Monday, July 30, 2007

What's not to like about pink?

So I have several things to say about Bangalore and it will come up post by post starting this evening, but yesterday I was catching up and turned slightly pink with indignation when I saw this post.

Veena, who has just been given a rather fetching pink luggage tag, says, "Must say that if there's a little bit of pink in me, I'd rather it manifest itself on a suitcase than on anything else. This way, I will be done with my little bit of pink."

What's wrong with a pink luggage tag? And that shade of pink too. If it was some soppy frilly pink I would dissociate myself from it as well, but look at that shade! Lovely.

I like pink. When I was a kid, it used to be my favourite colour and I was unselfconscious about it. Then I grew to understand the girly associations even before Barbie arrived and suddenly pink was no longer a colour I could profess to like.

One moved to other, more delicate shades and combinations: pale grey and green, dark purple shading into black. Colours that could have been fragrances: verdigris, amber, indigo, lilac, fuschia.

Fuschia. No avoiding pink, after all. Think of pink the colour of bouganvillea and put it against a deep, warm orange. Or pink the colour of candy teetering on the edge of flourescence. You could warm yourself on the colour. Heat seeking missiles could have deep pink dots to signify objects that suck the light and warmth in.

Pink with a violent purple border, like in Puneri saris. Or the pink of Paithani saris, in combination with parrot greens and shimmering red and black. Pink the colour of jelly, of hibiscus, of flesh, of Dune.

I confess to a weakness for pink, as anybody who was at the reading will testify ( I wore a shocking pink sari* and was probably the brightest thing for miles around, even accounting for the flashing lights on the Used In India exhibits!)

So Veena, how about I give you Scaramouche and you give me that luggage tag?

*There's a photo somewhere in a friend's camera. I was on the first floor, in my sari, propping up the door rather artistically, and he was on the road looking at me through the CKS logo on the wall. Will put it up when I have it.

7 comments:

Banno said...

Where's the photo, girl? In pink sari and all. I like pink too, and would gladly take that luggage tag myself.

Cheshire Cat said...

I LOVE pink. Especially pink lipstick...

Veena said...

First of all, I get the Scaramouche even if I don't get you the pink tag. That was the deal! You can't go back on it now! But having said that, yes, yes, you can definitely have the pink luggage tag. I have never liked pink - the only bright color that I like is red, everything else is lost on me. Also, must say I am very primary colors person so this might have something to do with this.

With pink, its not just a question of aesthetics, its also a question of association. Not just with individuals but with certain movements too. Lets just say that most people I associate with pink aren't people I want to hang out with. You Space Bar being the only exception!

Happy?

km said...

Pink is the old black.

Falstaff said...

cue Aerosmith songs?

Anonymous said...

Not to get pedantic (with all the experts around here). But I really don't understand what the disagreement is?!

Pink is just a light desaturated red. So you can't really say you like red and not pink - they are the same hue.

What you don't like is a certain lightness or saturation. And in that case, I can pretty much point out some combination of lightness and saturation I don't like for every hue.

So you both agreement now? Does that mean I get a photocopy of the book, for settling the argument? :)

Space Bar said...

Batul: I saw the photo yesterday, and if there was some way for me to have taken the photograph myself I'd have put it up. It's terrible! So, no photo, I'm afraid.

Cheshire Cat: Maybe someone should gift you a stick of pink lipstick. :D

Veena: You mean you don't like bright yellow? Or green? What is this?

What Movement do you associate pink with?! (oh an dof course you get the Scaramouche. Note to myself: get the copy back that you rashly gave to L)

KM: Pink and black now...there's a combination that's goth and madonna at the same time.

Falstaff:See? I can also make other people do the talking for me! McCarthy, Aerosmith, Madonna, goths. Should be quite a conversation.

BM: No disagreement. I was just indignant that Veena didn't like pink. :D Actually, I do have a photocopy of the book. Want it?