Hey, everybody! Do you have a newborn baby handy? If so, here’s an interesting sociological experiment you can perform. First of all, dress your baby up in the colour associated with their gender (pink for girls, blue for boys) and stroll along with your baby through a public space like a market or a beach. Note the compliments the baby receives.
Now take your baby into a change room, change their diaper, and change the clothes the baby is wearing into the one associated with the opposite gender. Walk your baby through the same market or beach, and note the compliments received.
Our experience:
If Vivian Wears Pink
“My but doesn’t your baby look…”
- bright.
- cute
- pretty
- beautiful!
If Vivian Wears Blue
“My but doesn’t your baby look…”
- smart
- cute (occasionally)
- intelligent
- strong
Vivian is all of these things, in my opinion. But it seems that the colour brings out certain features in her. Go figure.
Further Reading
- Did you know that our current pattern of associating blue for boys and pink for girls is actually a reversal of what existed at the turn of the 20th century? That’s about as odd to me as Vivian being a boy’s name.
Random Thoughts
- Flipping through the channels, I’m momentariliy confused by a listing for “Texas Chai”. “Texas Chai”, I thought. What the heck’s this, and what’s it doing on my television set? Is it a cooking show with mesquite tea? What? So I flip and discover that I’ve been the victim of an unfortunate abbreviation. The show is actually “Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2”. Though, I suppose if there ever was such a thing as Texas Chai, its preparation would involve chainsaws.