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Original poster

Tesco Christmas card making fun of children with red hair

377 replies

Northernlebkuchen · 15/12/2009 11:48

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

OP posts:
tethersjinglebellend · 15/12/2009 19:21

So the only acceptable form of comedy is that which does not pick on anyone?

That doesn't leave us much...

Bet it's a right laugh round some poster's houses

Georgimama · 15/12/2009 19:21

What nickytwotimes said. Ginger is not a racial group. Perspective please, people.

ThumbleBells · 15/12/2009 19:24

Redheads may not be victimised in the same way now, because bullying isn't anything really, is it but in the past redhaired women, in particular, were often accused of being witches, and killed for it.

sarah293 · 15/12/2009 19:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Flightattendant · 15/12/2009 19:27

But Nancy that is exactly what they are saying.

Georgimama · 15/12/2009 19:30

No one thinks bullying is OK. But people will bully other people about anything they can think of. I refuse to believe one single red headed child is going to bullied expressly because of this card. That's all.

Georgimama · 15/12/2009 19:32

The (sic) Nancy was a pedantic attempt to tell you that your grammar/syntax were wrong, which I'm not actually convinced they were anyway...

ThumbleBells · 15/12/2009 19:33

If one single redheaded child is given that card by someone and it upsets them, then it adds to the bullying quota for that child.

I think you are slightly missing the point anyway, Georgimama - the card is symptomatic of the prevailing attitude that it is somehow ok to pick on children/people with red hair. It is NOT OK.

gonaenodaethat · 15/12/2009 19:35

I think the grammar and the point of the post were spot on.

Georgimama · 15/12/2009 19:35

No, I think the handwringers on this thread are missing the point, and having a spectacular sense of humour failure, but there we are.

Flightattendant · 15/12/2009 19:35

No Georgie it wasn't,

it was a pedantic attempt to distance myself from the incorrect use of 'their' though in hindsight was probably unnecessary as any fellow pedants would have noted it was as copied anyway...

tispity · 15/12/2009 19:35

i am surprised that tesco agreed to stock these. however, i am just as against positive discrimination on this issue - that's when the perspective flies out of the window. the no. of people who have unconvincingly argued that nicola roberts is the most attractive member of girls aloud - purrrleeese. that's just not true and they know it. it compounds the problem rather than aiding the cause

BalloonSlayer · 15/12/2009 19:36

Ahem . . . it should have been [sic], Georgimama

lostinwales · 15/12/2009 19:37

I spotted DH from across a carpark because of the way his glorious hair was glowing in the sunlight, had pretty much decided to marry him by the second time I saw him! I do find it highly amusing in supermarkets when old ladies (WHY is it only ever old ladies) stop me to point out I have THREE sons and they ALL have red hair, it's not like I hadn't noticed myself! (Btw I think they are by far the most gorgeously haired children in the school, there is a photo on my profile)

As for the card I think I'm totally , can see why it would be annoying but also a bit meh myself.

blueberrysorbet · 15/12/2009 19:37

do all red haired kids get bullied? my ds has red hair and he is only 2.5yrs. what age does this stuff start? he is used to people commenting on his hair and trying to touch it

tackyChristmastreedelivery · 15/12/2009 19:38

Exactly ThumbleBells. As a forum that generally tries to use empathy and reason to look at why other norms in society are so difficult to work against [say the assumption that birth occurs with a women lying flat on her back], and can usually be relied on to kick back against insipid negative attitudes, I surprised the same reasoning cannot be applied to this card.

Flightattendant · 15/12/2009 19:38

i will admit to being an untrained pedant.

Flightattendant · 15/12/2009 19:38

untrained and selective...the most dangerous kind

Original poster
Northernlebkuchen · 15/12/2009 19:40

Am I right in thinking that everyone who thinks there is a sense of humour failure/overreaction/hysteria thing going on this thread would also be someone who doesn't have a red-headed child?

OP posts:
tiredandgrumpy · 15/12/2009 19:42

This thread has me so worried, both dcs have the most beautiful red hair, although neither dh nor I do. I haven't a clue how to help them deal with the bullying that sounds almost inevitable in their future school lives. I am so outrageously proud of their hair now - the way it glints in the sun and they just look so utterly gorgeous.

tackyChristmastreedelivery · 15/12/2009 19:42

Northern - I'm wondering if any of them called me ginger biscuit at school [and much worse things later]

Georgimama · 15/12/2009 19:43

Got me there. I don't have a ginger child. I even gave birth flat on my back - at my own insistence.

tackyChristmastreedelivery · 15/12/2009 19:44

I am ginger, I am offended by that card. It is my right to be so.

I am not generally known for being a hand wringer. I am generally known as a hard nosed sarcastic bag.

Georgimama · 15/12/2009 19:46

I'm rising above the pedantry tbh. I do enough proof reading at work to have given up caring on here. If the incorrect bracket is all you've got to argue with me on then I am not terribly worried.

Isn't all humour based on saying something that is in the ordinary course of things, unacceptable? Am I, for example, the only person who thought Frankie Boyle's joke about Rebecca whatsherface was funny?

ThumbleBells · 15/12/2009 19:49

Riven, thanks for the link - great song.

How very patronising to call us all "handwringers" - oh excuse us for being the butt of all these so-called "jokes" that are so extremely funny to those of you who don't have red hair in your family.

I can't keep typing the rest of what I want to say, I'll get reported.