WTF?

[conuly]

I was in the Genovese Eckerd's Rite Aid the other day, buying band-aids for Evangeline. As it happens, the band-aids are right next to the earplugs, and my sight was unavoidably drawn to the HOT PINK earplugs.

I couldn't help taking a closer look... yes, these are "Earplugs for Women". Because "Beauty Sleep is Important".

This is not the sort of pink that means "We possibly will donate some money to Breast Cancer Something if you buy this". It was just randomly... pink. For women.

Which... I mean... I'm okay with being able to choose your favorite color for your earplugs, and pink, sure, why not... but...

I just didn't get it.

I'm almost tempted to post it over to one of the feminism comms, but I'm not even sure what I'd say. I'm not offended, I'm just baffled.

Oh, of all the days not to have brought my phone with me so I could take a pic!

Comments

[dandelion.livejournal.com]

I'd just like to say here that earplugs are wonderful, though mine aren't pink, they're a fairly standard translucent silicone colour. (It's really hard to describe that colour! Distinctly greyish-white, but slightly see-through. Maybe that's why these are pink, because it's easier...)

[ladyshrew.livejournal.com]

I feel like I see that kind of thing often though. Pink must mean women, even when it has nothing to do with breast cancer. And, I mean, they did choose pink for breast cancer, so one could ask, why pink there?

[conuly]

I've often wondered that as well, but at least then it's pink in a good cause.

This was just randomly... pink. Designated for no particular reason other than the color as "woman's" earplugs.

[hopefulnebula]

Maybe size or shape? But that's kind of grasping.

That said, on the few occasions I've found earplugs useful (I can never get over the feeling of there's something in my ear get it out get it out), I've gone for the brighter colors. Makes them easier to find if they come out.

(Not that that excuses the "Earplugs for WOMEN!" bit.)

[ladyshrew.livejournal.com]

Well, I personally think that people just see anything for "women" and decide the color should be pink. I mean, even if it's for a good cause, it's just as strange in breast cancer ribbons as it is in ear plugs.

Although even just yesterday, we were out celebrating both my dad's and my aunt's (mom's sister) birthdays, and they brought out ice cream with little umbrellas for each of them. The pink one, of course, *had* to go to my aunt, which left the green one for my dad. eh. It's a weird cultural association, I guess.

[conuly]

So...

Why did they decide to sell earplugs "for women"? hopefulnebula's speculation is, alas, wrong - there was nothing different about these from the regular ones other than the color.

And I'm all for brightly colored earplugs - why not? - but it was just so strange!

[ladyshrew.livejournal.com]

Earplugs for women is strange, but there are some women who will buy just for the pink, I suppose. Or maybe women's ears are smaller? :-P

[fjorab-teke.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think it's still a cultural expectation that pink=feminine. It wasnt always so, as a casual search in color coordinating history, especially in clothing, will reveal that boys were originally preferred to wear pink while girls wore blue. I don't know which color I'd like better now if it had remained that way, as I formed a few of my early preferences through what girls were NOT supposed to like. I only like pink in certain contexts.

Maybe part of it was that my sister was always VERY socially "proper" and would forcefully make herself like something because society "expected" her to. So maybe part of my aversion to OMGpink was because when she was young she insisted that her room be painted pink, and I had to walk through it to get to my room. Later on, she realized she really didn't like pink all that much, but the room is still a faded pink all these years later. She's still like that when it comes to fashion, though.

Me? I don't care, much to her dismay. If I like it, it's what I get. If I don't like it, I'll avoid it if I can...even if it means I'm terribly unfashionable. I never understood fashion anyway, so I don't see the point in going out of my way to find what I think is most hideous and wear it for the few months that it's all the rage.

Wow, that got a little off-topic, but still - it's probably just society's expectations.

[l33tminion]

Just as all marketroids know about old people is that they like big buttons, all they know about women is that they like the color pink.

[demonkoala.livejournal.com]

I initially misread feminism comms as "feminism condoms" and giggled (with a slight bit of confusion)

[dandelion.livejournal.com]

I'd just like to say here that earplugs are wonderful, though mine aren't pink, they're a fairly standard translucent silicone colour. (It's really hard to describe that colour! Distinctly greyish-white, but slightly see-through. Maybe that's why these are pink, because it's easier...)

[ladyshrew.livejournal.com]

I feel like I see that kind of thing often though. Pink must mean women, even when it has nothing to do with breast cancer. And, I mean, they did choose pink for breast cancer, so one could ask, why pink there?

[conuly]

I've often wondered that as well, but at least then it's pink in a good cause.

This was just randomly... pink. Designated for no particular reason other than the color as "woman's" earplugs.

[hopefulnebula]

Maybe size or shape? But that's kind of grasping.

That said, on the few occasions I've found earplugs useful (I can never get over the feeling of there's something in my ear get it out get it out), I've gone for the brighter colors. Makes them easier to find if they come out.

(Not that that excuses the "Earplugs for WOMEN!" bit.)

[ladyshrew.livejournal.com]

Well, I personally think that people just see anything for "women" and decide the color should be pink. I mean, even if it's for a good cause, it's just as strange in breast cancer ribbons as it is in ear plugs.

Although even just yesterday, we were out celebrating both my dad's and my aunt's (mom's sister) birthdays, and they brought out ice cream with little umbrellas for each of them. The pink one, of course, *had* to go to my aunt, which left the green one for my dad. eh. It's a weird cultural association, I guess.

[conuly]

So...

Why did they decide to sell earplugs "for women"? hopefulnebula's speculation is, alas, wrong - there was nothing different about these from the regular ones other than the color.

And I'm all for brightly colored earplugs - why not? - but it was just so strange!

[ladyshrew.livejournal.com]

Earplugs for women is strange, but there are some women who will buy just for the pink, I suppose. Or maybe women's ears are smaller? :-P

[fjorab-teke.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think it's still a cultural expectation that pink=feminine. It wasnt always so, as a casual search in color coordinating history, especially in clothing, will reveal that boys were originally preferred to wear pink while girls wore blue. I don't know which color I'd like better now if it had remained that way, as I formed a few of my early preferences through what girls were NOT supposed to like. I only like pink in certain contexts.

Maybe part of it was that my sister was always VERY socially "proper" and would forcefully make herself like something because society "expected" her to. So maybe part of my aversion to OMGpink was because when she was young she insisted that her room be painted pink, and I had to walk through it to get to my room. Later on, she realized she really didn't like pink all that much, but the room is still a faded pink all these years later. She's still like that when it comes to fashion, though.

Me? I don't care, much to her dismay. If I like it, it's what I get. If I don't like it, I'll avoid it if I can...even if it means I'm terribly unfashionable. I never understood fashion anyway, so I don't see the point in going out of my way to find what I think is most hideous and wear it for the few months that it's all the rage.

Wow, that got a little off-topic, but still - it's probably just society's expectations.

[l33tminion]

Just as all marketroids know about old people is that they like big buttons, all they know about women is that they like the color pink.

[demonkoala.livejournal.com]

I initially misread feminism comms as "feminism condoms" and giggled (with a slight bit of confusion)