Poll: Gingerism - what's the deal?

[Mr.Tophat]

Yah, it probably isn't a good thing, but it is not racism. The weird hate towards gingers only really started showing up in the US, at least recently, due to South Park's crazy antics. It was never anything more than a joke, but, of course, someone takes the damn thing seriously and it snowballs. So now we got a whole lot of kids hating cause they want something to hate; though i am confident most aren't serious when they joke about it.

Don't worry mate; i predict this aint going to last long... unless we MAKE it last long by focusing way to much on it.

 

[Dafttechno]

I once saw a Man Code list that said: "Gingers are manly by definition, for they are descended from Vikings."

 

[deckpunk]

I remember reading that this rather strange attitude people have toward ginger people may have roots in bona fide racism, specifically the anti irish sentiments and opinions present in late nineteenth to early twentieth century England. Regardless this quasi-racism is as dumb as the real thing and needs to stop.

 

[Anonymoustache]

Mostly I think it's a joke. I'm naturally a redhead, and I have the pale skin and freckles. My friend calls me a filthy ginger all the time, but always jokingly. The only times I've experienced the term is in a joking way, from people who obviously don't mean it.

I understand some people take it way too far and actually seem to discriminate against redheads, which confuses me, but so do a lot of other things that people do or say. In a joking manner I think it's alright - it can get tiresome, but if I let them know it's grating on me they generally stop - but the people who actually believe that redheads are lesser people absolutely astound me.

Also beyond the skin colour I can never understand the link between ginger (the plant) and a pale person with freckles and red hair...

 

[Ilke]

Those people never met Boadicea, yaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Red hair itself is pretty "rare" to be honest, and rare physical attributes usually attract violence from people like bullies. Why? Because it "stands out", it's "uncommon" for them. And we have a tendency to despise and loathe (with different intensity) what is uncommmon and outstanding, sometimes even because of jealousy.

Of course, the prejudice against red haired people also stems from racist rhetoric (Britons and Irish people being considered inferior etc), but bullying for red hair cannot be considered to de racism today. It is stupid, it is appaling, but it's not worth using the r-word for.

 

[postblitz]

All my life I've had to put up with arseholes taking the piss out of me because I'm "ginger" (which I'm not, I have red hair but I'm not particularly pale and I don't have any freckles). When I was a kid I was bullied in school for it a lot, and always thought that it would just go away as I got older. I'm 22 now, and I can tell you that it hasn't gone away. I've had abuse shouted at me at gigs, in pubs and all sorts, the vast majority of the time without any provocation whatsoever.

What I really want to know is: where the fuck does this come from?!? I can't see any reason for it at all. I originally thought it was just a UK thing, but when South Park did that episode I realised that it's going on in America too. It's not as though it's even an underground problem, most people are pretty open about it and nobody gives them a hard time like they would if they were being abusive towards, say, a black person. It's even started seeping into the media, with MIA's controversial video for "Born Free":

http://vimeo.com/11219730

Now, I don't for a minute think that MIA's message here is "kill all redheads", but I think she really does highlight the issue of how we are seen by some people. It's almost as if it's acceptable to be abusive towards us, because we're not really a racial minority so we can take it...

So escapists, do you think this is a problem? If so, why and what can be done about it? please share any views or experiences you've had relating to the issue.

then again you could've made fun of it and call them out for your evil powers and threaten to eat their souls! mwahahaha

..

OT: jealousy

 

[XHolySmokesX]

I have found that ginger haired people are one of the only groups that aren't supported when they get bullied for being ginger.

It's as if gingerism is totally accepted, and i think one of the reasons is, around where i went to school, all the ginger kids took it on the chin and made a joke out of it or reversed the joke.

 

[Zhukov]

Huh.

I was not aware that people got picke don for that. I mean... red hair, really?

 

[Javak]

I have been affected pretty badly due to this. I was bullied from 1st grade all the way through high school. Because of this, I already had very low self esteem. It was only till my sophmore year that the ginger comments came in. When that happened, I started becomming violent, and hated alot of people. When I tried to talk to my advisors, and even the principle, they brushed it off, see it as a phase.

I've been out of high school for two years now, but it still affects me. I am self concious enough to the point of paranoia. I even have moments wear I think my friends loathe me. Please, before you make fun of someone, make sure that they can handle it.

 

[DirtyMagic]

Since red hair is a recessive genetic trait, it's bound to get extrinct somewhere in the future anyway!
MWHAHAHA!

No seriously, I do like redheads.

 

[Astoria]

That's really a problem where you come from? All I've seen really has been harmless fun and no ones got hurt from it. If people are seriously abusing you for having red hair I think they need to grow up a bit.

 

[Javak]

It was non existant until South Park covered it. Now it is rampant within the school systems.

 

[MADrevilution]

i think its a horrible thing to be genuinely picked on for, i mean i have a ginger friend and i slag him off about being ginger and he slags me off about being lanky. its what friends do! but if someone actually said it to him and meant it as an insult i would actually shoot them below the belt =.=

 

[Matt-Sama]

But they don't have souls....

 

[Minjoltr]

I've got red hair and people have always taken some sort of issue with it and not in jest. They shout, they throw things, they spit, they think pouring water over my head 'because it's on fire' is a wizard wheeze. It's embarrassing rather than hurtful (except when things collide with me) but it does make me nervous about going out anywhere in case somebody does something and then everybody stares and I feel like I shouldn't be there. I'm 24 now and it didn't really start until I moved up to secondary school but it's carried on since then.

 

[Sronpop]

It is racism but really, everyone in school gets picked on for something, everyone, being redhead just makes you an easy target, hell I would prefer to be slagged over red hair than a genuine insecurity, that would really undermine your confidence.

Its racism but there is nothing you can do about it, if white people slag you over it its legal racism to them and if a black person etc does that's just because 'whitey had it coming his way anyway'.

There is nothing wrong with having red hair, just realize it makes you an easy target, humans judge people on the first recognizable difference they can see, be that color of skin, color of hair, weight, height, how they dress.

Accept your difference and just live a happy life, if you worry too much on pleasing other people you constantly undermine yourself and are never good enough for yourself.

 

[Lead Herring]

Yeah, it's technically racism as they are singling you out and insulting you based on a racial trait. The reason why it is such a popular reason for bullying is because it's a rare hair color that stands out. It's kinda like how black kids were bullied in schools where they werent common, except that became a taboo. You have the unfortunate destinction of being a minority among whites.

 

[spartan231490]

I don't have the information necessary to answer the poll. Everytime i've ever seen it, it's like: Haha, your a ginger, don't get burned. and then it's over. Just harmless teasing. If it gets to the point of continued harassment by a single person, or actual discrimination for something like employment, then it's a form of racism.

 

[Ranorak]

That's all I have to say on the matter.
Dye job or not, redhead (and gingers) are hot!

[small]Disclaimer: Not all, mind you![/small]