21 times pink made things prettier in pop culture

When Marilyn Monroe stepped out in that pink gown, it wouldn’t take long for it to be cemented into pop culture. Everyone from Madonna to The Chipettes has paid homage to that particular pink moment in cinema.

The Spice Girls’ girl power movement in the late ‘90s led to a lot of amazing things, including an uptick in programming highlighting girls who could kick butt, literally. The Powerpuff Girls debuted in 1998, and at the helm of this pint-sized trio of crime fighters was their fearless leader, Blossom.

Long before Barbie made everyone and their mother run to theaters in every shade of pink known to man in 2023, it was America’s favorite doll’s signature color, from her clothing to her dream house and everything in between.

Spongebob Squarepants' best friend in the world is a pink starfish that is as bright as the backside of a crow.

When P!nk first started, her hair was the color of her name — making it hard to forget her. Since then, she’s had various hair colors and styles, but her name has remained the same.

Elle Woods inspired a generation of girl bosses to rock bright looks instead of giving into the bland corporate color palette.

Pink Panther was an OG Saturday Morning Cartoon in the late ‘60s who went on to become a pop culture icon alongside The Smurfs, Felix the Cat, and other animated favs.

There are a lot of elements from 1978’s Grease that have been ingrained into the zeitgeist, like the dance moves, how old those teenagers looked, and John Travolta’s questionable last note in “Summer Nights.” What’s also memorable are those Pink Ladies jackets that were more status symbols than fashion items.

Princess Bubblegum was a fan favorite amongst those who tuned into Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time over the course of 10 seasons. Made essentially of the substance she’s named after, there’s no denying that this royalty is pinktastic.

They don’t call Nicki Minaj’s fans Barbz for nothing.

Was the dress great? The jury will have to debate about that, but what is known is that the term “pretty in pink” will always resonate with Molly Ringwald’s Annie Walsh.

There are a number of pink characters in the video game realm, but are any as cute as Kirby? Didn’t think so.

If there were any indications that the color pink would go away in the mid-'00s, Mean Girls made sure to stop that with one line. Now, every October 3 (another movie reference), fans around the world rock their pink with pride, Wednesday or not.

Peppa Pig is a cute toddler-age cartoon on Nick Jr., but people of all ages got to know her when a scene from the show went viral. Today, no one thinks of whistling the same.

Founded in 1965, Pink Floyd helped usher in progressive rock with over a dozen albums to their name, including ‘73’s masterpiece, The Dark Side of the Moon.

If there is one figure from pop culture that a millennial attached themselves to based on either wanting to be her or date her, it’s the Pink Power Ranger.

Wendy Williams once said of Lil' Kim, “She’s an icon. She’s a legend. She is the moment.” Many could and have said the same about Miss Piggy.

Now that enough time has passed, it’s time for the Disney Channel girlies to admit that Sharpay Evans deserved every lead role in that musical at the high school. A true pink goddess!

Has there ever been a mash-up of the pink diva known as Jigglypuff and Will Smith’s “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It?” If not, someone go on ahead and get started on that.

In a lot of ways, Los Angeles’ Angelyne was like one of the original influencers. No one quite knew or knows what she’s about, but the woman had billboards and is always a sight to see around the City of Angels in her pink car, decked out in pink from head to toe. So much so that Emmy Rossum portrayed her in a 2022 miniseries.

Glinda showed up at Shiz University knowing right away she was not about to abide by the rules of a school uniform. How could she when pink is just so flattering on her?