‘pink jobs’ and ‘blue jobs’

[Riverlee]

In the last month or so, I’ve heard these terms used a lot, on mumsnet and elsewhere. I’m not aware of them really being used before. Today I used the term ‘blue job’ in a jokey sort of way (to get my son to do something), and both he and dh didn’t know the term (dh thought I’d said something rude , ie, b..w job!).

where have these expressions come from? Isn’t it a step in the wrong direction?

It's essentially a way of describing jobs that are stereotypically male or female.

Clearly we should be pointing out there there are no such things as pink jobs or blue jobs.

This is the second time in my life I've seen the expression. The first was 5 minutes ago on the nappy changing thread. I'm 56.
It's less the etymology and more the outdated idea we need to be concerned with I think.

We use them in a jokey fashion in our house.
Blue job - bin emptying, pink job - clean the bathroom but actually we will do either job thst needs doing.

Very popular saying amongst the caravan/camping and boating live aboard communities, especially when it comes to toilet emptying (newbies discover why it’s a blue job in both senses very quickly) and seems to be filtering into the mainstream, middle classes.

Isn’t it a step in the wrong direction?

Yes.
There are a few jobs for which size or strength may matter, but coding them with labels 'pink' or 'blue' is silly.

I've only ever seen it on MN and even then, mostly said in a sarcastic way.

I think most families just do whatever jobs they can to get through the week.

Having said that, I've always thought it weird that there seems to be a very high number of MNetters who say they always get their DH's to take the bins out. I honestly don't get why, unless they're full of concrete or something and too heavy to move 🤔

Ex boss used to say it. But then I had to do "blue jobs" when we were short staffed. I hate the term, I am very capable, I don't need anyone to take out bins or lift heavy boxes for me.

I have never heard this before but think it is a bit weird. Me and DH are good at different things so we split chores along those lines. Some are aligned with the stereotypes and others not. Eg - computers is DH, but so is sewing. I do kids stuff, but also get rid of spiders.

I've heard it before used by an older couple who live nearby. They are quite rigid in their roles and have defined household jobs.

I hadn’t heard of it until my friends mentioned it. They stated that all garden/garage/ outside jobs were blue and and all house were pink jobs.
My dh and I were surprised because we just tend to help each other with housework. There are things we both prefer to do- like dh cutting grass and me dusting but we don’t stick to it. I kind of think it’s pretty old fashioned and stereotypical gender roles.

The only blue job in our home is catching spiders.

In our house it’s used as a joke but we also have orange jobs - DS favourite colour so aimed at him and Red jobs - ‘urgent anyone please help!’

Didn't Theresa May say in an interview that she and her husband divided household chores into "pink jobs and blue jobs?"

That's the only time I've heard it. A cringey phrase for a terrible concept.

First time I heard it was from my brother when he got married 18 years ago.
In my house there’s just jobs and I seem to do them all! That’s having a lazy husband for you

This was a bit of a thing in my area in the 90's, it wasn't really used seriously though and was more of a jokey thing that if you didn't want to do a job you just said it was the other person's (though knowing it didn't really mean that was the case). I think it was originally from some TV programme where they had his/her pink and blue stickers. It didn't at that time mean the jobs followed that though, but on here it does seem to have developed into that.

This is the second time in my life I've seen the expression. The first was 5 minutes ago on the nappy changing thread.

Same. I had never heard this expression before today.

Fixing computers, deep cleaning of extractor fans, car related stuff are examples of blue jobs in our house. Pink jobs include dealing with insects, sewing repairs, garden related things and organising Christmas. All voluntary, don't mean the other can't/won't or help. Don't know when or how it started but it works for us 30 odd years in.

So I guess me and my partner have all pink jobs, and we divvy them up according to... hair length? Number of cargo trousers owned? Camping prowess? 🙄

These sorts of stereotypes are regressive and harmful.

I remember this Bergamotte. It was when they did a cringeworthy interview on the One Show and were trying to appear down to earth by talking about who put the bins out.
I feel like it was a popular culture term at the time but don't remember hearing it being used since.

@HappyHappyHermit yep.

( whisper - “But this is MN where everything is taken either literally or scrutinised to the ninth degree.”)🤣

Precisely!

Hello crappy journalist <waves>

How lazy are these feckers getting, trying to 'prove' a non-existent 'trend'?

'Mums have taken to the popular parentling site Mumsnet to blah blah blah about 'blue jobs' and 'pink jobs'.

'A poster called StinkyBottom1980 said that she reckons that although she'd never heard the terms before, they seemed fair enough to him, sorry her. Another poster disagreed. A poster called LaughingAllTheWayToTheSpermBank said, "I reckon it's not right". This controversial debate rages on.'

Yep this

We use it purely in a sarcastic jokey way. Mainly me saying "that's a blue job" about anything I don't want to do and DH denying that such a thing exists.

Get a grip. The people I know who say pink/blue jobs all say it in a jokey way. It’s not serious.

The Daily Mail will love this.

Never heard it before today, on a couple of threads.

In the case of spiders, I think stereotyping spider wrangling as a blue job protects me from harm. Obviously you’ve never encountered a very large spider on the stairs and thought “this is how I die”