Where Did All the Color Go?
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Next time you’re out on the street, look at the colors of all the cars around you. If you’re in the US, it’s likely that 90% of the cars you see are white, black, or some gray/silver in between. There will be the occasional dark blue, dark red, and the rare dark green or even beige. Drive by a car dealer and look at all those white cars.
Next time you’re at the gym, look at the colors of what everyone is wearing and you might see up to 90% black clothes. I actually count this sometimes at the gym and it’s been 90% a few times.
“It’s slimming,” they’ll say.
Or for the cars, “it’s better resale value.”
I call bullshit on both accounts.
Where did the self expression go? And the color? Ok, from an evolutionary perspective we want to be accepted by the tribe for our own safety… so it makes sense to buy cars that blend in and dress in colors that blend in… but how fucking boring is that?
My eyes get sad when I walk through a parking lot and notice how ugly my surroundings are with greyscale cars matching the greyscale pavement with the drab backdrop of a rectangular faded-beige strip mall. We don’t even notice this… but now you can’t unsee it. I’m sorry. I’m also not sorry because we need more color and design in the modern world.
Don’t even get me started on modern homes. From the outside, they are white boxes with seemingly randomly placed windows. The other day I toured one that was having an open house and it was actually quite nice on the inside. I guess they’re designed for an interior experience… taking up as much of the lot as possible, losing any hope for the kids to play outside. Or the adults for that matter.
So here we are, trending towards a poorly designed, monotone, indoor society, and we wonder why mental and physical health continues to decline.
We all know how great it feels to go on a hike or spend the day at the beach. Why are those reserved for days off and vacations? Why are we designing our living situations with minimal outdoor space?
All of this is largely driven by money, of course. Cars with safe colors are easier to resell. Neutral clothes sell more. And the homes? I guess rectangles are quicker to draw than any other fucking shape that requires an iota of creativity and effort. But wait there’s more… if the rectangle takes up the entire lot, it’s now a bigger home and thus more desirable to sell.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of free markets and letting humans choose what they want like the adults that most of us are. But something is off with our priorities and incentives. I don’t know what the solution is but I know what we can start to do about it.
Express yourself.
Dress in those “fun” clothes you’re scared to wear but get you tons of compliments every time you do, because everyone else is dying to express themselves too and are secretly jealous of you having the courage to wear that green velvet jacket for no apparent reason.
Buy your next car in the color you actually love.
Yell at ugly box homes every time you drive by them.
Go outside today and enjoy the monotone greens of nature ;)