[Keith C.]

There was an article in the paper today that stated that some English pick on red-haired people. I was shocked. I was also somewhat disbelieving. I can believe that some child would call some other child a name (carrot-top, for instance), but the idea of anything much more serious than that boggles my mind. Can anybody confirm or deny such "discrimination" in either England or NZ?

Part of the article mentioned particular people and their woes. Even poor Prince Harry was suffering from name calling. Apparently, the guys in his military unit call him the "ginger bullet magnet."

Personally, I'm not too worried. What hair I have remaining is getting grayer all the time. :wah

[The Hodges]

Hi there,

I'm from the UK and there's not discrimination per se, but yes, kids can be cruel at times and yourstruely has been called Carrot Top, Ginger and Duracell etc. for as long as I can remember. Fortunately, my hair is less red now and has gone darker, but as far as I am concerned, red hair is the source of much playground banter.

It seems that in other countries, including US, Canada, Aus and NZ (as they're the countries I have been too), no-one bats an eyelid at a ginger walking down the street. In fact, in Iceland, I had the locals speaking Icelandic to me (they just spoke English to the OH who has dark features).

I wouldn't worry about it though. And as I keep on telling my mates as I see another red haired person, we're taking over the world! :D

[zardell]

. I can believe that some child would call some other child a name (carrot-top, for instance), but the idea of anything much more serious than that boggles my mind.


Makes my mind boggle too - the things that are reported in newspapaers eh?....:roll

Twaddle (I really like that word, so I shall say it again !)

TWADDLE.........:D

Julie

xx

[Milliemoo]

Had to laugh.... I was reading OK :o and there was an interview with Jordon aka: Katie Price about her new baby & I quote

"I love her, even though she's ginger" :D

Milliemoo

[MB]

One element to this whole thing is that it falls into the category of daft 'prejudices' the comic point of which is that they are more or less just silly parodies of much deeper-running, more sociologically gravitous prejudices (e.g., racism).

Part of the above concept is that a lot of the humour comes from a kind of self-perpetuating compounding, whereby the fake 'prejudice' is given new comic oxygen each time it is repeated without the perpetuating party really meaning anything nasty. Viz comic, for example, made a point of referring in lots of issues to 'gingers', and it's a bit like one of those things your mates rib you about that everyone has essentially forgiven or dismissed as trivial years ago... but it's still somehow amusing to refer to it from time to time even decades later. The joke is that something is still being apportioned time and conversation when it's clearly not worth that time and attention.

Yeah, I suppose one or two folks might use any excuse to be genuinely nasty, but I reckon that for nearly (or maybe absolutely) 100% of Brits this 'ginger' thing is all just affectionate or inconsequential.:cheers

[The Hodges]

the fake 'prejudice' is given new comic oxygen each time it is repeated without the perpetuating party really meaning anything nasty.

I've just remembered that Eric Cartman from Southpark did a presentation on it. It's on Youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCN2yRB0-8Q), but being Southpark, some of the language is coarse. It is very funny (well I think so), but you've been warned!

[MB]

Oh, and for folks who do not know about Viz:
it's a really funny hard-copy magazine for adults that takes much of its content from:

a.) absurd or smutty parodies of British kids' comics, especially their picture-strip characters such as the Beano's 'Roger The Dodger' and 'Minnie The Minx'.
b.) similarly rude or silly parodies of earnest, outraged Brit tabloid-newspaper stories. A typical example of the genius of Viz is that in one issue they did a version of the kind of newspaper article about ordinary folks winning the lottery and then letting the win wildly change their priorities or spending habits. Viz simply removed your generic spendthrift wastrel geezer as the centre of the story, replacing him with Pol Pot... but keeping all the other familiar furniture of such an article (disillusioned pub mates, etc.) exactly intact.

Sometimes offensive to some, yes, but Viz -- like The Onion, Monty Python or South Park -- is of such quality that there are many moments of brilliance when you'd defy anyone in the world to keep a straight face. :yes

[zardell]

Used to be an avid Viz reader, but haven't read one in ages...

Julie

xx

[Keith C.]

I've just remembered that Eric Cartman from Southpark did a presentation on it. It's on Youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCN2yRB0-8Q), but being Southpark, some of the language is coarse. It is very funny (well I think so), but you've been warned!

Now you've got me doing it! I found another Youtube video that is a mix of the Southpark sound track and some Harry Potter footage. Gingervitis2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4yvY6vqFO0)

BTW, the newspaper article that started this thread hypothesized a reason for the anti-ginger bias. It said roughly 12% of Scots have red hair, while about 1% of English do. Because the Scots and English have not always gotten along, the prejudice arose.

[Tia Maria]

There is a theory that Neil Kinnock and Charles Kennedy never stood a chance of being PM because of their red hair!

I'll let others decide whether it was that or their political viewpoint. :D

Cheers

Tia

[Familyofmonkeys]

What I find amusing is that when you are young, at school, red heads do get teased a bit, but as adults...the most popular colour to dye hair is red!

[thepiesleys]

One element to this whole thing is that it falls into the category of daft 'prejudices' the comic point of which is that they are more or less just silly parodies of much deeper-running, more sociologically gravitous prejudices (e.g., racism).

Part of the above concept is that a lot of the humour comes from a kind of self-perpetuating compounding, whereby the fake 'prejudice' is given new comic oxygen each time it is repeated without the perpetuating party really meaning anything nasty. Viz comic, for example, made a point of referring in lots of issues to 'gingers', and it's a bit like one of those things your mates rib you about that everyone has essentially forgiven or dismissed as trivial years ago... but it's still somehow amusing to refer to it from time to time even decades later. The joke is that something is still being apportioned time and conversation when it's clearly not worth that time and attention.


*cough* Mr Logic *cough*

[MB]

*cough* Mr Logic *cough*

Hmmm... droll comparison of another, in this instance my person, with a comically hyper-analytical grotesque in a humourous periodical.

[crispyking]

There is a theory that Neil Kinnock and Charles Kennedy never stood a chance of being PM because of their red hair!

I'll let others decide whether it was that or their political viewpoint.

could be either of those, or their completely ineffectual 'leadership' :yes

[katandbob]

BTW, the newspaper article that started this thread hypothesized a reason for the anti-ginger bias. It said roughly 12% of Scots have red hair, while about 1% of English do. Because the Scots and English have not always gotten along, the prejudice arose.

must be a fair chunk of them in Southland - loads of the red hued hair variety here. and since it was settled by mostly scottish immigrants, that would be why.

not seen any discrimination against them either:nice1
Kat

[Silverwing86]

And here I am, dying my hair red because it better suits my complexion :D ! What exactly (if anything), does that say about me :laugh ???

(Used to be red when I was a kid, but living in Asia for eleven years made it a blond/salt&pepper-ish/nondescript colour which does nothing positive at all for my pale complexion and myriad of freckles :p)

Silver (which perhaps, in light of the above, I should be rethinking ;) ??)

[Myrkk]

The Katie Price quote probably sums things up best.

As kids you do get teased but if it wasn't about being a ginga then they'd find something else.........that's what kids do.

Adults can be just as bad but the ginga comments are usually just light hearted and not to be worried about.

Myrkk Gingabird

[thepiesleys]

I was always rather fond of hurling the insult carott balls to ginger types at school...:D

[granger]

Personally, I see little difference between mocking people's natural hair colour and their natural skin colour. :no

[willsken]

Personally, I see little difference between mocking people's natural hair colour and their natural skin colour.


My youngest son was always teased for his ears sticking out, where does he fit in to this then? Teasing is teasing and kids are cruel. Always have been and always will be. Fact of life and we can't change the vicious little devils. :yes

BTW, we had his ears pinned back, his choice. Now he gets teased for other things....... :roll

[Myrkk]

Personally, I see little difference between mocking people's natural hair colour and their natural skin colour. :no

I don't see the connection at all but I think it boils down to how thick skinned people are and their general attitudes.

I've always been called Duracell, copper top, rusty brillo pad......you name it. When I've not been teased about my hair it's been about being a Scot........ "Oi Jock" was my name for the first two years of one of my jobs. So what?!

It's the intention that is the difference. Teasing itself isn't a problem unless it is spiteful and meant........i.e. the kids whose parents were obviously talking about my Mum when I was a kid and who would say things like "we have something you don't have....." and "my Mum says you're a Bas&^*d"...That is hurtful and inappropriate.... shouting "oi coppertop" isn't depending upon the context used.

Humans are humans..... they will always find something to tease you about.

[thepiesleys]

"Personally, I see little difference between mocking people's natural hair colour and their natural skin colour..."

Personally I think you need to get a grip - on the whole were talking about schoolyard ribbing here not black segregation in the 60's...