The Color Purple

Brian Doherty | November 9, 2006

My old buddy Paul Lukas (mind behind the staggeringly wonderful 1990s zine Beer Frame and author of the book that arose from it, Inconspicuous Consumption) hates the color purple. And, as befits his current gig as ESPN's "Uniwatch" man, he's got a sharp eye for what people in the public eye are wearing.

He's documented (in what he's sure is driven by our current awful "Blue/Red" political division terminology--hey, I grew up during the waning Cold War, and red is always gonna mean commie-pinko to me) newscasters fleeing those colors to avoid appearing biased--and thus overwearing hideous purple ties.

Comments

|11.9.06 @ 7:36PM|#

Shameless plug that is completely off-topic:

RED will ALWAYS be associated with RUTGERS UNIVERSITY for me! Go RU be the Lou!

disclaimer: I am an RU Alum.

|11.9.06 @ 7:38PM|#

oh, football hysteria TYPOS! Damn it. that should read "Go RU, beat the Lou"

like you couldn't have figured that out. And I majored in English for dog's sake.

|11.9.06 @ 7:50PM|#

Louisville and Rutgers? Maybe they will meet again in December in the Who Gives A Fuck Bowl.

|11.9.06 @ 8:13PM|#

well, I give a fuck about it. I can't help it. my cuz plays for RU. and I usually like your posts, GBMD.

Kap|11.9.06 @ 8:17PM|#

OK then what is the color for libertarianism then? The three primaries are already taken, yellow has bad connotations, orange is in use in the Ukraine, brown plays to the usual "libertarians are far right" crap...

Isn't the white of the French flag supposed to connotate Liberté?

I always thought purple would be a good choice as it markets us as centrists.

(Quick, we need to choose something before we accidentally win an election.)

|11.9.06 @ 8:24PM|#

You were an English major, eh? Good for you.
[Aside to myself: My kid is not going to go to Rutgers.]

|11.9.06 @ 8:24PM|#

well, my second fave behind blue is green. but I guess that is the color the "Green" party. and i like black too, but that is the color of the Anarchists. So purple might have to do. I do not mind purple, but it is a bit of a pansy color. Maybe a hybrid of green and blue, not quite aqua but with a degree of lightness that denotes "hue" as opposed to "shade" to connote enlightened thought. What would Crayola call it?

Lazlo|11.9.06 @ 8:41PM|#

That would be cerulean.

|11.9.06 @ 8:46PM|#

Wave your Black Flag high.

|11.9.06 @ 9:02PM|#

Teal is my choice as a color for Libertarians.

|11.9.06 @ 9:08PM|#

Rutgers had better get its shit in gear - I don't want another title game like that Miami-Nebraska wipeout a few years ago.

|11.9.06 @ 9:08PM|#

Beer Frame was a fantastic 'zine. I still have a few issues that I pull out and re-read from time to time.

|11.9.06 @ 10:30PM|#

Now, I'm a redhead and therefore wear lots of purple, being that it's one of about four colors that flatter me, and one can get too much green rather easily.

As for the Libertarian color, why do you need just one? Aren't you guys all about ending compulsion? Well, why limit yourselves to one color? Go for paisley! tie-dye! ombre! More fashionable and more creative. Oh, and I'm not entirely kidding about the paisley thing. I think that could work, and it would drive the networks crazy trying to find graphics.

|11.9.06 @ 10:30PM|#

I don't want another title game like that Miami-Nebraska wipeout a few years ago.

I do. All the better to highlight the ridiculous system for determining a national champion that is the BCS and the obvious need for a playoff. Of course, no matter what happens, we can at least count on watching perennially overrated Notre Dame lose to to whichever team they end up playing. :)

|11.9.06 @ 10:39PM|#

I rather hope my Gators get a crack at ND if they are unable to squeeze into the title game - I want to see Weis and Quinn cry like a Santorum child, bwahaha!

|11.9.06 @ 11:01PM|#

Well damnit peachy, there go my hopes of a BCS championship embarrassment with Louisville... Looks like your Gators may get a shot at OSU or Michigan in the big game instead - definitely a much tougher match-up than ND! :)

|11.9.06 @ 11:08PM|#

OK, I take back everything I said. That was a great game. That screen pass on third down with two minutes left was a great call.

But you gotta admit, any team that would allow their opponents two chances at the game winning field goal because of an offsides call has no business being in the national title hunt.

|11.9.06 @ 11:25PM|#

Well, that was satisfying... seems like in the second half the Louisville offense went wherever its defense had been against WVU.

|11.9.06 @ 11:42PM|#

Paisley would drive the networks crazy trying to find graphics.

Excellent image, Karen. I'm visualizing the anchorman on the Simpsons.

Oh, hold the phone - inspiration strikes - how about that hideous plaid that little Santorum girl was wearing? Now *that's* a distinctive pattern!

And once we establish our "team colors", Mr. Cranky-Pants Medved can agitate to compel us third-party heretics to wear our paisley or plaid badges in public at all times.

|11.9.06 @ 11:43PM|#

Kap:

Blue = Liberty
White = Equality
Red = Fraternity

Pink = Sorority

|11.10.06 @ 8:41AM|#

OK then what is the color for libertarianism then?

Dude. Black. With skull and crossbones. Dripping with the blood of tyrants.

or, a gay rainbow flag with skull and crossbones, dripping with the blood of IRS auditors.

|11.10.06 @ 8:56AM|#

Gold? Because we all are, you know, heartless, top hat-wearin' capitalist pigdogs.

|11.10.06 @ 9:08AM|#

Or--and I believe peachy will concur--there's always orange and blue.

|11.10.06 @ 10:39AM|#

Black flag with gold dollar sign rampant.
Oh, and Rutgers couldn't beat about a dozen of the unranked teams, including Penn State.

|11.10.06 @ 10:43AM|#

"Isn't the white of the French flag supposed to connotate liberte?"

The white of the French flag connotates, "We surrender".

The Libertarian flag should be red, white and blue, with a snake that hisses, "Don't Tred On Me".

|11.10.06 @ 10:52AM|#

There is the blue Ft. Moultrie Liberty flag. No snakes or treading prohibitions, but it's nice all the same.

|11.10.06 @ 11:08AM|#

I vote for "NO" on the purple. It reminds me of those stupid teachers who use purple pens because they don't want to hurt the kids' feelings. I like creech's idea. Plus, gold & black are Purdue's colors.

Nick

|11.10.06 @ 12:09PM|#

In CNN's election coverage, they had the dems and the republicans with the obvious blue and red but then it was broken down with other colors for the 3rd parties.

Libertarians were depicted with a nice, bold, gold.

Larry A|11.10.06 @ 1:13PM|#

The obvious Libertarian color is maroon(ed).

|11.10.06 @ 2:08PM|#

The obvious Libertarian color is maroon(ed).

Close. It's actually indigo. Officially, it's a color, but no one seems to know that it exists.

|11.10.06 @ 3:22PM|#

Many of the ties pictured in the linked article are more lavender than purple. Think about what demographic group is most closely associated with lavender.