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.

L hAve adylemongrab I think I read a similar article to you.
Apparently, as you say, it's not the red hair that throws people, it's the fact that a lot of redheads very often have very pale, colorless eyes, with pale undefined eyebrows and eyelashes, combined with freckles, which 'can' give them a slightly pale, washed out look.
People mistake it for being unhealthy.

So it's not just their hair that is different, they often have different facial features.

I happen to love red hair and have a redheaded child. I am simply repeating what I've read, so no shooting the messenger pale.

This is what I read.

Damn text predict

I have red hair and was bullied mercilessly for it at school, 'ginger minger' being the favoured insult. One boy's parents had told him that red hair is caused by a gene mutation so 'freak' and 'mutant' were other favourites. People were also fascinated/horrified about the fact that I might have 'ginger pubes' and I was constantly questioned about them... I'm a grown woman now and still occasionally get 'ginger' insults shouted at me from passing cars. Tbh though I think boys have it even harder. A common thing I still hear is 'ginger hair is lovely on girls, but not on boys'.

When people realised that my dh has a streak of ginger through his beard people sort of inhale sharply and say 'oh you might have ginger kids..' As if it's some sort of horrible disease!

I am genuinely terrified of having red haired children though

What annoys me the most though is that now red hair is seen as being somewhat fashionable, a lot of the girls who used to insult me have now dyed their hair red! I also get irrationally irritated when people assume that 'fake' red hair is natural or mine is dyed - I want to grab them and shake them and say, " do you know what I went through because of this."

Long post sorry!

Don't understand it at all. Maybe it was originally a form of creating 'otherness' by the newcomers (English) towards the original occupants of the land as the amount of red heads is higher. However, the current media seem to perpetuate the notion. And I do think the term ginger is used badly and tries to portray a negative vibe. It's not in a 'Ginger Rodgers' kind of way. Where is the 'golden', 'flame-haired', 'fire-hued' terminology?

Just got to say I adore red hair. I was very excited when I saw a hue of strawberry in my sons blond baby hair. It was cradle cap under the blond wisps! When I tackled the cradle cap, the strawberry tint disappeared too.

I read somewhere it was very positively viewed in England when Lizzie 1 was on the throne.

I have 2 red headed dcs and so far they've had no issues (touch wood) This thread is scaring me though

My son has been bullied for his hair colour since starting secondary school. it's a very racially mixed school and it comes from all sides, it seems acceptable to single any red headed kinds out. He can't work out the no soul thing! He was once corned and threatened by two big lads and told he had no soul, his response was "that's why I don't give a shit about doing this" kicked one very hard on the shin and ran. Then once again put in a complaint to the head of year.

I have a slight auburn tint to my hair and freckled skin and have put up with so vary fucking stupid comments in my life. Most people seem to think that I dissolve in sunlight and strangers will single me out to tell me that I will BURRRRN. The thing is my base skin does tan and I do go a mid brown mottled colour . I wear factor 50 because it's easier to buy one type of sun cream for everyone and I don't want wrinkly skin. I can sit there with a group of people all going red, congratulating themselves on how it'll turn to a tan. Then start telling me that I have freckles and how careful I need to be and that I'll BURRRRN . I started telling them that's be been alive for xx years and am aware of my skin colour, and havnt bURRnT for decades tend do they need some of my sun cream.

I have never met anybody, redhead or otherwise, with 'colourless eyes'.

Aaawagh, meant very pale eyes.
And sometimes it looks as if they have no eyelashes and eyebrows (because of being so very light), so a redhead"s face can have a bit of an undefined look. If you think about it, eyelashes and brows act as a frame for the face.
Hence why, during the experiment, when people were asked to look at photos and pick out the redheads they found most visually appealing and healthy looking , they automatically chose the redheads with darker facial features. (Even though I think they were the same people, only digitally altered)

Interesting.

Anyway, I think the media is trying to change people's perceptions. Nearly every single advert now has people with red hair in them.

My daughter hasn't been teased. But, I suspect boys get more flack over it for some reason.

just tint eyelashes and you'll be fine. several people on this thread 'get it'. It's not the red hair. It's the less visible eyelashes and brows.

I think 'shortism' is far worse. I'm always told I'm short. "thank you, I was tall yesterday, so you are so helpful" But people can't file that under racism even though it is the same thing.

Exactly waterducksback

People that are too tall or too fat also 'get' it.
Girls that are blond get labelled 'binmbos'
Short people. A well.

I think people need to toughen up and stop giving themselves labels.

If you go through life seeingvyourself as a victim.. you will get treated like one.
Got red hair? Count yourself lucky. You have been blessed with a beautiful colour (and its usually thicker than most other hair colours).

Sometimes I think that people like to feel harddoneby as it makes them feel special.

There are more pressing problems in life than hair colour.

Oh Who Is That Young Sinner

Oh who is that young sinner with the handcuffs on his wrists?
And what has he been after that they groan and shake their fists?
And wherefore is he wearing such a conscience-stricken air?
Oh they're taking him to prison for the colour of his hair.

'Tis a shame to human nature, such a head of hair as his;
In the good old time 'twas hanging for the colour that it is;
Though hanging isn't bad enough and flaying would be fair
For the nameless and abominable colour of his hair.

Oh a deal of pains he's taken and a pretty price he's paid
To hide his poll or dye it of a mentionable shade;
But they've pulled the beggar's hat off for the world to see and stare,
And they're haling him to justice for the colour of his hair.

Now 'tis oakum for his fingers and the treadmill for his feet
And the quarry-gang on Portland in the cold and in the heat,
And between his spells of labour in the time he has to spare
He can curse the God that made him for the colour of his hair.

A.E. Housman

It seemed relevant to the conversation...

Verkeilig,

I too am short. (And overweight)

Sometimes throughout my life I have had people comment on my height, and weight (sometimes both).
Sometimes I'm mildly annoyed, but that's it.

But where does it all end?
At the moment it's all getting a bit ridiculous and people won't be happy until we live in a police state.

Comment on my size? Fine them
Comment on my height? Arrest them
Comment on my hair colour? Off to the stocks with ye!
Comment on somebody's bald patch? Arrest them and seek compensation.

I also think it's wrong to try and lump superficial concerns (such as hair colour) in the same category as racism .. which IS serious.

I agree!! and I lived as an Irish person in London for years and even when people made anti-irish remarks, well 1) I was well able for it (which is not the point in the case of real racism I know) & 2) half the time they were saying it because nothing witty or interesting entered their head. It was like pull the string in their back and out comes the cliché. I try to avoid doing that myself but I'm sure I don't always succeed! Sometimes there's a lull in the conversation and I'll find myself saying something bleeding obvious! When I was living in England I was told that I looked typically Irish a few times. I was also told I didn't look Irish at all. In Ireland I've been slagged for my posh accent. In the uk I was asked if my Dad was a builder. People just open their mouth and out comes a load of shite.

even judges! (as detailed upthread)
Or maybe especially judges

I know what you mean Virkelig but these attitudes were challenged for some types of prejudice with a degree of success so I'm at a loss as to why other people are expected to just put up and shut up. Even if in effect that is what they do. Also adults making it normative is worse for kids, which can't be right.

Interesting Housman poem obliquely referencing homosexuality - unpublished in his lifetime.

I have natural orange / red hair. (I don't use the term Ginger as it's a derogatory term - it's also an anagram of the N word)

I got a lot of stick for it all the way through school. It had a huge effect in my self esteem and confidence. I started dying my hair brown at the age of 14 in an attempt to feel normal. I didn't want to get picked on for my hair anymore. I wanted to disappear into the crowd. I wanted to walk into school without having someone call me nasty names because of my hair colour.

When I was 17 I started dying my hair bright red and I got a much better result - for the first time in my life I started to get complements in my hair (apparently dyed red hair is ok and even considered a good thing but natural isn't).

I have dyed my hair several shades of Red/ blonde and even black over the years but about a year ago I decided to go back to my natural colour again - and guess what? I started getting all the ginger comments and jokes again.

I have had strangers tell me I'm lucky my DD hasn't inherited my hair (she is more of a dark blonde like her dad).
I've had strangers ask me about my pubic hair colour. Ive been called soulless. Been told that people with ginger hair are the ugliest people in the world. I could go on and on.

Is it racism? Well no as it's red hair is not a 'race' but it is just as bad. Getting abuse for the colour of your hair, something you are genetically born with is not ok. I've heard people say things like 'it's not the same because you could always dye your hair'. So they are suggesting to dye a child's hair with harsh chemicals to stop them being picked on? How is that any different than suggesting someone bleach thier brown skin with chemicals to make it lighter and stop to them getting picked on? It's not different. It makes me angry that making offensive and 'joking' comments to someone with red hair is socially acceptable. We are told we should just put up with it and get thicker skin as they are only having fun / joking. It's not fun and it's not funny. It is as bad as racism but apparently we are not allowed to say it is.

My dad was a redhead, with an orange beard. He would be 82 if he were still alive. He didn't particularly remember any teasing. Dtd2 has a red headed boyfriend, he gets all sorts. It's awful.
Personally, I adore red hair.

waterducksback, I think you are missing some of the points many people have made about the aggressive and hate filled comments not simply being aimed at adults but adults aiming these types of comments at children including unborn children. I dont think anyone says 'what if the baby is short' or 'what if the baby is fat'. By some, having red hair seems to be almost viewed as a curse.

I didn't notice it getting worse recently, but then I've got to the unattractive age. I know it was awful growing up in the north, but then princess Fergie - all bless her name - came along and suddenly red hair became trendy and everyone was jealous of me. That still makes me laugh now, so just wanted to share it!

I had a teacher years ago who tried to sell that poem as being about racial prejudice, which only confused me.
This thread made me think of it for glaringly obvious reasons though.

I really don't understand the apparent hierarchy of prejudice. That to even comment on one inborn trait is considered the vilest of crimes, but to joke about another is just considered good fun and the butt of the joke is expected to laugh at their own expense.
A small child being teased about the colour of either her hair or her skin doesn't know anything about history, she only knows that somebody is being mean to her. Why is being mean sometimes acceptable, ever?

Just putting this out there (seeing as so many on the thread have said that they have red hair or shades of same) as I have

www.redheadconvention.com

Anyone interested in going? [Smile]

Exactly, NinjaLeprechaun. Hierarchy of prejudice is a very good term.

Very well put Ninja