avoiding the color pink for the entire week. It can also
be appropriate to ruminate upon another color for the week, and still be
celebrating pink week. Pink week occurs each year the second full week of
November. Celebrations often include gallery shows of pink art, pink
dinner parties and pink parades.
Pink in pop culture
• P!nk- Singer/Songwriter a.k.a. Alecia Beth Moore, born September
8th, 1979, from Doylestown, PA, is married to Carey Hart a Moto-Cross
champion and star of A&E's "Inked".
• While the Anglosphere typically refers to adult films as "blue
movies", in Japan these films are often called "pink movies". They are
associated with females and generally carry a connotation of feminine,
innocent, childlike, qualities. Cherry blossoms tend to show pink, so this
relation may be hinted at in anime. Pink also carries a connotation of
sexuality in Japan. This may be because of pink's association with
women, or from the pink hue of flesh, the pink hue of a blush, or any
number of such reasons.
• In Spanish, a novela rosa ("pink novel") is a sentimental novel
aiming to women, in which a heroine lives a passionate love.
• The titles of the episodes of the animated series of the Pink
Panther included the word pink.
• Pink is also the subject of a song by Aerosmith that emphasizes
sexual innuendo. Among other lines, one is "Pink is like red but not quite."
• Tim Hines's shoes are spray painted bright pink constantly
• Paris Hilton says her favorite color is pink.
• There is a show called Pinky and the Brain, where Pinky is named
after the color pink [citation needed].
• "Think Pink!" is a song about fashion color trends, from Funny
Face.
• In Power Rangers and Super Sentai, most seasons feature a Pink
Ranger, who is always female. In Mirai Sentai Timeranger, later
Americanized into Power Rangers Time Force, the Pink Ranger is the
leader of the team (a position usually held by Red Rangers).
• "Pink" is a line of loungeware clothing carried by Victoria's Secret.
• Pink is Shelby's (Julia Roberts) "signature color" in Steel Magnolias.
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