Ginger Abuse

[chardman]

I've never understood the seemingly heartfelt hate that some people have for gingers. I've actually seen quite a lot which implies that gingers aren't really even human, but sub-human or evil in some way. Like Satanic imitations of people, sent to live among us, to spy upon us for Lucifer himself. Of course, people who feel that way are simply morons who should be put to death for the good of all mankind, but I digress.

Red headed women tend to be utterly gorgeous.

As to whether red headed men are considered attractive: Just check out any Harry Potter fanfic sites that allow "erotic" submissions, and check out the sheer volume of slash there is that involves the Weasley males (particularly twins Fred and Georg)

And say what you want about CSI:Miami's David Caruso, but back in 2003, he was featured on the cover of People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" issue. He still has a massive female fan following. And again, just check out the slashfic on the CSI fanfic sites.

And apparently the redheaded production assistant of "The Late Late Show w/ Craig Ferguson", Bridger Winegar, has received so much fan-mail from his few on-screen appearances, that host Craig Ferguson has been compelled to comment on it, and joked about Bridger's "groupies".

 

[USS Triumphant]

I don't really know many red-haired men. I can only think of one offhand, actually.

Conan?

 

[Trekker4747]

What brought this on was an episode of "What Would You Do" a "news magazine"/reality show on.... ABC? Anyway they set up hidden-camera operations where they see what people's reactions are to manufactured situations. Last Tuesday they had an episode on where viewers submitted ideas and helped produce the segment. In one segment a short-statured man set up a situation where customers (actors) were harassing a short-statured man (actor) and see if anyone in the crowded store would come to the man's rescue. The "producer" of the segment says that the kind of harassment seen in the segment -being called names like 'Munchkin", "Ooompa-Loompa", etc., and people wanting their pictures taken with him are fairly common in his everyday life. In the store most of the unknowing patrons of the store came to man's "rescue" to ward off his harassers, in another segment a woman confined to a wheel-chair due to a severe case of spinal-bifida (actor) is belittled by a patronizing helpful woman (actor) to help reach somewhat high objects, push the wheel chair, etc. Again testing to see how the unknowing public would come to the rescue.

In the "ginger" segment a Middle School or Jr. High School aged kid (tested with both a boy and girl) with red-hair is teased by fellow students in a neighboring restaurant booth over being a "ginger"/having red hair. Hurling insults at him, common ones like not being able to handle the sun, etc. The kid who gave the idea/produced for the segment was red-haired and said the situation was something he deals with everyday.

This left me mostly confused because it made no sense. The segment made reference to the South Park episode which had always assumed it was one of those SP episodes where they're just being nuts and doing something random rather than touch on an actual issue/popular culture BS. But it seems this is a real "problem", at least for children. The red-haired patrons who came to the children's rescue said that the ginger harassment all but goes away by high-school/adulthood.

It baffled me because I never saw such "harassment" towards red-haired kids I knew in school, nor have I ever seen any in my adult life other than people snarkily referring to South Park. As mentioned above red-haired women are almost universally gorgeous (I guess providing everything else is appealing) and there's more than a few red-haired men who men like.

But it's really an issue? Kids really tease based on red-hair? Why not blond hair, black hair or brown hair? Why "gingers"?

Why do we call them redheads when we don't call brunettes "brownheads."?

I don't buy any argument linking redheads to ancient satanic beliefs that occurred half a millennium ago, seems to me there's some social, behavioral or just instinctive component to make people "lash out" onto redheads or lust after them nightly.

But I'm rambling, I think the nightly meds are kicking in.

 

[Bears Discover Fire]

It's a subject that's come up a few times here, that while it's standard for men to find red-haired women hot, it's considered unlikely that a woman will find a red-haired man attractive.

I do always try to point out my love of red hair on men, but I don't seem to be making much headway in the prevailing opinions of society

I for one have never found gingers more or less attractive than the rest of the population, so the motivation in the supposed red-head bashfest remains a mystery to me.

Then again, I've never exactly had very orthodox tastes in men. My idea of attractive tends to run counter to popular opinion, whatever that constitutes. When the hunk of the week threads were still going, the guys with the most thumbs down were invariably the ones I found more attractive.

 

[Trekker4747]

For be finding redheads hot is probably due to linking "red" with things like "hot", "fiery", "passion." As sexy as a black dress can be, red-dresses can be very, very sexy. Probably all in how you perceive colors and link them to emotions and feelings and your desires in a potential mate.

 

[Capn Flukie]

I see jokes relating to gingers a lot in British TV shows. Heck, even the Doctor made a comment of "still not ginger!" the last time he regenerated. Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson often makes ginger jokes on the show.

There was a Ginger Safe House on the Catherine Tate show.

 

[scotpens]

I don't buy any argument linking redheads to ancient satanic beliefs that occurred half a century ago . . .

Wow, were folks really still that ignorant and superstitious in 1961? We have come a long way!

 

[munwai]

I would imagine it's because they tend to stand out in a crowd--their seeming otherness. There's not too many in my part, just a lot of bleach blonds and brunettes for the most part.

The only redhead I know who was ever picked on was an angry loner who was a bit vicious himself.

 

[SG-17]

I don't know why gingers would get any grief, redheads are hot, yo.

THIS.

Once you have intercourse with a ginger/redheaded woman you develop a preference for their unique hair color and pale complexion.


It has been scientifically proven that women who wear red are more attractive than women who wear other colors, even if it is the same woman in a different dress. Maybe that is why gingers/redheads are so hot.


I make a distinction between ginger and redhead in that gingers are completely ginger if you know what I mean and a redhead's carpet coloring may vary despite their drapes being naturally ginger (at least in my experience).

 

[captainmkb]

the term 'ginger' is only for those super-pale, freckle-skinned redheads

redheads with plainer complexions are known as 'daywalkers' (according to south park)

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Kids don't look for groups to pick on. They pick on everyone.

Yes, unless they're influenced by the bigotry of their parents or other adults, kids generally don't pick on members of other groups. They just pick on fat kids and retards.

As though that (or using the term "retard") is any better...

 

[LunarYoma]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo3HMYLutPw

 

[wellsweb]

People have a way of being cruel. Growing up ginger can't begin to compare with growing up albino as me and my brother did. Having snow white hair and being legally blind can kinda mess up your life. It's made much worse by parents who don't know how to be supportive. Sharp Electronics used an albino spokesman for their televisions a couple of years ago and I was SHOCKED by the amount of vitriol I found on the web against the both the man and the company..

 

[Roger Wilco]

Whether or not there's some historical context for "ginger" discrimination or not (I'd suspect in Britain it has to do with general discrimination against the Irish) I'm quite confident for most younger people today it was popularised "thanks" to South Park; that's certainly where I first heard about it. And I think South Park themselves chose "gingers" to make their point against school bullying/racism/homophobia there precisely because it's such an absurd stereotype.

 

[RJDiogenes]

There are fewer redheads than other colors. Minorities have always been picked on by the majority.

I don't buy any argument linking redheads to ancient satanic beliefs that occurred half a millennium ago, seems to me there's some social, behavioral or just instinctive component to make people "lash out" onto redheads or lust after them nightly.

Why? People today pick on Gays, Jews et cetera because of ancient beliefs that most aren't aware of anymore. There are a lot of behaviors with obscure origins that are carried on through inertia.

 

[iguana_tonante]

This left me mostly confused because it made no sense.

Why, because other kinds of stereotype and discrimination make sense? Bigotry is always irrational. This might be a kind of bigotry you are unfamiliar with, but it's just as absurd as xenophobia or homophobia.

There are fewer redheads than other colors. Minorities have always been picked on by the majority.

Pretty much.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

I thought this was about Gilligan's Island.

I thought it was about overdosing on ginger.

I thought this would be about giving Karen Gillan a good spanking.

It still could be actually.

I'll be in my bunk.

 

[TerokNor]

A friends of mine had his internship in a school, first grade. There was a red-haired boy (with freckles all over) inside and the teacher had prejudices against him. For her he already looked more cheeky then the other children and she said to my friend, that she just knew, that this boy would be trouble (she didn´t know the boy, it was the first week of school for the children). She was from the beginning a lot more strict (and unfair) to him then to the children without red hair.
Never heard the term "ginger abuse" before, but yes, certain prejudices against red-haired children certainly seem to exist in some peoples mind.

TerokNor

 

[The Inquisitor]

After watching the documentary 'Fuck off I'm ginger' (channel 4 Uk if I remember correctly) they sited a scientific study of 'gingerness' and attractiveness to the opposite sex. The results were pretty interesting. Being a female ging has no effect on attractivnes but if you are male and ging then you imefiatly become less appealing to the opposite sex. Something to do with lowered immune system I believe.

My best mate (gingerballs) is a Ginger and he persistently catches colds that I don't and has many allergies. I blame it on his 'gingerskin', his imunr system is rubbish. Same with most gingers I know.

In regards to Ginger hate, I dint think it exists, not like racism or homophobia. When was the last time you saw an 'anti-ging' march or someone being passed over for promotion for having red hair? Mick hucknall (from simply red) came out a few years back saying gingers suffered as much as black people and there was a backlash against him.

Kids in school will always get picked on for one thing or another. It seems fully acceptable in the UK. If you are interested go to YouTube and look for 'This is England 86 ginger' for some of the most amusing Ginger talk I have ever seen.

On a more serious note check out M.I.A's 'born free' video.

 

[captcalhoun]

i can't believe you people are saying you've never heard of this. it's been going for YEARS...

where have you been living? under ayer's rock?!