Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

When will gingerism go away?

110 replies

Anna373 · 14/07/2022 06:12

So im not ginger myself but why are gingers the only demographic which you can openly hate or make fun of and get away with it?

Because the other day At work I heard these women talking about babies and then one said "well what if your baby is ginger" in which she replied "well I wouldnt mind having a daughter who is ginger because they are pretty but ginger men are mingers" which they all laughed.

It seems like ginger men get more abuse or are considered ugly while ginger women are more sexually fetishized

My brother also has a good mate who is ginger but apparently he still gets people shouting names at him and even trying to fight him just because he is ginger.

I've never understood this hate for ginger people, its just a hair color in fact I think it can act like an amplifier and make someone look ever more attractive. Gingers also seem to age pretty well and apprently never go grey

OP posts:
Libre2 · 14/07/2022 06:16

I agree - it is very bizarre. Not to mention horrible. It’s like some people have to be nasty about something.

ShinySylveon · 14/07/2022 07:21

People will find any excuse to be nasty.

I have a ginger DH and two ginger DC. Gingers are awesome.

Vates · 14/07/2022 07:22

Ginger here and I don't get it either. I used to get a lot of random abuse in my teens and twenties but not so much anymore (thank goodness!). The abuse was always from men.

BendingSpoons · 14/07/2022 07:26

DS is ginger. As a baby, EVERY time we went out, someone stopped me to say what wonderful hair he has. He is 3 now and no negative comments so far. I worry about teenage years but I have to roll my eyes at grown adults making stupid comments like that. They should know better!

Oblomov22 · 14/07/2022 07:26

Ds2 was always ginger proud, but is hating it atm. Sad

HappyHappyHermit · 14/07/2022 07:26

I think red is such a gorgeous hair colour, it's a shame some people have to be nasty. I'm blonde and when I was a teen there was a lot of the 'dumb blonde' stuff going around, which used to really hurt me at the time.

Trulyweird1 · 14/07/2022 07:28

I am ginger, with ginger fairly prevalent in my wider family, and I am in Scotland , where there a quite a number of us.
I got a lot of ginger / freckle hate as a child, and as a young woman - people trying to test whether I had a fiery temper etc.
I worked with a couple of redheads in the US and they had experienced the same.
Its so ridiculous. My hair is well faded now, and I am too old to attract that attention, but it is so ignorant.

Bretonbear · 14/07/2022 07:28

I think ginger hair is amazing. I think people are probably jealous.

JessicaBrassica · 14/07/2022 07:34

DD had no negative comments until high school. It was a weekly occurrence in y7 but seems to have settled down a bit now and there are just 2 or 3 small minded individuals still making comments. Or maybe she's just got used to it and doesn't tell me any more.

I really don't understand it.

DingleyDel · 14/07/2022 07:37

Yep now dull redhead here who had abuse shouted in teens/twenty’s but never as an older adult. It does seem very weird. Its like it’s universally accepted (in the U.K.) that red headed people are just unattractive. I was saying to DH the other night that they have hardly had any natural pale red heads on Love Island but was impressed to see one bloke this year. I know they don’t exactly champion diversity in looks but they have all different skin tones represented, I find it odd that that it seems like the last taboo in a way. I was really glad neither of my children were ginger. It does make your life harder IMO but I’ve read lots of threads on here where gingers say they’ve never had any abuse.

picklemewalnuts · 14/07/2022 07:38

Ginger often looks gorgeous.

Unfortunately it's often paired with really pale lashes. Ok when you're wearing mascara, but definitely hard to look good when you aren't . (I'm a pale lash ginger person). It makes your eyes look so small, and my face feels really featureless, pale lips as well.

Damien Lewis has really grown into his looks, but when he was younger he had that pale featureless look.

I think the very fair skin shows everything as well- catches the sun, goes scarlet at a hint of embarrassment or a stress. So as a youngster I was always scarlet and sweaty looking, with little piggy eyes and no lips. Not attractive. Or pale grey and channeling the death's door look.

I used to feel everyone else looked better without effort, I needed a little effort (lipstick and mascara) but then looked 100% better!

Generally people who are nasty will find something to be nasty about. Ginger used to be that thing- or glasses or fat or buck teeth...

Now ginger and glasses are less picked on than they were, I reckon.

Furrybutts · 14/07/2022 07:44

Not what you are asking op I know, however your work colleague needs to be careful what she says even in jest.

27 years ago when I was expecting my first child, I can remember saying to someone '. I don't mind what sex I have as long as it isn't ginger' I had absolutely no reason to even think this, as there is no ginger hair in either of our families as far back as anyone can remember.

Dd1 was born with bright ginger hair Shock

LeopardsAndPine · 14/07/2022 07:47

It’s racism. Ginger is associated with Irish people. And the ‘oh no, not ginger” goes back to the days when Irish people were legally discriminated against in the UK.

xsquared · 14/07/2022 08:01

Furrybutts · 14/07/2022 07:44

Not what you are asking op I know, however your work colleague needs to be careful what she says even in jest.

27 years ago when I was expecting my first child, I can remember saying to someone '. I don't mind what sex I have as long as it isn't ginger' I had absolutely no reason to even think this, as there is no ginger hair in either of our families as far back as anyone can remember.

Dd1 was born with bright ginger hair Shock

What was your reason for not wanting a ginger baby then?

Ontomatopea · 14/07/2022 08:04

It's absolutely disgusting and should be called out whenever it's heard. It's not acceptable and if it happened in a work place I would not be impressed at all.

Furrybutts · 14/07/2022 08:06

xsquared
I found the skin tone/ hair colour combo unattractive

boymama82 · 14/07/2022 08:06

Our 2 year old is ginger and everyone only has nice things to say thank goodness

BeggarsMeddle · 14/07/2022 08:07

It'll stop when jealousy and ignorance end.

CandyLeBonBon · 14/07/2022 08:07

Yep. Another ginger here. I've had awful comments throughout my life but less so now I'm older and invisible! It's depressing. My kids have even been mocked for having a ginger mum! So it definitely hasn't died off!

ReginaFilanji · 14/07/2022 08:09

It's just weird. I'm ginge and had all the jibes growing up as a teenager. I hated it. Made me feel as if I stood out.

Now however I love my hair colour and don't cover it.

CandyLeBonBon · 14/07/2022 08:09

Furrybutts · 14/07/2022 08:06

xsquared
I found the skin tone/ hair colour combo unattractive

Fingers come in all sorts of shades and skin tones. I'm bright ginger and go brown!

I hope your dc doesn't know you don't like the way she looks?

CandyLeBonBon · 14/07/2022 08:10

Hah. Gingers not Fingers !

youlightupmyday · 14/07/2022 08:10

I really don't get it, never have. I am the opposite and think ginger haie is beautiful and unusual. I'd love to have it!

Ontomatopea · 14/07/2022 08:11

Furrybutts · 14/07/2022 08:06

xsquared
I found the skin tone/ hair colour combo unattractive

How shallow

xsquared · 14/07/2022 08:12

Furrybutts · 14/07/2022 08:06

xsquared
I found the skin tone/ hair colour combo unattractive

That's a bit sad for your dd.

Swipe left for the next trending thread