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When shopping for gifts for the sweet little girls in your life this holiday season, consider the message that mother Emma Moore and her sister Abi are trying to spread -- pink stinks.The pair, one a mother of twin girls, the other of twin boys, are calling for a boycott of the Early Learning Centre, a toy store in the U.K., after the two noticed the toys they sell are clearly marketed for girls and boys based on color.
Their protest, nicknamed Pinkstinks, says that pink dresses, kitchen toys, dollhouses and other playthings rendered strictly in rosy hues teach girls early that they have different roles than boys. This process causes girls to value beauty over brains and fosters an obsession with physical appearance. The mothers have targeted the Early Learning Centre specifically because it bills itself as an educational toy company, with a mission statement that says it aims to help children reach their full potential.
The boycott comes on the heels of a similar toy-store snafu involving Toys 'R' Us -- the huge children's retailer was the subject of public scrutiny recently after a consumer advocacy group complained that its Christmas catalog featured "outdated gender roles."
Presently, Pinkstinks has the support of former consumer czar Ed Mayo, who agrees that the "color apartheid" puts children on different paths in life, and while it might not be the color pink's fault, one of those paths definitely leads to lower pay and status than the other. It sounds a little extreme but, as Mr. Mayo asked in the London Telegraph, "Why on Earth do girls need to have a globe in pink?" Good question.
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Wednesday 02 December
By JW
I was a tom boy growning up, so I didn't wear pink. Now I have a girly girl for a daughter that wants to wear nothing but pink. The color pink may have a lot to do with gender profiling, but there is no reason to get you knickers all in a bunch.
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Wednesday 02 December
By Lisa
Amen to getting your knickers in a bunch! We really need to stop all of this nonsense, getting rid of pink for girls, changing nursery rhymes because they are deemed violent or politically incorrect, etc.
My generation, the baby boomers, grew up on with all of these things and none of the "luxuries" these kids have today, and in my opinion were and still are some of the most well adjusted, responsible people going.
Life is about chooses - the world is not here and does not have to accommodate anyone. We make waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to many excuses and are forever rebelling against insignificant causes such as the color of toys. It isn't sexist, it isn't role defining...it just is.
If you want to crusade about something, please make it something worthwhile like insuring healthcare and better social security benefits for our seniors - who have contributed their whole lives, many of them, giving their own lives, for generations now reaping the benefits.
I can't even imagine my mother raising a stink about the color of my toys - and she, while the epitome of a lady, was a tomboy at heart. She didn't like dolls, even in the 1920's so she simply didn't play with them. That's what it is about. You don't like something - don't buy it, but leave the rest alone.
By the way - in this ever changing world - there are stoves and girl toys in other colors - make the effort and go out and find them if you are so fussy - it isn't the kid having the issue, it is you.
She obviously likes the product TYPICALLY related to girls - so what in the world difference does it make that they are pink - which is also relative to girls. She is choosing 'girl' related toys in the first place - or haven't you noticed? What in the world does the color have to do with it????
Beauty over brains is how YOU see yourself, not how the world sees you. Your little girl will grow up just fine and if she doesn't, it won't be because her toys were pink.
Wednesday 02 December
By Susannah
I totally agree with you, there are other ways to teach kids that they don't have to be boxed into anything in life. They can be whater ever they want to be in life and their careers. Parents just need to instill good self esteem in their children and moral character. I have a daughter and she loves pink and plays with hter brother cars and truck....... go figure
Wednesday 02 December
By Renee
Pink is beautiful! It reminds me of babies, and cupcakes, and softness, and sweetness. Barbies, and sweet smelling baby dolls. I always get a warm fuzzy feeling when something reminds me of my childhood.Of being a sweet innocent little girl. I also was a bit of a tomboy.Loved to play with my brother, and all of his "boy" toys. Cars and trucks. Building forts, and riding go carts, and motorcycles. So...even with all the different toys, I grew up to be an intelligent, beautiful woman! Wait...isn't that what was supposed to happen? What exactly do you want for your daughter? Hopefully you want her to be proud of who SHE is.Always hold her high. I think it's a shame that your not teaching her to take pride in the way she looks.There is nothing wrong with wearing a beautiful pink dress, or lip gloss.Or doing her homework with a pink pencil.I promise she will not be less intelligent for liking pink. You saying the color pink makes girls value "beauty over brains"and "fosters an obsession with physical appearance"certainly makes me question yours.Don't put your insecurities on your children. News flash...girls and boys are very different.We learn this the first time we see someone of the opposite sex naked.This is a good thing.This is the reason you have that sweet little girl.Love her, and teach her to love herself.Please don't teach your child to be fearful of her own feelings, and thoughts.If she ask for a pink dress, don't give her an hour long lecture about how she should like the green dress. Allow her to trust her own instincts.Rather she gets pink or green will have nothing to do with how she turns out .
Wednesday 02 December
By Renee
OMGosh!I am so sorry. I did not mean to send that you. I don't know how that happened.It was supposed to go in the comments section on this ridiculous article about these two mothers trying to rid the world of pink. If you can post on there, that would be awesome. I didn't save it, so I can't.If not, that's okay too. Again. really sorry.
Wednesday 02 December
By Tony
Are you all dumb? This is not about the color PINK. It's about how it
is used to manipulate. Get a clue, or better yet. Read a BOOK!
Wednesday 02 December
By Jim Fedullo
you are absolutely correct, these 2 women have too much time on their hands.people qre going to buy what they like anyway. i had 2 daughters and my wife and i dressed them in pastels & bright colors, their girls and they are kids. they will as they grow up will pick out the styles and colors that they like. as long as the parents work with their kids things will work out, in most cases. my wife was a nurse a champion bodybuilder and a martial artist, myself, i was a furniture maker / designer and a world champion martial artist & a power lifter. all that matters is that you love your kids and guide them the best that you can, all in all they will eventually make their own decisions. this xmas my wife and both daughters will have been gone for 26 yearsm they were unvolved in an automobile while i was on a business trip and i lost them all.
Thursday 03 December
By Ms. Alex
Believe it or not; pink was not always a girl's colour. The girl to pink trend did not become popular until around 1945. Before that time, the feminine color was 'yellow'. Hospitals everywhere put girls in yellow and boys in pink. Pink, before world war ii was considered more proper for boys, because it came from the color red. The color red was the color of power, and a little boy was supposed to be strong like his father, but also in obedience to him. Hence the shade was a little weaker. Why pink became a girls' only color ? I do not know. I tell my students that God made all colors for everyone, and it's about time we stopped color coding gender. :)
Wednesday 02 December
By Nancy
I'm with you. Having raised 3 girls, they WANT pink stuff. And the two boys I raised NEVER wanted pink stuff. They knew at very early ages what colors they liked. Boys are different than girls, period.
Wednesday 02 December
By URahn
I have a daughter who went through a pink phase when she was little. She abhors the color now, although I would not call her either a girly girl or a tomboy, just a mischievous teenager!!
It's not the color per se, it's when "girls' toys" are marketed as such, or worse. when science, engineering and architecture toys have only boys as models, while girls only model dress and jewelry design, or art. Not that I have anything against arts - the gender segregation is the problem, and pink is often used for just that.
By the way, boys and girls are not THAT different.
Wednesday 02 December
By becca
Recent studies have shown that males and females are.... DIFFERENT! Oh no! Who would have thunk it!
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Wednesday 02 December
By Karen
OMG they are? I didn't know that; Damn that color pink.. It's all Pink's fault!
Wednesday 02 December
By Laura Lynn
I think these two stuck their heads in their Easy Bake Oven when they were kids and it's warped there perspective.
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Wednesday 02 December
By Tracy Whitten
lol...now that's funny!!
Wednesday 02 December
By Jenn
Wouldn't that be a pink easybake oven? I'm pretty sure mine was
Wednesday 02 December
By ONEACCORD113
Ha ha that.s was funny,lol
Wednesday 02 December
By Warren O'Leary
Most females( 99.9 % ) wear male apparal such as " blue denim jeans " about 99.9 % of the time and most females are still " heterosexual feminine females " so the color " pink " on toys should not have too much negative effect on normal males.The sun will come up tomorrow inspite of " pink " toys " , rest assured .
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Wednesday 02 December
By laura
What?what a bunch of morons. I think maybe these dimwits owe this place money for watching/educating their children. If you want pink gone, what is next red, yellow & blue? Why dont you get off you high horse and be a PARENT and raise your own kid instead of letting a daycare raise them! Pick something to really rant about....like how stupid you are for letting COLOR define you..dumb, dumb, dumb...
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Wednesday 02 December
By Jennifer
I agree.
Wednesday 02 December
By Tony
Are you all dumb? This is not about the color PINK. It's about how it
is used to manipulate. Get a clue, or better yet. Read a BOOK!