White
— Common connotations —
purity, nobility, softness, East Asia, emptiness, God, sickness, ghosts, lack, snow, ice, heaven, Caucasian, peace, clean, air, sunlight, light, life, surrender, clouds, frost, milk, cream, good, cotton, angels, weakness, bones, protagonist, winter, innocence, amphetamine, Monarchism, methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, fentanyl
— Color coordinates —
Hex triplet		#FFFFFF
RGBB	(r, g, b)	(255, 255, 255)
HSV	(h, s, v)	(-°, 0%, 100%)
Source		By definition
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.^[1]

White light can be generated in many ways. The sun is such a source, electric incandescence is another. Modern light sources are fluorescent lamps and light-emitting diodes. An object whose surface reflects back most of the light it receives and does not alter its color will appear white, unless it has very high specular reflection.

Since white is the extreme end of the visual spectrum (in terms of both hue and shade), and since white objects - such as clouds, snow and flowers - appear often in nature, it has frequent symbolism. Human culture has many references to white, often related to purity and cleanness, whilst the high contrast between white and black is often used to represent opposite extremes.

Etymology[link]

The word white continues Old English hwīt, ultimately from a Common Germanic *χ^wītaz also reflected in OHG (h)wîz, ON hvítr, Goth. ƕeits. The root is ultimately from Proto-Indo-European language *k^wid-, surviving also in Sanskrit śveta "to be white or bright"^[2] and Slavonic světŭ "light".^[3][4] The Icelandic word for white, hvítur, is directly derived from the Old Norse form of the word hvítr. Common Germanic also had the word *blankaz ("white, bright, blinding"), borrowed into Late Latin as *blancus, which provided the source for Romance words for "white" (French blanc, Spanish blanco, Italian bianco, etc.). The root survives in English in the word black.^[5]

Light[link]

White light refracted in a prism revealing the color components.

Artist's conception of the debris disk of G29-38, courtesy NASA

Until Newton's work became accepted, most scientists believed that white was the fundamental color of light; and that other colors were formed only by adding something to white. Newton demonstrated this was not true by passing white light through a prism, then through another prism. If the colors were added by the prism, the second prism should have added further colors to the single-colored beam. Since the single-colored beam remained a single color, Newton concluded that the prism merely separated the colors already present in the light. White light is the effect of combining the visible colors of light in suitable proportions (the same present in solar light).

Since the impression of white is obtained by three summations of light intensity across the visible spectrum, the number of combinations of light wavelengths that produce the sensation of white is practically infinite. There are a number of different white light sources such as the midday sun, incandescent lamps, fluorescent lamps and white LEDs; due to the phenomenon of metamerism, such sources can appear similar whilst having quite different spectra. The impression of white light can also be created by mixing appropriate intensities of the primary colors of light, red, green and blue (RGB), a process called additive mixing, as seen in many display technologies.

Color temperature[link]

The best known way to generate white light is by the process called incandescence, or black body radiation where bodies of atoms with a certain temperature emit a certain type of radiation. For example, the color of a black body at a temperature of 2,848 kelvins. This is closely matched by incandescent light bulbs. The correlated color temperature of such a light bulb is 2,848 K. Daylight can vary from a cool red up to a bluish 5,600 K. Not all black body radiation can be considered white light: the background radiation of the universe, to name an extreme example, is only a few kelvins hot, and is not visible.

In astronomy the stellar class of stars are determined by the color temperature. For instance are white dwarfs small dense stars thought to be the final evolutionary state.

Computer displays often have a color temperature control, allowing the user to select the color temperature (usually from a small set of fixed values) of the light emitted when the computer produces the electrical signal corresponding to white. The RGB coordinates of white are (1.0, 1.0, 1.0). When light hits another object it bends.

Objects[link]

Foam of a transparent and reflecting liquid, turning white when the size of the bubbles decreases.

Newly commissioned officers all in white, celebrate their new positions by throwing their midshipmen covers into the air as part of the U.S. Naval Academy class of 2005 graduation and commissioning ceremony.

White light reflected off objects can be seen when no part of the light spectrum is reflected significantly more than any other and the reflecting material has a degree of diffusion. People see this when transparent fibers, particles, or droplets are in a transparent matrix of a substantially different refractive index. Examples include classic "white" substances such as sugar, foam, pure sand or snow, cotton, clouds, and milk. Crystal boundaries and imperfections can also make otherwise transparent materials white, as in the milky quartz or the microcrystalline structure of a seashell. This is also true for artificial paints and pigments, where white results when finely divided transparent material of a high refractive index is suspended in a contrasting binder. Typically paints contain calcium carbonate or synthetic rutile with no other pigments if a white color is desired.

While the color of a light source can be reasonably measured by its correlated color temperature, a different approach is required for objects since different samples may appear white without a reference. Thus, assessment of whiteness requires a comparison. The International Commission on Illumination (CIE) prescribes one such method.

In painting, white can be crafted by reflecting ambient light from a white pigment, although the ambient light must be white light, or else the white pigment will appear the color of the light. White when mixed with black produces gray. In watercolor painting, white areas mark the absence of paint on the paper.

In nature[link]

Mont Blanc in the Alps

Snow and ice are normally white due to the diffusing structure of transparent water ice crystals. The same is true for many types of clouds where droplets of water diffuse the white light from the Sun. Many mountains with winter or year-round snow cover are named accordingly: Mauna Kea means white mountain in Hawaiian, Mont Blanc means white mountain in French. Changbai Mountains literally meaning 'Perpetually White' Mountains, marks the border between China and Korea and Mount Kilimanjaro's name could originate from Swahili meaning little white hill. The White Sea, an inlet of the Barents Sea on the northwest coast of Russia is undoubtedly named so due to the icy environment.

Beaches with sand containing high amounts of quartz also appear white, which may explain the number of islands called White Island around the world.

Cultural meaning[link]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2008)

White materials show colored stains and dirt very clearly, due to the high contrast. This is the likely reason it is associated with purity and cleanness, and very often within a religious context. In Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Indian tradition, white is the color of mourning and death (or rebirth). However, white can also represent purity and enlightenment, as such, spiritual teachers in India often wear white as a sign of wisdom. White is also often coupled with red in some Indian garments.^{[citation needed]}

Symbolic dualism with black[link]

Black and white dualism in office spaces

White and black has the biggest visual contrast, this can easily be associated to other opposite concepts such as day and night or good and evil. White often represents purity or innocence in Western Civilization,^[6] particularly as white clothing or objects are easy to stain. In most Western countries white is the color worn by brides at weddings. Angels are typically depicted as clothed in white robes. Healing or "good" magic is called White magic.^[7] In early film Westerns the stereotypically "good guy" wore a white hat (earning them the name "White Hats") while the "bad guy" wore black (earning them the name "Black Hats"). This has given rise to the use of the names black hat and white hat for people who abuse and counter abuse of computer systems respectively. In popular culture this idea is sometimes reversed to play on reversal of stereotypes.

In taoism which has great influence in Eastern culture Yin and yang is usually depicted in black and white, depicting the two colors as opposites. The two opponents in board games of abstract strategy often has one as white, such as go, chess, and checkers.

Government and politics[link]

White Ribbon

White is often associated with Monarchism as opposed to other forms of government. This originated from Royalist rebellions against the French Revolution (see Revolt in the Vendée), known as the White terror. It re-emerged in the years following World War I, with civil wars fought between Reds and Whites, for instance the Civil War in Russia and the Civil War in Finland. A similar use is seen in the naming of the White Revolution (Persian: Enghelâb-e-Sefid‎),a far-reaching series of reforms launched in 1963 by the last Shah of Iran. If a strong leader emerges during a time of crisis, he is often referred to as a man on a white horse; this term is often associated with dictatorships.

White is also associated with peace. The white ribbon is worn by movements denouncing violence against women and the White Rose was a non-violent resistance group in Nazi Germany. This symbolism has long roots as seen by the white dove originating from the story of Noah. A white flag is an international sign of either surrender, or truce, that is, it is a sign of peaceful intent, typically at time of war. To show the white feather is to display cowardice. White is the purest of all colors. In Victorian Britain, a purported coward would be presented with a white feather.^{[citation needed]}

White as symbol of purity is seen in the expression Whitewash, which figuratively, means an attempt to obscure unpleasant facts by issuing a blanket of lies or misrepresentations. See propaganda. A white paper on the other hand will often be an authoritative report on a major issue, as by a team of experts; a government report outlining policy; or a short treatise whose purpose is to educate industry customers. Associating a paper with white may signify clean facts and unbiased information. White is known for its calming abilities.

Religion[link]

The association of white with purity and peace is used by many religions.

Boys supplicating whilst wearing the Ihram clothing during arafat

Wedding kimono

Mountain hare in winter camouflage

Surrender of Lord Cornwallis, by John Trumbull

Ihram clothing (also spelt Ahram clothing) includes men's and women's garments worn by Muslim people during the Ihram pilgrimage (Hajj). Men's garments often consist of two white un-hemmed sheets (usually towelling material) and are universal in appearance. The top (the riḍā) is draped over the torso and the bottom (the izār) is secured by a belt; plus a pair of sandals. Women's clothing, however, varies considerably and reflects regional as well as religious influences. Ihram is typically worn during Dhu al-Hijjah, the last month in the Islamic calendar.

Where liturgical robes of priests are often white, for instance the Roman Catholic Pope's cassock is white. White is the liturgical color in the Roman Catholic Church for the Easter season until Pentecost and (usually with gold) for the Christmas and Epiphany season, as well as for all solemnities and feasts commemmorating the Lord (e.g., Corpus Christi Sunday, Trinity Sunday, Feast of Christ the King) which are not sacrificial in nature and for the feasts of Saint John the Apostle (who was not martyred), the Birth of Saint John the Baptist, and all Saints who are not Confessors or Martyrs. It is also used in diaconal or priestly Ordinations and episcopal consecrations and installations, the abbatial blessing, the administration of the minor orders in the seminary and the reception of vows of religious men and women, the consecration of virgins, the dedication of a church, altar, or school, at Nuptial Masses, and (in modern times) at Requiem Masses. Only white clothing is worn inside Mormon Temples once they have been officially dedicated, due to white symbolizing purity.^[8] Many images dealing with God and heaven portray it as existing in the clouds, where everything is white. This phenomenon is not limited to western culture; in Yoruba religion, the orisha Obatala in the Ifá tradition is represented by white. Obatala is associated with calmness, morality, old age, and purity. Also more recently founded religions incorporate symbolism surrounding white. In Theosophy and similar religions, the deities called the Great White Brotherhood are said to have white auras.^[9]

A white light is often claimed to be seen by those who have had near death experiences. This, however, is probably caused by the brain being depraved of oxygen rather than a paranormal event.

White is the traditional color of bridal dress in both western (European) and Japanese weddings. In Western weddings, a white dress is thought to be symbolic of purity (the bride has not engaged in pre-marital sex). This is also said to be the symbolism of the veil. In Japanese weddings, white is to symbolize the "death"^{[citation needed]} of their former family and their introduction into their new family.

In some Asian and Slavic cultures, white is considered to be a color that represents death.^[10] White also represented death in ancient Egypt, representing the lifeless desert that covered much of the country; black was held to be the color of life, representing the mud-covered fertile lands created by the flooding of the Nile and giving the country its name (Kemet, or "black land").

Clothing[link]

White clothing can be practically used as camouflage in snowy environments, or for reflecting harsh sunlight. However, most uniforms with white elements are used as a sign of authority - dissociating the wearer from manual labor or a dirty environment. In a highly formal social function, the traditional dress for men attending is white tie, or white tie and tails, a white bow tie and a swallowtail coat. Physicians and scientists are known for wearing white coats both as a practical measure as protecting from and showing spills and stains, and as a sort of uniform showing authority.

Many traditional sports use white uniforms for players, such as Wimbledon tennis, cricket, and baseball and basketball, where white is the color typically used for uniforms worn by the home team. This may be a result of the sports being played outside exposing players to direct sunlight for prolonged periods of time.

Ethnography[link]

The term white is often used to denote the race of pale-skinned Caucasoids people of European descent perceived as being colored varying tones of pale off white to "white" skin color, whose actual skin color can also vary from pale pink to pale brown; it has been suggested that the colors beige or peach could also be used to represent the average color of most Caucasians. See White people.

Vexillology and heraldry[link]

Vatican City has a flag of yellow and white, although in normal European heraldry one is not supposed to use these two colors together adjacently because both represent metals--yellow represents gold and white represents silver), to deliberately show that the Church is not bound by secular rules.^[11] In English heraldry, white or silver signified brightness, purity, virtue, and innocence.^[12]

See also[link]

• Color realism (art style)
• List of colors
• Variations of white

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: White

Look up white in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Channing Tatum
Channing Tatum at the 71st Annual Peabody Awards Luncheon 2012.
Born	Channing Matthew Tatum (1980-04-26) April 26, 1980 (age 32) Cullman, Alabama, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, film producer, dancer, model
Years active	2000–present
Spouse	Jenna Dewan (2009–present)
Website
Channing Tatum Unwrapped

Channing Matthew Tatum (born April 26, 1980) is an American actor, film producer, dancer, and former model, best known for his roles in Step Up (2006), G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009), Dear John (2010), The Vow (2012), and 21 Jump Street (2012). He has also appeared in films such as Coach Carter (2005), She's the Man (2006), A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006), and Fighting (2009). While mostly known for his dramatic performances in Dear John and The Vow, he has since ventured into more comedic roles.

Early life[link]

Tatum was born and raised in Cullman, Alabama. His mother, Kay (née Faust), is an airline worker, and his father, Glenn Tatum, worked in construction.^[1][2][3] His ancestry includes Irish, French and Native American.^[4][5][6] Tatum's family moved to Mississippi when he was six, and he grew up in the bayous near the Mississippi River, where he lived in a rural setting.^[4][7]

Tatum was athletic while growing up, playing football, soccer, track, baseball, and performing martial arts; he has said that "girls were always [his] biggest distraction in school."^[4] As a child, he practiced wuzuquan kung fu^[8] under the lineage of 10th dan Grandmaster Chee Kim Thong.^[9] Tatum spent most of his teenage years in the Tampa, Florida area and initially attended Gaither High School before going to Tampa Catholic High School.^[10] He graduated in 1998 and was voted most athletic. Afterward, Tatum attended Glenville State College in Glenville, West Virginia on a football scholarship, but dropped out.^[11] He returned home and started working odd jobs. US Weekly reported that around this time Tatum began working as a stripper at a local nightclub, under the name "Chan Crawford."^[12] In 2010, he told an Australian newspaper that he would like to make a movie about his experiences as a stripper.^[13] He later moved to Miami, where he was discovered on the street by a model talent scout.^[14]

Career[link]

Early work[link]

In 2000, Tatum was first cast as a dancer in Miguel Royeca's workout movie. Ricky Martin's "She Bangs" music video,^[1] after an audition in Orlando, Florida; he was paid $400 for the job. His experience in the fashion industry began as a model working for such noted clients such as Armani and Abercrombie & Fitch. He soon moved into television commercials, landing national spots for Mountain Dew and Pepsi in 2002.^[14] He subsequently signed with a modelling agency in Miami, Page 305 (Page Parkes Modeling Agency), but later found success after being cast by Al David for Vogue magazine and soon after appeared in campaigns for Abercrombie & Fitch, Nautica, Dolce & Gabbana, American Eagle Outfitters, and Emporio Armani. He was picked as one of Tear Sheet magazine's "50 Most Beautiful Faces" of October 2001.^[4] Tatum also signed with Beatrice Model agency in Milan, Italy and Ford Models in New York City.

Tatum has said that his modeling career has helped him with his life, specifying that "It's made my life, and my family's life, a lot easier, because I never knew what I wanted to do and now they don't really have to worry about me anymore. I've been able to explore life, and through exploring it I've found that I love art, I love writing, I love acting, I love all the things that make sense to me. And I've been given the chance to go out and see the world, and to see all the things out there. Not everyone gets that chance".^[4]

2008–present[link]

Tatum (right) with Jonah Hill at the 2012 WonderCon convention in March 2012

In 2008, Tatum co-starred in director Kimberly Peirce's film Stop-Loss, about soldiers returning home from the Iraq War, and in director Stuart Townsend's film Battle in Seattle, about the 1999 protest of the World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle. Tatum played in the indie film The Trap, which was directed by Rita Wilson. He was chosen for a role in the film Poor Things, starring Lindsay Lohan, Shirley MacLaine, Rosario Dawson, and Olympia Dukakis, but had to turn it down because of scheduling conflicts.

Tatum and Dito Montiel, who worked together on A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, reteamed on the action drama Fighting for Rogue Pictures. Tatum starred as Sean McArthur, a young man who scrapes up a living scalping tickets in New York City. Tatum next appeared in writer/director/producer Michael Mann's 2009 crime drama Public Enemies, playing the 1930s American gangster Pretty Boy Floyd. The same year, Tatum starred as Duke in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Paramount Pictures' live-action film based on the popular Hasbro action figures. He was initially reluctant to take the role as he feared the movie would glorify war. However, he overcame his reluctance when he read the script.^[15] He also played a soldier in Dear John, a Screen Gems film based on a popular Nicholas Sparks bestseller. He later told he accepted the role to learn from Lasse Hallström because he did not go to acting school, his only way to improve is on set.^[16]

Tatum and Dito Montiel will join forces again when Channing stars in 2010's action thriller The Brotherhood of the Rose. Montiel will both write and direct the film. The story is a cat-and-mouse espionage tale about two orphans raised by a top CIA agent to become assassins. When their operations go awry, they find themselves on the run, caught in a conspiracy and hunted by the most dangerous spies in the world. The book was previously adapted as a two-part NBC miniseries in 1989 that starred David Morse, Peter Strauss, Connie Sellecca, and Robert Mitchum.

Jenna Dewan, Deborah Scranton, Rwandan President Paul Kagame, documentary subject Jean Pierre Sagahutu, producer Reid Carolin and executive producer Tatum attend the premiere of Earth Made of Glass.

In an interview with Details magazine, Tatum said he wants to produce all the films he stars in, "I really don't want to be in any more movies that I don't produce. Unless it's with one of the 10 directors that I really want to work with, I don't have any interest in not being on the ground floor of creating it."^[17] He, his wife Jenna Dewan, and their production partner Reid Carolin signed a two-year production deal in 2010 with Relativity Media for any movies they may develop during that time.^[18] Along with friends Reid Carolin, Adam Martingano, Brett Rodriguez,^[19] and wife Jenna Dewan, Tatum has started production companies called 33andOut Productions^[20] and Iron Horse Entertainment.^[21] Their first production is a documentary called Earth Made of Glass that follows the Rwandan President Paul Kagame and genocide survivor Jean-Pierre Sagahutu. The film was selected to premiere at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival.

In 2012, Tatum hosted Saturday Night Live^[22] and appears in four films. He co-stars in Steven Soderbergh's Haywire, The Vow with Rachel McAdams, and 21 Jump Street (the film adaptation of TV series of the same name) with Jonah Hill.^[23] He will also star in Magic Mike, a project he talked about back in 2010. In late April of 2011, Tatum's film about his 8-month experience as a male stripper in Florida began to take shape with Steven Soderbergh at the direction.^[24] Co-produced by him and Soderbergh, the film will star Tatum himself as Mike Martingano, one of the central performers at a Tampa, Florida male strip club who takes a younger dancer (Alex Pettyfer) under his wing in hopes of showing him how to hustle "on and off stage."^[24] The film's cast also include Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello and Matthew McConaughey. According to the movie website Deadline, Magic Mike is "a story of friendship set in the world of male strippers."^[24]

Upcoming projects[link]

Originally scheduled for a release on June 29, 2012, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, sequel to 2009's G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, was pushed back to March 2013 in order to convert it in 3D. Tatum will reprise his role as Duke in an ensemble cast that includes Dwayne Johnson and Bruce Willis.

He is also in preproduction for Foxcatcher with Steve Carell about the story of John du Pont, who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and killed Olympic wrestler Dave Schultz.^[25] He will be in Steven Soderbergh's The Side Effects with Rooney Mara and Jude Law, a film about a woman who turns to prescription medication as a way of handling her anxiety concerning her husband's upcoming release from prison, set for release in 2013.^[26] Tatum is currently attached to the movie Peter Pan Begin.^[27]

Personal life[link]

In 2006, Tatum met actress Jenna Dewan on the set of Step Up. They began dating shortly after filming had finished.^[28] The couple became engaged in early September 2008 in Maui, Hawaii.^[2] On July 11, 2009, they were married on the grounds of Church Estates Vineyards, in Malibu, California.^[29] In an interview on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno he revealed that he is dyslexic.

Filmography[link]

Tatum at the 2012 WonderCon in March 2012.

Other appearances[link]

• Hosted Saturday Night Live on February 4, 2012

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Channing Tatum

• Official website
• Channing Tatum on Twitter
• Channing Tatum on Facebook
• Channing Tatum at the Internet Movie Database
• Channing Tatum at People.com