37 Things You Need To Know About Modern Britain #11 "What's the Problem With Pink?"

How can a colour be so controversial?

When pink is used to sell toys to little girls, people say it’s a tool of social conditioning. When pink is used to indicate female-friendliness, it’s accused of being patronizing (think of Labour’s cerise battle bus). And when pink is used to flag gay-friendliness – well, that just makes things REALLY complicated.

But does pink deserve its bad press? Can it be used to embolden women? Does it have to be seen as sexist and patronizing?

The tricky question is: is it OK to appeal to “girliness” if you’re doing it to boost women’s power and confidence? If a “pink” campaign got more women into science, would that be OK? Is there really a problem with pink? Or with our attitudes to pink? Should we keep our rose-tinted specs on, or chuck them in the Patriarchy Dumper?

Jo Elvin, editor of Glamour magazine, journalist and broadcaster Miranda Sawyer, andAlexander Fury, fashion editor of The Independent, will join chair Ekow Eshun to debate the pros and cons of pink.

What’s The Problem With Pink? will take place on Thursday 21st May in the beautiful chapel at The House of St Barnabas. Guests are invited to stay afterwards at the not-for-profit private members’ club to socialise in the bar and continue the discussion.

This will be the 11th event in the ongoing series, 37 Things You Need To Know About Modern Britain, which is a partnership between BUG and The House of St Barnabas, forged from a mutual desire to affect positive social change by asking provocative, open-ended questions about life as we live it today.

Talks take place in our beautiful chapel.  All surpluses generated from ticket sales are donations and will be restricted to supporting our Employment Academy.

Bug is a group of writers and thinkers, who investigate popular culture through writing, talks and reports.  www.buglondon.co.uk

TICKETS HERE