To think that expressing anti-red hair views is still seen as okay

[GnomeDePlume]

but is very, very wrong

DD(14) came home absolutely fuming having witnessed a red-headed girl of around 8 being verbally abused by a boy of around 10 while the mum of the boy told the girl to 'take the joke' even though the girl was very distressed. Fortunately the girl's brother rescued her.

DH is red-headed and believes that anti-red hair sentiment has become more common in recent years. Possibly because abusing somebody about the colour of their skin can get them arrested. Abusing somebody about the colour of their hair is seen as a fair target.

I dont get it. I have witnessed someone absolutely rip into a colleague, abusing him and his children (all red-headed) and this man could not see that what he was doing was wrong.

[WorraLiberty]

LadyLemongrab, I think that's what a lot of people don't like...the skin tone, eyelashes/eyebrows and (often) freckles.

I don't think it's so much the hair colour itself, because red/orange hair dyes are quite popular.

[FloozeyLoozey]

I don't know why people are so mean, it's just a hair colour! I also don't get the hysteria against pale skin. Ds and I often get complented on our ability to tan well but I think pale skin is beautiful, look at dita von teese. They're all just variations of the natural human appearance.

[CantEvenKeepAnOrchidAlive]

I still see and hear of anti-red hair comments.

I'm a natural blonde so have had many comments about dippyness, being stupid, having anti-blonde jokes.

Now, I dye my hair copper red, like in the image. I bloody love it and kind of wish I had been born with it. I have had comments about being 'ginge' but a quick and a 'seriously? I chose this colour, you think I care for your opinion?' has shut them up PDQ.

Its sad, very sad.

[monopoly123]

My dd is 9, she gets called a ginger haired freak pretty much every single day.

[monopoly123]

The study on skin tone/eyelashes etc doesn't apply in dds case - she's been called a "day-walker" by a fully grown adult because "her skin isn't dead white like most gingers" (yep in front of her).

[Lesshastemorespeed]

Oh I do like Tim Minchin.

[Lesshastemorespeed]

I was v red as a child. Don't remember getting teased about it. Has faded now and I miss it.

[wineforthecrazywomanontheleftp]

My eldest is a ginger (his words not mine)

It has never ever seemed to bother him - he is confident and popular, his football team called him "beanz" and that was on his shirt.

He's got a girlfriend and is happy.

So, at the age of 17 he seems to have got through life so far although maybe later

[GnomeDePlume]

WorraLiberty what I was trying to get at was the idea that people laugh at things which frighten them often without realising that they are frightened.

[LadyLemongrab]

I do wonder whether it's actually helpful to hold up some unusually gorgeous person with X feature as a response to normal, average people being picked on for having the same feature. Seems counterproductive to me, it's almost dismissive of the person on the receiving end of the twattishness iykwim?

Not many redheads look like Christina Hendricks or Julianne Moore. Just as not many blondes look like Charlize Theron or brunettes like Megan Fox. Not many overweight women look like plus size models etc etc...

It's not those people who are being name-called (well, I'm sure they are - we live in a world of ridiculous online comments sections!)

[BlueThursday]

My DM and her mum have red hair and only in her late 70s did DG start to go grey.

My DF and his mum had black hair and both went white very young

I got the black :( would have loved the natural red as opposed to dying my hair since 15 to hide the white

[WorraLiberty]

Yeah I see what you mean OP but I'm not sure it's fear

I think some people just generally dislike the who look...including skin tone etc, but I could be wrong.

Still doesn't give them the right to abuse anyone though obviously.

[WorraLiberty]

*whole - not who

[Waltonswatcher]

My dd is a red head - curly too . Dp is jet black and straight , I'm brown and straight . Dd was a surprise !
I am being really careful that no one makes any negative comments about it , people usually swing the other way and overly praise it - that irks me too . Children are far too savy for that .

[WorraLiberty]

Yes the over praise (whilst well meant) can often ring alarm bells for children

Having parents/family/friends gushing about their hair colour and constantly stating how 'jealous' they are, would surely make them think they should be upset about their hair colour somehow?

It's just a hair colour and that might be the best thing to drum into them.

[Quejica]

I think Rebekah Brooks has gorgeous hair.

[EasilyDistracted77]

One of the mums at my son's school has 2 red-headed sons. I overheard her calling them in an 'oi-ginger' kind of way, followed by her explanation of how she has always openly teased them about their red hair to get them used to it so they don't get upset when other people do it.

As a red-head myself I was HORRIFIED.

I was disappointed that neither of my children inherited my red-hair :-( Having said that, I wouldn't want to put either of them through the horrible teasing I experienced at school.

[Mrsdavidcaruso]

The most beautiful red haired man in the world the sexy David Caruso

[moolady1977]

i am ginger so are my sister and my niece although at minute im a very vibrant purple , we all got teased bullied picked on because of our hair colour my father was ginger as was my nan on both sides out of 5 kids my dad had only me had ginger hair my with my nan it skipped my mum and auntie and got me and my sister and i have 3 dcs and its skipped them ,, we all love our natural colour though

[Mrsfrumble]

It does make me worry a bit about coming back to the UK. DS has red hair, and I hate the thought that he will probably get stick for it.

Here in the US everyone is wild about his hair and people comment on its beauty whenever we're out and about. He doesn't pay much attention; he's 3 and doesn't understand what the fuss is about. I wish it could stay that way! It's just hair! I'd happily forgo the compliments if it also meant no teasing.

[JennySense]

Love my [dyed] red hair.
Have had 3 ginger lovers! I reckon it's the old fear of the minority issue that makes people so cruel.
Someone link to that "sexy red headed men" photo shoot from a while back...

[BillyBobbed]

The English are notoriously nasty about red hair IMO. Never experienced such horrible prejudice anywhere else but here. In the us it's seen as very beautiful, which it is.

[Mrsfrumble]

DS doesn't fit the typical skintone profile either. His skin is quite sallow and he has a tan at the moment from the southern US sun! His brows are blond but his lashes are light brown and eyes are greeny-grey. Not a freckle on him.

[SomethingOnce]

Sadly, it does generally seem to be seen as okay.

Which is, of course, wrong.

Glad somebody else mentioned Rebekah Brooks [hair envy]

[VirkeligRodet]

yes LadyLemongrab, Exactly. This is what I've always felt. And there's a study you say !?!?

i used to work with a man who would have been SO handsome if only he'd had visible eye lashes. He had nice bone structure. It wasn't his hair that made me long to get a bit of mascara on his lashes.