The problem of the pink jersey
Posted at 10:44 AM Oct 10, 2008
by Andrea Grimes
Here in Austin, there's not a whole lot that isn't burnt orange. We have burnt orange cars, burnt orange bikes and--swear to God--burnt orange houses. People are serious about the Texas Longhorns, and they'd have to be, because burnt orange is a god-awful color. But we love our team, and nothing will dissuade us from Horns pride!
Except girlie parts and the human female's deeply ingrained desire for all things pink. Unnnggggghhh we are pink zombies nom nom nom! Or, you'd think so from the number of baby pink women's Longhorn football jerseys available for purchase at the University of Texas Co-Op. Since when is it acceptable to shrug off your team colors just because?
I've never been a fan of the "pink it and shrink it" philosophy of marketing. What's good enough for the goose and all that. Of course, I also understand women have different needs and desires. But I don't think the color pink is the answer. And neither does Erica Boeke, the author of Gameface, a new book about women and sports. The WSJ has an all-too-brief interview with Boeke wherein she also professes disdain for the pink jersey:
WSJ: Two words: pink jerseys.Ms. Boeke: Someone thought: “Women, sports — let’s take a man-size jersey and make it pink and sell it to women.” We want something that fits and a lot of us don’t like pink! [Plus] you should want to wear [your team’s] colors!
Any pink jersey enthusiasts out there want to set me straight?
Comments
Jessica Simpson sports a pink jersey at Cowboys games. That's enough reason right there to hate the whole concept.
I haven't been to any Giants or Jets games up here this season, but I don't remember seeing any pink jerseys at the games last year. Plenty of women wearing the 'babydoll' style jersey, though, but they were in the proper team colors. Which I fully support, I love that look.
Posted 10/10/2008 at 01:03:22 PMAnother thing I hate - all the women's stuff that might actually be the team's colors, but it's covered in glitter. I want an Indians or Cavs (CLEVELAND REPRESENT!) jersey or shirt or jacket or whatever that is the appropriate color and NOT covered in rhinestones or glitter. I just want it to fit me right.
Posted 10/10/2008 at 03:30:22 PM