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A Note from the Dramaturg: Pinkalicious

Published November 2, 2018

By Kasey Kopp

It sparks thoughts of bubble gum. Princesses and fairies. Cotton candy and lemonade. An iconic doll and everything else “girly.” But for the girl in our show, Pinkalicious Pinkerton, it isn’t just part of her name or simply her favorite hue. It colors every aspect of her life!

Pinkalicious The Musical is based on the best-selling book series Pinkalicious by Victoria Kann who based Pinkalicious on her own daughters. She wrote the book as an April Fool’s joke and sent it to friends and family, telling everyone that her daughters had turned pink after eating too many pink cupcakes!

Let’s think pink! Have you ever wondered why pink is thought to be “girly”? Pink wasn’t always for girls! In the early 1900s, people chose pink clothes and toys for boys because it was considered to be “the more decided and strong color,” a toned down version of the bold red. Blue was considered to be more dainty and feminine. Color was not associated with gender until the late 1970s and 1980s when ultrasound technology allowed parents to know if they were having a boy or girl. This led to a rise in demand for specifically colored and gendered baby products. Although it’s uncertain exactly how and why this shift occurred, ultimately, companies chose blue for a boy and pink for a girl! The colors reinforce what we think we know about gender. When we see blue toys, we think of them (and their intended owners, boys) as ‘strong, masculine.’ Think about superheroes and action figures in blue packaging! Pink is considered to be more feminine, “girly, flowery” and what a princess or our protagonist, Pinkalicious, might wear.

Pinkalicious thinks pink is for everyone, boys and girls! And while her brother and father are embarrassed to admit it initially, they learn about the power of pink and how a little pink on the palette is important to achieving a well-balanced, colorful life.

Sometimes pink can be a little too much. It’s bright and loud. But Pinkalicous loves pink, and thinks that you can too. (Maybe just in moderation!) It’s more than a color to her…it’s a way of life, “it’s a color that brings peace and joy.” It’s a whole new way of thinking about the world. And Pinkalicious won’t rest until everyone’s palette has a little pink on it.