Comments about red hair

[37anddone]

I have been getting a lot of comments about the ‘risk’ of my child having red hair (I’m currently pregnant).

The suggestion seems to be this would be a negative outcome, and something I need to brace myself for.

I personally think ridiculing my child’s appearance before they have actually been born is a bit much.

AIBU to tell them precisely what I think about their comments, irrespective of the fallout that may cause.

Im a redhead OP. Do it for me 😃

Yep. It's alive and kicking (and just as prevalent in Scotland in my experience).

Such an odd thing that otherwise reasonable people think it's ok to "joke" about whether dh should marry me because of ginger baby risk, and congratulate me for not having ginger children (especially because they're boys "and it's not so bad on a girl").

Lots of milkman jokes when I was a baby as no other redheads immediate family. Hideous, loud public catcalling about collar and cuffs matching/ginger pubes as a teenager.

Some people really are foul, and honestly it doesnt make it ok just because some of you only hear compliments.

My hair is mousey brown but I think there are a lot of attractive redheads around. I can’t understand why anyone should think it acceptable to make derogatory comments about another person, whether a relative or a total stranger, about such a characteristic. The message is beginning to get through for race, sex, disability, sexual orientation but it seems it has barely started on red hair!

This makes me sad. My 3 year old Dd has a wild mop of red/ginger, whatever you want to call it, curly hair and bright blue eyes.
We live abroad and have had nothing but compliments, it’s seen as beautiful and unusual.
I’m not sure if it’s more of an older person and British thing?
I even have my own mum sometimes discussing if her hair will change etc and saying to call it red and not ginger.
Hate the way it’s seen as some kind of terrible flaw by some people.
Dread the thought of my Dd being teased, she’s a strong, feisty one though so I’m sure will put them in their place!

GrannieD that's horrific. We're inthe westcountry and there are loads of redheads here plus I can't remember anyone ever being rude about dd's hair. But the negative stereotypes and comments are in books, films, on tv... drip, drip, drip.

What is weird about the anti ginger thing is the way it’s seen as acceptable to make nasty comments, when it wouldn’t be with any other physical feature. It’s like it’s somehow not considered rude if it’s about ginger hair.

Your family are assholes.

I have a dd with red hair. She is my third dd, older two were blonde and brown, myself and DH are both brown so when she came out red we couldn't believe it. She is proper red with ringlet curls. Everywhere we go people comment on how amazing her hair is. And it really is unreal, the colour and the curls. I hope the comments stay that positive, she is only 2 so we will see.

How sad. I have fake red hair and absolutely love it. I had orange hair and loved that too. Ginger hair is gorgeous! So much more interesting than my naturally dark brown hair (yawn).

Here are the links I was thinking about:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-15001467#:~:text=It%20has%20announced%20that%20it,too%20much%20in%20our%20stock.%22

theweek.com/articles/481653/why-sperm-banks-are-rejecting-redhaired-donors

Didn't realise this was still a thing, my first was a redhead (as was I) I got told his hair was 'like spun gold' and I never got bullied over it and I'm in my 60s, did get bullied over my weight, however, which gave me a life long problem with thinking I was fat even when I was thin!!

I absolutely love red hair and would love to have it. I always compliment red heads, I'd love to have it as its much more unique than other hair colours.

@MarmiteCoriander If you read the article, it isn’t really saying anything bad? What’s the point in posting it, other than to make red headed people/parents of red headed children feel crap?

Definitely pull them up on their stupidity, this type of nonsense will never die out until it gets called out.

My son has strawberry blonde or what some would describe as slightly red hair. I have people actively stop me in the street to tell me how gorgeous his hair is and not a week goes by where someone doesn't comment on his hair and how beautiful it is. Honestly.

My eldest is a red head and quite a striking lad - 6’3 and brown eyes his hair is beautiful and he gets a lot of attention from girls. He’s a lovely lad, sensitive and kind. He was bullied a bit in primary but he’s a tough cookie and couldn’t care less about what people may or may not say but I think it’s awful, he can’t help his hair colour, red hair is stunning vibrant and l really like it. Funnily enough my mum and sister ‘joked’ whilst I was in labour that I’d it’s ginger I can dye it….guess I should’ve mentioned mother in law is ginger - they’d not met then. Tell your family and friends they are Arseholes

It’s astonishing isn’t it how rude people are about red heads?

on Friday I was waiting at the bar for the red headed bar maid (ugh that’s a horrible term too isn’t it? Just wanted to let you know it was a woman) to serve me. We were chatting away while she worked when we both became aware of two blokes a few feet along the bar talking loudly and very disparagingly about red heads. Just horrible. We both gave them short shrift but blimey it’s breathtaking how done people (sorry but usually men) think it’s ok to talk like that.

Tell them where to go, OP!
I have a redhead DD and she almost always gets compliments. Once a hairdresser commented to me (whilst cutting her hair) that I needed to be careful, especially when she goes to secondary school. I asked why and she said “kids can be so cruel.”
We’ve taught DD exactly where her hair comes from (Irish heritage) and she’s proud of it.

Somehow those with red hair and twins are see as fair game for uncalled for comments. My partner once dated one of identical twins and on occasions they were all out together got asked some very intrusive questions. And a colleague at work, who had the most beautiful red hair, got a lot of 'I'd fancy you if you weren't ginger' type from the knuckle draggers (men) in her office. Tell the idiots saying this to go boil their heads.

Because mosy people dont want to have a ginger baby. Thats why they comment...

I think they probably don't want it for their kid,but also for selfish reasons..

@Marvellousmadness Why don’t most people want to have a ginger kid? And for what selfish reasons?

I love it, and think red hair is beautiful ❤️ ignore anyone hateful enough to speak badly about a child for their hair colour. Or speak badly on a child at all. There must be so many things you're thinking about, I don't know how anyone could say anything so stupid to you. I'm sorry that you're even having to worry about this

Ds was strawberry blonde when he was born but his hair has turned to white blonde, his baby hair got redder when he ate carrots.

I think some of it comes from old anti Scots racism.
I adore red hair, I remember my grandad crossing his fingers for a red headed grandchild or great grandchild as his sisters were auburn. Alas, we all produced blondes!

Which is ridiculous. It's literally just hair colour
Imagine saying I don't want a baby with brown hair, or blue eyes, or dark skin

Our youngest is a red head. We used to tell him he got his hair color from his Viking ancestors and his love of Irn Bru. The only person, that I’m aware of, that ever said anything negative was an older woman who asked if he got badly treated for being ginger. We never allowed anyone to call him ginger.
He is the most even tempered person I’ve ever seen, he’s never lost his temper, which makes him miles apart from me and his brother, he obviously takes after his dad there.