Albeit the "Why pink gadgets?" question is quite over-cooked, I still find it to be an interesting debate. I like pink, I've always liked pink. In fact, I'm writing this with a pink mouse, and a pink Vox sticker plastered to my laptop. However, that's about as pink as my gadgetry gets. The Guardian has a column today entitled "La vie en rose", in which they analyse why the hell these pink gadgets are so damn popular.
Our own Susi Weaser, who contributes to Dollymix and is also the Editor of our sister site Shiny Shiny, was asked to give her expertise on the subject: "I get quite cross about it...When manufacturers are making a product aimed at men, they might make something aimed at businessmen, or early adopters. For women - who make up 50% of the population - it's, 'Oh, we'll just make it a different colour." Amen, sister.
Aside from debating the rise (and hopeful fall) of the pink EVERYTHING, I learned that there's a frightening new "women only" airline called Fly Pink that plans to operate out of John Lennon airport in Liverpool. Claiming to be a "boutique airline designed especially for women", Fly Pink has pink planes, flights to Paris for "shopping breaks", and complimentary manicures before take-off. How disgusting is that?
I have to say, I think that "women only" hotel floors, or airlines are just plain stupid, if not hypocritical. If men were to have a "Fly Guy" men only airline, with military-like planes filled with strippers, pool tables, and complimentary lap dances before take off, I think we all might have a slight problem with that.
Plus, having a no-boys-allowed airline, or owning all pink gadgets may just be setting yourself up for disaster. As Susi puts it, "If you're in a meeting full of men and you get out a pink phone, you're probably putting yourself at an even greater disadvantage." Aside from the fact that pulling out a Sworavski crystal-ed, pink laptop in a board meeting may make you look a bit silly, having a "this is for women" establishment, puts you in the position of assuming that you know what all women want.
Fly Pink is making massive assumptions about women, and forget that not all women like pink, or manicures, or shopping breaks in Paris. How can we expect the rest of society to stop stereotyping women if we can't even stop stereotyping ourselves?
Cate Sevilla is the Editor of Dollymix and regular contributor to Shiny blogs. She would never drive a pink car. Ever.
