Milka ad casting call - awful

[Dippypippy1980]

I have just red the really creepy casting call for a little girl to advertise milka chocolate.

While there is lots and lots wrong with the call, I am outraged by the no red hair. I have red hair, so does my daughter. We will now be boycotting* this product.

But it has got me wondering, why are unkind comments about red heads still a thing? I endured nasty comments through my childhood, and within the last decade distance myself from a friend who was making nasty comments about a friends baby with red hair. What the hell is wrong with people.

Why do people who would be (quite rightly) outraged by comments about skin colour think it’s okay to target people because of hair colour?

I don’t think you are being oversensitive OP.

What nine year old’s favourite song is David Bowie’s “Heroes”... the weirdness of all that guff.

The redhead bit doesn’t bother me.

The rest? Surely no parent would put their daughter forward to work anywhere near whoever wrote that?

There's so much wrong with this advert, but the no red hair thing isn't one of them. That's just part and parcel of this industry. Quite frequently child actors with red hair are very much sought after.

This ^^ absolutely.

It's weird, but I would guess that many casting calls are similar to this because actors and models are often cast in a role because they have a very specific look.

I'm only surprised that this is the first time a creepy casting call has been pointed out - Maybe most casting calls describe what they do want e.g. "brown hair, age 8-10", not what they don't want, and so don't sound so offensive.

It was only in the late 60s that there was a question when applying to adopt a child
Would you accept a ginger child (not even a child with red hair but totally labelled as 'a ginger'
I'm one of 7 kids - all of us had varying shades of red hair.
I have a feeling the discrimination goes back to the times of religious persecution between protestant and catholic and red hair, often being celtic in origin, was seen as identifying catholicism.
I was brought up catholic and there were definitely (60s) more red/ginger haired children in my schools than in my friends schools. So, although I was very bright ginger I think I got less teasing/bullying than some I know.
I loved my red hair as an adult but hated it as a child. My hair is very nearly white now though.

Mia sounds like a very irritating child!

Someone probably has tried to save a few Euros, and cut some corners by using google translate to put that casting call into English.

I agree it sounds creepy. I wouldn’t be offended about the red hair though

That advert is as creepy as fuck. Is there any where I can report it?

Dont be so precious op.
This is modeling.
They look for a specific person with specific hight/skincolor/eyecolor/haircolor.

HOWEVER
In real life... yeah there is plenty of rude nasty comments towards red headed people. Over here they call red haired people "rangas".. like... orangutan
But you know what? I was bullied for having the 'wrong' skincolor. Others were bullied for being too fat. Too skinny. Too hairy. Too small. Too tall.

This is just life. Especially with kids. They pick on you for every and all reasons they can find. I always thought that if i get reincarnated i would come back snowwhite with red hair. Major blush haha i think it is georgous. But people will always have different opinions. And that is fine. (Although some peole are just dicks. Which is sh*t. )

But dont boycot a chocolate that you like (?) Over it. Not worth it. Wasted energy .

It’s all over the press, apologies issued etc.no need to report

whatsnew2day.com/milka-chocolate-advertising-arouses-indignation-after-calling-out-bans-of-redheads-and-fat-children

For. God. Sake.

I have said I am being oversensitive. Twice.

I've never understood the continuing anti red hair sentiment ( and I think it goes deeper and further back than anti Catholic/Celtic - it was seen as a signifier of witchcraft).

Hennaing hair to be a rich, dark red was popular in my youth and I still think there is nothing lovelier than a true auburn or a strawberry blonde or ginger. One of my DDs was a strawberry blonde (the blonder side of ginger) when little and then darkened up as she grew older - only gets red glints with exposure to lots of sun now.

I think it reads like it's been written by someone whose first language isn't English.

Regards the red hair thing, Milka is Dutch or Swedish or something isn't it? So they probably want a kid that looks like they could be Dutch/Swedish.

I signed my daughter up for modelling, someone's going to advertise baby clothes and toys and stuff why not her? she's going to need the leg up for a house deposit

I've seen casting calls but not for the one job she's had so far but if I got a creepy vibe I'd be pulling her from that job and straight on the phone to her agent.

This industry is about looks and that includes being able to hire based on age colour race etc.
However that ad is a bit weird... Are you sure it's definitely for milka? Going overseas is unusual and it's worded like it's been written by someone who's first language is not english

The ad is creepy AF. It genuinely sounds like it's been written by a man who probably needs his hard drive confiscating

I agree with this

Red hair is mainly (but not exclusively) present in populations of Ireland, Scotland, the north of England, Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Also some populations in Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. So maybe they just want someone who looks more like a generic person from the world as a whole, i.e., dark hair and eyes, coffee-coloured skin.

I’d rather a casting was straight up rather than wasting the time of applicants who have an chance of getting the job, but putting that hair colour and eyes aren’t important, then excluding red hair and wanting brown eyes is just stupid.

The worst part is emphasising sweet, angelic, innocent and prepubescent, but equally wanting a child who’s a knowing, clever and very experienced actress ugh.

That is freaking vile.

Milka is horrible anyway. I wouldn’t buy it even if the ad campaign was cute baby animals.

I signed my daughter up for modelling, someone's going to advertise baby clothes and toys and stuff why not her? she's going to need the leg up for a house deposit

How realistic are your expectations?

@MashedSpud - oh no!!!! Milka is lovely! But I didn't know it was really a "thing" in the UK. I always buy loads of it when I'm working away. I think the hazelnut taste puts some people off...

Sometimes ad campaigns are specifically looking for a black/mixed race kid. I’ve never seen one that says ‘no white children’.

And you won't, because that would be illegal. Unfortunately red hair isn't a protected characteristic so redheads are fair game. It's a vile advert generally and YANBU, OP.