The votes are in, and after a rough campaign, Honeysuckle has emerged victorious as the Pantone 2011 Color of the Year.---

Turns out, Honeysuckle was something of a stealth candidate -- it's not red like the blossoms on the trumpet vine we erroneously call "honeysuckle" around these parts. Actually, it's pink -- specifically, a shade on the magenta side of carnation.

According to Pantone's announcement, Honeysuckle is RGB(203, 101, 134). However, according to my experiments, that produces a dull rose color -- and doesn't even agree with the background color specified on Pantone's web page -- that would be #E56284 which, by my calculations, is actually RGB(229, 98, 132) -- a color which contains much more red, and a bit less green and blue.%uFFFD

PANTONE 18-2120
"Honeysuckle"
#E56284
RGB(229, 98, 132)

Pink, right?

Sister Dottie Dixon has prayed on it, and has received a personal revelation that Honeysuckle is the One, True Color for 2011. So that's enough for me.

Pantone says that "Honeysuckle emboldens us to face everyday troubles with verve and vigor." Also, according to Pantone Color Institute© Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman,

In times of stress, we need something to lift our spirits. Honeysuckle is a captivating, stimulating color that gets the adrenaline going -- perfect to ward off the blues. ... Honeysuckle derives its positive qualities from a powerful bond to its mother color red, the most physical, viscerally alive hue in the spectrum.

I think I get where she's coming from. Red really is the mother color. And, if there ever was a year in which we needed a little mothering, it's 2011.

Hug me, Honeysuckle. Hug me tight!

Brandon's Big Gay Blog