Prettyinpink:adultwomendonotrememberbeingso
obsessedwiththecolour,yetitiswidespreadinouryounggirls’
lives.Itisnotthatpinkinherently(内在地)bad,butitissuchatiny
sliceoftherainbowand,thoughitmaycelebrategirlhoodinone
way,italsorepeatedlyandfirmlyblendsgirls’identityto
appearance.Thenitpresentsthatconnection,evenamongtwo-
year-olds,betweengirlsasnotonlyinnocentbutasevidenceof
innocence.Lookingaround,Idespairedattheextremelackof
imaginationaboutgirls’livesandinterests.
Girlsattractiontopinkmayseemunavoidable,somehow
encodedintheirDNA,butaccordingtoJoPaoletti,anassociate
professorofAmericanStudies,itsnot.Childrenwerenotcolour-
codedatalluntiltheearly20thcentury:intheerabefore
domesticwashingmachinesallbabiesworewhiteasapractical
matter,sincetheonlywayofgettingclothescleanwastoboil
them.Whatsmore,bothboysandgirlsworewhatwerethought
ofasgender-neutraldresses.Whennurserycolourswere
introduced,pinkwasactuallyconsideredthemoremasculine
colour,adelicateversionofred,whichwasassociatedwith
strength.Blue,withitsintimations(暗示)oftheVirginMary(圣母
玛利亚),constancyandfaithfulness,symbolisedfemininity(女性
化).Itwasnotuntilthemid-1980s,whenenlargedageandsex
differencesbecameadominantchildrensmarketingstrategy,
thatpinkfullycameintoitsown,whenitbegantoseem
inherentlyattractivetogirls,partofwhatdefinedthemasfemale,