Tesco Christmas card making fun of children with red hair

[Northernlebkuchen]

here

I can't believe they think they should sell something like this. So glad this woman got them taken out of our local tesco - now what about the rest of the chain?

I know two children horribly bullied because of their (beautiful) red hair. It's just the same as any other discrimination - breeds hate and misery

In North America red hair is considered attractive, even enviable. It's only in the UK that I've encounted this hatefulness against red heads.

I wonder if its because red hair is more common in Irish and Scottish people, and old English prejudices against these countries have spread to red heads that way?

Exactly, OrdinarySAHM. A small child won't understand that racism has political implications, just that someone thinks they are different because of the colour of their skin, or hair, or whatever.

And saying that the card is affirming that 'Santa still loves ginger kids' is just rubbish, sorry...

how would you feel if someone said, 'Well, I'm having a party and everyone can come, EVEN you despite your being considered less attractive/clever/acceptable visually than everyone else, in a popularly cultural and humorous manner of course'

shonaspurtle is right. And whilst, indeed, bullies will try and identify any weak spot - sticky out ears, weight, whatever - they tend to be a bit stupid and a bit lazy. So a general prejudice against red hair - which this card kindly reinforces - gives them a nice easy set of targets. They don't have to think too much (always nice for a bully). Thank you Tesco. Still, who needs another excuse not to shop there?

It's a load of old nonsense and I'm glad that the card got pulled. For those who are saying that the card is affirming that Santa loves redheads, if you think about the phrasing, it's almost as if to say that Santa is rather generous by extending his love to ginger kids too.

There's a great deal of ginger bashing these days and I'm getting fed up with it. I was bullied at school for it but developed a smart mouth (and an enviable swearing repertoire).

When I was pregnant with my daughter, my 'charming' SIL (aka Cruella), said, "What will you do if it's ginger?" as if that was some horrific affliction. Was the suggestion that I'd put 'it' back or give 'it' away just because of the hair colour. My daughter was actually born blonde and looks to be remaining that way; I didn't give a damn either way about her hair colour, I just wanted a healthy child.

There is a deep deep prejudice against gingers in the UK; it's the last apparently acceptable 'ism' and it gets up my bloody nose.

For those who are saying that we're "hand-wringing" lefties, you can bugger off. If you haven't put up with it for years yourself and are considered to be fugly simply because of your hair colour, then you've got no idea of what it's like.

Bite me.

Hear Hear!!! Bet there would have been uproar had the card said "black" instead of "ginger" or "fat"!!!

Being ginger is a race associated genetic trait - it is illegal to predudice against anything else associated with race, so why is it ok with ginger people....and it's NOT just a hair colour....I still wince at being called "moon tan" as a child, and having people snigger at my white eyebrows and white eyelashes!!!....luckily for me, I discovered make-up and the how to dress to complement being "pale and interesting" - my poor brother wasn't so lucky and is still uncurably shy around girls to the point that he's 39 and never really had a girlfriend (all stemming from the bullying he received as a ginger).

daftpunk - no, it's fine to have a go at people for their lack of taste in reading. But I have a sense of humour failure wrt 'retard' as a derogatory term for people with learning disabilities...

Interesting that red hair is considered a sign of beauty in N America - in the times when Anne of Green Gables was set it definitely was not. Wonder what's changed? (Obviously things do change over a century, but what exactly happened?)

Agree with those who don't understand where this prejudice against red hair comes from, really don't get it. Mind you, my Dad's Welsh, so if it is an anti-Celtic thing - even if associated with other non-English UK nations - that's probably why I don't see it. Hated those jokes about Taffy is a thief in the 70s.

Can't believe there are so many people on this thread who think its absolutely fine to take the piss out of children who have red hair. And then accuse those of us who don't think its very funny of having a sense of humour failure . Yes, children get bullied for all sorts of reasons but giving the bullies "permission" to do so in this way is just wrong.

Can you imagine if it said "even children with birthmarks/harelips/cleft palettes etc". Would those of you who thik this is OK think that is OK too?

So red-haired people who find this offensive are not merely gingers but also lacking a sense of humour?

I say we persecute people with that rat's-arse brown hair people so politely call "fair" Why? Because it's dull, uninispiring and unworthy of the term, 'colour'. For every Mick Hucknall or other exemplar of ginger=ugly, there's several thousand deeply unattractive nondescript sludgeheads. It's not even worth listing them....

Helen of Troy is portrayed as a redhead in some ancient illustrations. Because the colour itself was so unusual, it was used as an indication of her rare and ethereal beauty. A mousey personification of female beauty ..not something that one encounters in art or, indeed, bodice rippers!

I know this is the obvious response to the tedious post by Mrs Mattie but would she be so quick to "snigger" (a word i equate for some reason with juvenile incontinence) if we replaced red/ginger with black - and perhaps added tightly curled? Well, she might... on the internet, of course, because that's what cowards do isn't it?

Draws breath...goes downstairs to make tea...

My sis has red hair and because she is the nicest person ever she hasn't been bullied much about it. But she told me that when she was younger strangers used to shout abuse at her in the street or from cars because of the colour of her hair

I cannot understand this red hair business, my best friend's got red hair and it's gorgeous. I didn't grow up in this country and I hate the irrational mocking of ginger hair. I have started rows because someone I barely knew made a ginger comment...it pisses me off that we think it's acceptable to laugh at someone's hair colour. Argh! This makes me so

I tease my hubby about being ginger (and only him may I add, I don't actually think anything of it) but was absolutely GUTTED my son wasn't ginger. It would have been really special Hay ho, he has my hair colour, maybe the next one....

Gingers were popular in my school. Is that odd? Not because of their hair colour, they just happened to be the funniest, prettiest etc etc

almay you are describing my exact hair colour.... lucky my rare beauty out shines my hair..... urgh, if only that were true....

almay, I've got very dark brown (almost black) hair, do I escape persecution under your new rules? When I stand under a lightbulb, you can see (natural) red highlights but I've never stood there long enough to be teased.

I spent years dying my hair red as a teenager in order to get rid of my pooh-brown locks so am always v confused by the way that the kids I teach are so foul about red hair. And it seems to be just as prevalent now as it was 20 years ago, no sign of dying out at all.

The 'r' word however is way more prevalent than it used to be imo, quite sickeningly so. I don't want to lambast it, because I do love it so, but I blame South Park for that to a certain extent.

Did also have to laugh at Reginald D Hunter's comment on HIGNFY on Friday:
"Britain has racism, it's just not very good at it. Ginger-haired people, that ain't even a race and y'all lay into them."

snort at hignfy - was just about to post my outrage at card blah blah but that's so much better

I emigrated to the UK from Australia six years ago and have never understood why people with red hair get the piss taken out of them here. It's nothing out of the ordinary at all there - they're just like everyone else. If anything, women with red hair are stereotypically seen as kinda sexy saucepots over there.

not what I'm finding now I'm in Australia, Wolfear - a red-haired comedian on an evening tv show even had one of the audience yell "Ranga!" at him in the middle of the show. Friends of my DH (Aussie) had red hair and were picked on for it at school as well. Maybe it is area-dependent.

its a ginger kid....would you want your kid to have ginger hair. really, would you.
i wouldn't yuck

oh good, and to really add to the debate, a fully enlightened soul comes along and puts in their bit of poison

Lottie is trying to build her reputation as a troll.As a refutation, I offer my dd2 on my profile. I regularly get stopped in the street whiole people comment on her beauty. Good job for her- she is a little bugger though

I have seen your DD2 BoF - she is a gorgeous little minx with a smile a mile wide.

I imagine the card was designed for the adult market, not for children.

So would children really be upset by a card like this?

Or is it more the spelling-out of the
meaning/message by adults which is going to upset children?