Analysis of Gender Differences in Color Reaction in TV Show You Are the One

喬芳

【Abstract】The differences between men and women is not only biological sex but social gender.Gender gap is produced in a biased society where men and women treated differently behave differently.This paper wishes to analyze different reactions to color of both sexes by taking examples from TV show You Are the One to further gender studies.

【Key words】Gender； You Are the One； color

How far is the distance between men and women？ It is the distance from Mars to Venus since Men Are From Mars，Women Are From Venus （a bestseller written by John Gray）.Men and women are two different creatures with different thinking patterns，different linguistic behaviors.TV program You Are the One （Fei Cheng Wu Rao ） which is a very popular matchmaking show in China since 2010 can be a concrete manifestation of the proposition.This program represents a new model of matchmaking with rules of mutual selection between male guests and 24 female guests.It can be seen as a social microcosm of men and women through their performances.

Color，as a visual perceptual property，as well as social fact，gives human being an aesthetic sense that is different between men and women.Many cases were showed in the TV program You Are the One.Color is one of important elements in appropriateness of dressing，especially for females.Female guests can explain a lot about the color of her dress.For example，red is symbolic of energy and passion.A white windbreaker，in the opinion of a female guest named Li Lu，has different visual images： short one may let someone looks like a cook，long one may look like a doctor and loose one may look like in a nightgown.A same color inspires in women different imagination.

Similarly，in a show broadcast on December 14，2014，a female guest named Chang Chang commented in a mocking tone on a male guest Yan Zengbos claret-red shirt that the very color Yan put on was like a mixture color of date and preserved radish，which shows her fashion attitude.She also added that Yan would be better if he had been in a grey suit.To her，a same color with another would bring different effects.It is one of reasons that most fashion magazines like VOGUE which employs many colorful pictures accompanied by different color words and is particular about color collocation are popular among women.Suitable color of male guests clothes is considered as a good taste or it will be a “fashion disaster” which may bring domino sequence.Color matters first impression a lot in successful communication between males and females.It can be seen that，from cases showed above，women have more sensitive feelings about color.They have very distinct boundaries among pink，salmon pink，shocking pink，rosy-pink，watermelon，claret-red，rosy-brown，sienna，rubine，peachpuff，scarlet，mauve which are colors derived from the color of red while men probably think there is no difference except their degree of darkness.

In human society，colors belonging to social semiotics suggest sex through association.People usually consider pink，yellow，red，violet，and chartreuse feminine； consider black，brown，grey，charcoal and blue masculine.Therefore，people are taught from childhood to be dressed like a girl or a boy.According to a survey，in France，females prefer pink while males prefer blue and avoid atrovirens for it was the same color of Nazi military uniform.In Africa，women have a tendency to wear bright，contrasting color and men choose deep，grey clothes.A survey in the field of chromatics finds preferences and stereotype of both sexes.The most masculine color is blue that is considered rational and sober which 35%people agree； secondary one is black which makes up 20% followed by brown accounting for 13%，next to red 7%.Only 6% believe grey can represent male features.However，34%people think the most typical colors that can embody women characteristic is pink that stands for sweetness and tenderness.The second place is red with 16% followed by white 13%，purple 12%，and yellow 5%.

You Are the One provides different，typical，concrete cases underlying gender theories.Gender language difference is a reflection of a given societal and cultural values.Gender studies in color opens a window for the knowledge of men and women，helps us understand human better and establish functional mechanism for cross-sex communication.

Reference：

[1]王晶，劉彥喆（2008）.從服飾色彩的性別看中國女性自我意識(shí)的轉(zhuǎn)變.第18屆中國社會(huì)學(xué)年會(huì)“改革開放30年與女性發(fā)展”論壇論文集.