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 In episode 88 of I Hate Talking, the hosts revisit the idea of “color of the year” and unpack Pantone’s 2026 pick: Cloud Dancer. Instead of finding it calming or inspiring, they both react strongly against it, describing the off‑white shade as dingy, dirty, and more like a stained wall or leaky dishwasher water than a serene, billowy cloud. They also read and gently roast Pantone’s poetic marketing language about clarity, creativity, and fresh starts, noting how little it matches their actual emotional response to the color.

To frame the discussion, they introduce Pantone as both a company and a standardized color-matching system used in printing, fashion, and product design, explaining how it aims to make colors consistent across inks and materials. From there, the conversation wanders delightfully: who gets to name colors, why some design choices spark internet backlash, and whether anyone genuinely likes Cloud Dancer or if it’s being universally dragged online. They also detour into “color seasons” (like soft summer), AI-driven palette analysis, and whether couples might share similar color profiles over time. The episode closes with an open invitation for listeners to hunt down any past “color of the year” episode they may or may not have actually recorded and to weigh in on whether Cloud Dancer deserves its controversial spotlight.

Keywords: Pantone, Pantone Color of the Year, Cloud Dancer, off‑white, neutral color, color naming, color marketing language, color psychology, color backlash, standardized color system, design and printing, fashion color trends, soft summer color season, personal color analysis, AI color analysis, I Hate Talking podcast, 2026 color trends.

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Any views expressed on this podcast are those solely of the hosts and is for entertainment purposes only. None of the content is medical advice or financial advice.

Special thanks to Tim Wright aka CoLD SToRAGE for his permission to use the song Operatique.