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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Saw a birthday card about gingers

51 replies

madhairgirl · 21/09/2011 17:15

Was in a gallery type shop in the Lakes today, and I was looking at the birthday cards they had. One by a well known card company person said on the front "Dear JK Rowling, I find your Harry Potter books very unrealistic. Whoever heard of a Ginger having 2 friends". I found it really unfunny, my DH thought it was good! Why are redheads fair game. If that had been about the colour of someones skin, they wouldn't get away with it, so why is it ok when it is someone's hair?

OP posts:

worraliberty · 21/09/2011 17:52

Erm worral, I think you'll find that someone shouting across the street, "oi Ginger Minge" in front of your children is a personal attack

Well yes of course it is, but the card doesn't say that does it?

Just because some people are nasty about something, doesn't mean others can't have a giggle without being nasty.

Same as Irish jokes. Irish people have been subject to some awful racism over the years, yet many will still have a good chuckle at an Irish joke.

BeaOnSea · 21/09/2011 17:53

Are you supposed to call redheads 'gingers', come to that?

Why would you ask that? The word ginger describes a colour. It is not an offensive word on it's own but quite often used in an offensive manner ie. ginger minger. But then - blonde is not offensive but "dumb blonde" is.

Whole family of gingers/redheads here by the way.

unpa1dcar3r · 21/09/2011 17:54

LMAO Worral
My daughter is short (the family pet midget, everybody should have one, they're just so cute to show off at parties),
from Essex
and of Welsh descent ...
poor kid's got no bloody chance has she. Still at least she aint ginger I suppose!!! (wink)
(although my other daughter is defo on the red side and very fiery) (grin)

Cheria · 21/09/2011 17:54

No worse than blonde jokes. I'm blonde and make blonde jokes and have even been treated differently for being blonde... but there are far more important things in life to get het up over.

YABU.

worraliberty · 21/09/2011 17:57

unpa You can always paint her yellow, stick her in the cupboard under the stairs and re-name her Dyson

unpa1dcar3r · 21/09/2011 17:59

How do we know when a blonde has been using the computer?
There's Tipex on the screen.

Did you hear about the girl from Basildon who got hit by a car outside the nightclub?
The paramedic said "where are you bleeding from?" and she replied 'I'm from bleeding Basildon, why wassit gotta do wiv you?'

Irish bloke walking down the road staggering under the weight of a huge wardrobe, fella asks 'why didn't you get Paddy to help you, Mick?' Mick replies 'Oh he is to be sure, he's inside carrying the clothes'.

unpa1dcar3r · 21/09/2011 18:00

Oh Worral, I'm really LMAO now! Dyson hahahahahahahaha

Dawndonna · 21/09/2011 18:19

minimisschief · 21/09/2011 18:21

The reason why this is acceptable and ones about race are not is because people are far too touchy and cant differentiate between jokes and actual racism

wonkylegs · 21/09/2011 18:25

I find the BBC news story about the family in Newcastle a bit hard to swallow, Newcastle is full of redheads/gingers - an awful lot of Irish/scottish descent round here and I don't think huge swathes of the population are being ostracised for their hair colour or the city would have huge problems that would be well publicised. I think it is unfortunate for the family concerned but I sincerely doubt that is the full story and even if it is it is one isolated story. In our local park you often will find at least 50% Ginger which never fails to surprise me, I have a blondie boy but I do hanker after some of those gorgeous ginger ringleted girls they always manage to look innocent and mischievous at the same time

BupcakesandCunting · 21/09/2011 20:02

Ed Sheeran is very cool. He is ginger. Red haired. I reckon he will make a very good ambassador for ginger people. And Florence Welch yeah I know it's from a bottle. And that Frank Carter from Gallows.

MrsSchadenfreude · 21/09/2011 20:25

Worra - all you need now is a Jewish mother (you can have mine - she's ginger too)!

Unpaid - I would add to that my "feminist" joke, which went down like a cup of cold sick on the Feminist board:

How many feminists does it take to change a lightbulb?
That's not funny.

Point proven, I think.

I was a ginger child and went through all the ginger minge ("Hello Ginge, how's your minge? Is it red, like your head?") and carrot tops jokes. You get used to it.

ReindeerBollocks · 21/09/2011 21:17

I thought Florence was a real red head? Now I'm disappointed. But I lurve Ed Sheehan.

I told a ginger DH the joke on the card, he thinks it's bloody hilarious, and this is coming from a bloke who used to have his head flushed down the loo because of the colour of his hair.

Plus, DH has lots of great mates - however the colour of his pubes is for my knowledge only

ReindeerBollocks · 21/09/2011 21:18

Sheeran - bloody auto correct!

motherinferior · 21/09/2011 21:20

Speaking as a redhead, they can fuck right off

Sorry to piss on your chips and all, but I get utterly fucked off by this kind of so-called 'joking'.

glitterkitty · 21/09/2011 21:29

I'm a redhead, and have done the forced 'ha ha' face at jokes like that for years. Much as I imagine irish, essex etc people do.

Not sure what it teaches you exactly- how to look amused when not?

Actually, when I get a joke like that made to me I'm smiling, nodding, and thinking 'ffs, thank fuck you have outed yourself as an arse... now I know & can avoid you in future, hurrah, more time to spend with normal ppl'

motherinferior · 21/09/2011 21:33

Oooh, glitter, do you then get the 'ah, I can see you've got a bit of a temper, ho ho fucking ho' then as well?

I do not, incidentally, have a 'problem' with the colour of my hair. I like my hair. Many people like my hair. I have come across a large number of people who find red hair irresistably sexy. I am not trying to justify anything. However, 'tease' me like that and I'll fucking deck you.

Vallhala · 21/09/2011 21:34

It's easy to laugh at it and with it as an adult.

Less so as a child and I'm not sure that "jokes" like this help. My ginger DD was horridly bullied at school, so much so that she ended up ill and in a school especially for severely bullied children. Some of the bullying which added to the more serious stuff was about her ginger hair - that in itself she could cope with but it all added up until she broke down completely.

IMHO as much as I can ignore these cards, and she will too, just saying that they're neither particularly kind nor helpful, the type of child who bullies won't and these cards just add to the idea that this kind of bullying is acceptable.

glitterkitty · 21/09/2011 21:37

Oh yes, firey redhead. or worse...'feisty' UGH UGH UGH

So I have perfected the dead fish stare instead.

Milliways · 21/09/2011 21:52

My DS is a Ginger, loves it, accepts the banter and he gave me this great card last year

motherinferior · 21/09/2011 21:56

Yes, well, some of us don't want to play along with the 'aren't they repulsive' so-called 'banter'. Just as my Indian mother doesn't want to play along with 'Paki' stereotypes.

I don't think I'm funny. I don't think I'm an object to be made fun of. I don't think I'm so repulsive that it's amazing people want to be friends with me.

glitterkitty · 21/09/2011 21:58

I think as a ginger you have no choice but to accept the banter. If you get arsey you just get teased more.

Glad your DS loves his hair tho Milliways, I think most do in the end!

motherinferior · 21/09/2011 21:59

Well, I do actually think that is like telling any other butt of jokes that they just have to accept it. Some of those things are unacceptable. I really don't see what is so unspeakable about my hair colour that it has to be considered somewhere between funny and repulsive.

glitterkitty · 21/09/2011 22:15

Its not unspeakable. But some ppl will make daft jokes. Just ignore & carry on...

Dosent make it funny, witty or fair though, I agree. But thats life.

theoldtrout01876 · 21/09/2011 23:16

Dh calls Dd1 the ginger whinger :o Hes right too

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