the kicker

Rhapsody in Blue

August 27, 2008

I wrote earlier about all the attention paid to Hillary Clinton’s pantsuit color last night, so it’s only fitting to sum up the color choices of tonight’s speakers and heavies, in case no one else does.

Joe, Jill, Bill, and Hillary all wore blue, and Nancy Pelosi did too. When Obama appeared on stage for his surprise appearance, his tie was red.

According to Color Wheel Pro (the first Google result for “blue color theory”):

Blue is the color of the sky and sea. It is often associated with depth and stability. It symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven.

Blue is considered beneficial to the mind and body. It slows human metabolism and produces a calming effect. Blue is strongly associated with tranquility and calmness. In heraldry, blue is used to symbolize piety and sincerity.

…As opposed to emotionally warm colors like red, orange, and yellow; blue is linked to consciousness and intellect. Use blue to suggest precision when promoting high-tech products.

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Blue is a masculine color; according to studies, it is highly accepted among males. Dark blue is associated with depth, expertise, and stability; it is a preferred color for corporate America.

Avoid using blue when promoting food and cooking, because blue suppresses appetite. When used together with warm colors like yellow or red, blue can create high-impact, vibrant designs; for example, blue-yellow-red is a perfect color scheme for a superhero.

Light blue is associated with health, healing, tranquility, understanding, and softness.
Dark blue represents knowledge, power, integrity, and seriousness.

Now, can someone tell me what this says about the Democrats’ message tonight?

Katia Bachko is on staff at The New Yorker.