15 May 2021
Context
We recently had visitors, okay not so recently, nonetheless our visitors like watching one of the morning shows. On one occasion, I managed to catch a snippet of this lady commenting on the “pink tax”. I do not remember the woman’s name or the morning show, so her name will be Sue.
Sue was commenting on the bizarre nature of the “pink tax”. Those reading who are unaware of what the “pink tax” is, it’s a tax applied to goods marketed to women. Usually, there is a similar or equivalent product in the market for men. The product sold to women costs more than its male counterpart for no discernible reason; this is the pink tax. In the end, it boils down to price discrimination for profit.
Where Pink Tax might be okay
In some areas, it is reasonable to expect an additional charge for the colour of a product—for instance, masculine colours used for trade tools. To gain a niche in the market, a company decided to gamble in the trade tools area and sell pink tools. After all, the company was venturing into the world of the unknown, “how many female tradies would purchase pink tools”?
Producing the pink tools was most likely a limited run. The packaging needed development, and a marketing strategy applied. From a risk perspective, to recapture establishment costs, a company might put a higher price on the pink product. Even moving forward in this area, providing the pink product doesn’t become the bigger seller of the two, it is reasonable to have a slightly higher cost.
Thought-provoking flip on the Pink Tax
Sue recommended purchasing pink razers to simply go to the men’s section and buy the men’s razor. This recommendation is sound advice from a financial perspective, but it does not address the problem. Thea’s, Tilly Money, recommendations were the same Thea also added calling the product out on social media, contacting the company to ask for an explanation, and asking the company to do the right thing (McLachlan, 2020).
To be clear, I fully support the recommendations put forward by Sue and Thea if you are going to be financially wise. The argument against pink products comes when you look at the fact that women “care” about the products they purchase. Women are discerning consumers, and therefore care more about what they buy.
Let’s assume a women’s range happily exists, and on a thought-provoking tangent, a men’s range didn’t exist yet. I’m thinking of the men’s facial care products and shampoos in particular.
In my experience (I’m in my fifties), men didn’t care too much about face creams or skin-conditioning products. Heck, they didn’t even care about the shampoo they used. Conditioner? What’s that? Let’s say the women’s price was always $10 for a jar of beauty cream. To get a men’s market for the company and men to buy a rebadged woman’s “face cream” or hair shampoo means the men’s product has to be cheaper. Now, is that a pink tax or simply trying to get two products into the same home but under another name?
Pink tax for the needy or those that want something special
When it comes to shavers, Maria was the mother of four boys with a husband. Anything she bought for herself, such as razors, got appropriated by the boys. She then began purchasing pink razors to identify them as hers and sending a message out not to touch. The boys, admittedly, used their stock first, but when the money ran out and they needed to shave, they simply grabbed mum’s pink razors.
It was only a matter of time before Maria found out. But when Maria found out, the boys didn’t hear the end of their tampering with HER “expensive” razors. Maria and my mum also did this with THE good scissors.
The problem I have with the “pink tax” is how it has so insidiously assimilated itself into our or, at the least my, life. For many, many years, I HATED the colour pink. To the point where I didn’t even eat pink ice cream for the simple reason, it was pink. The anti-pink obsession wasn’t doing me any favours, and I learnt to deal and then love the colour. I learnt to embrace the colour and to embrace myself at the same time. It wasn’t just pink; khaki was right up there with the colour pink to dislike and avoid.
Part of me wishes I still disliked; purchasing products with pink no longer worries me from a colour perspective; now I worry about being ripped off. Why do I need to buy the man’s version just to be better off financially? Humph. Guess, as long as I’m willing to pay the price of the pink one, the companies will keep making them and charging what they charge. Why do I need to give up my femininity to save money? I’ll have to ponder that one some more.
Today's Cards
The Cards - Analysis
Carry Over Cards
There were no carry over cards from yesterday.
Analysis
Cross
Completion is in the Now position influenced by Mind, which I’m taking to mean that the Mind being full of confusion is having difficulty with something ending. Alternatively, something ending is causing chaos in the Mind. If the last were the case, then the two cards would be the other way around.
Comparison in the Goal position means I’m trying to sort out how to get past the confusion by making comparisons against others.
The Distant Past is Thunderbolt, and in the more Recent Past is the card of Compromise. In my experience, Compromise isn’t a win-win situation and is bound to contribute to confusion. Hopefully, this is at an end.
The Future Energy has Possibilities. Possibilities are about opening up and shows the Completion card in a positive light.
Base
The Dream in the Feelings position shows that I have unrealistic expectations surrounding the card of Completion – a bit of illusion or self-delusion, if you will.
Others’ Views has the card of The Master, which seems to indicate that to all appearances, I’m handling the Completion quite well in amongst a whirlwind of confusion in Mind.
Hopes & Fears shows Projections, meaning that I’m afraid (fear) that what others are seeing is simply a reflection of themselves, as in the Feelings card, The Dream that I am projecting is nothing but illusion instead of reality. My hope, however, is that projecting Completion and being The Master, that is, in control and unaffected by petty grievances, doesn’t affect me. Not true because the Comparison card is in the Goal spot. .
The Outcome position has the card of Creativity. Creativity is like the big sibling card to Possibilities, and it too symbolises positivity.
References
- Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7
McLachlan, Thea 2020, The Pink Tax, Tilly Money, Online, last viewed 15 May 2021
Wikipedia, Pink Tax
Broadway, Anna 2013, Pink Wasn’t Always Girly, The Atlantic, Online, last viewed 15 May 2021
Harmann, Margaret 2011, The History of Pink for Girls, Blue for Boys, Jezebel, Online, last viewed 15 May 2021
