P.I.N.K.

MC and LL was here this past week and we got to talk a little. MC bought a Wii Fit for her son and she was looking for a silicon cover for the Wii Fit. We saw some blue, pink and clear cover. I suggested her to buy the pink one, just for kick. She didn't because her son is not going to like it. Last night, we were chit-chatting and one thing led to another, we noticed that the majority of male in western world has a learnt dislike for pink color. Given our academic background and the male population that we deal with, this dislike is especially pronounced.

I was telling MC and the rest that someday, when I finally decided to go into academic, I will make sure that the color pink is prominent in everything. For example, I will photocopy everything on pink paper, that includes the exams, course syllabus, homework assignment. The power point presentation background will be in pink color as well. I will also make sure that any homework that they submit in printed form has to be printed on pink paper. If the students have to present, pink shirt is the uniform, pink tie is optional, but pink shirt is required. Its either pink shirt or you do not present and get zero grade for the presentation.

I do not have special preference for pink, in fact, pink is not even close to be in my preferred color list. Call me sadist, masochist, sadomasochist or whatever you want, but this is my way of letting the male population know what its like for female to live in the world dominated by male and dictated by male. When you do not dress according to their dress code, you will not be taken seriously. If the your clothes look too much like male style, they perceive you as a threat; if it is too colorful or the cut is a little too complex, they see you as being 'female' and not serious about your job. The worst part, if your clothes are not conservative enough, i.e. a little revealing or it makes you look sexy, all they think about when they see you is "sex", its time for you to change your job. Well, I don't want to go on ranting on the glass ceiling that female has to face when working in the field dominated by male. I just know that as a female, in addition to the fact that you have to look 'right', you definitely have to be visibly better than your male counterpart if you want to win the job.

According to my boss, education is the key to reform. To right this wrong, we have to start with education. Like my boss says, education is the best way to change the world and that's why he is in education and not in industry. So my first step will be to teach them to respect female, to teach them other than the anatomical and physical differences, male and female are equally capable when it comes to brain power. I have to let them know and let them experience the oppressions that female experience on their job, such as dealing with the color pink, the least favorite color in the male population. Well, all in all, doing a decent job as an educator is a tough, and I am definitely not up for that challenge yet.

MC has a another idea. She is going to make all her students in her graduate class sit like a female. I will do the same too if the law in this country allows. But, this is definitely a good suggestion for future reference.