Gingers reviled in Britain

Jul 30, 2007, 5:19 PM ET12 posts by 4 postersalt.tv.southpark
12 posts
Vic Arpeggioalt.tv.southpark

I'd say Nicole Kidman is more of a Daywalker, but I'm not an expert. I'll leave it to Cartman.

Vic

July 29, 2007

Julianne Moore, Nicole Kidman and Marcia Cross all have one thing in common. Besides being successful actresses, the three ladies are all redheads.

Some call them carrot-tops, copper-colored or believe stereotypes about feisty personalities. But in at least one country, being a redhead isn't so easy.

The British Isles feature more redheads than anywhere else on earth. But some people who have the genetic trait said they feel discriminated against.

"It's horrible," one woman said. "I mean, I love redheads. But people are quite anti-them."

In England, the flame-haired are called "ginger" or "ginge."

Photographer Charlotte Rushton said people often yell at her in the street and she often feels like part of a minority.

"The nail that sticks out gets hammered down," Rushton said.

The nation that gave the world Ginger Spice, the Duchess of York and Lily Cole may be ginger-phobic. And it is not a joke.

One British family of redheads, the Chapmans, told the British media it was driven from its home by abuse including anti-redhead grafitti, vandalism and physical assaults.

Even Prince Harry has said he was bullied at school because of his hair. Apparently, his army buddies called him the ginger bullet magnet and his girlfriend calls him the big ginger.

"Somebody with ginger hair will stand out from the crowd." said Louise Burfitt-Dons of the group Act Against Bullying.

Waitress Sarah Primmer just sued her boss for sexist and "ginger" abuse and won $35,000 compensation.

"When you get older, you don't expect people to say things about the color. It's not nice," she said.

Even TV comedian Catherine Tate highlights such absurdity with a fictional refuge for abused gingers on "The Catherine Tate Show."

"We have all sorts of gingers here: Gingers in denial, confused gingers even militant gingers," she joked on her show.

Rushton said when redheads see one another, there often is a sense of camaraderie.

"Redheads walk along the street and we nod or wink or smile at each other," she said. Rushton has photographed red heads for an as-yet unpublished book, "Ginger Nuts: A Celebration of Carrot Tops."

"It's a glorious color," she said. "It's amazing. Nature produced this color."

"Walter Traprock" wrote in message news:[email]...

I'm all three! Where does that leave me?

George "Strike me down while you can, but it won't make your dried up ovaries any more fertile." - Eric Cartman - 3 May 2006

"vic arpeggio" wrote in message news:[email]...

While you've targeted me as a Daywalker, you have no idea of the benefits of Vegemite...

George "If I was a towel, why would I be wearing this hat and this fake moustache" - Steven McTowelie - 19 April 2006

On Aug 2, 7:56 am, "Wog George" wrote:

I imagine that Vegemite makes a dandy sunscreen, which is what undoubtedly enables you and the other Daywalkers (and since your Australian, I suppose you're technically a "G'daywalker") to keep from instantly being burned to a crisp...

Vic

"vic arpeggio" wrote in message news:[email]...

My mistake. You DO know the benefits of Vegemite...

George "In the outside world I am a simple geologist, but in here I am Falcor, Defender of the Alliance." - Randy Marsh - 4 October 2006

On Aug 2, 4:25 pm, "Wog George" wrote:

Of course. We had a rather lengthy discussion about Vegemite a few months ago. BTW, not that I'm suggesting you're massaging the truth or anything, but I thought Wogs don't carry the ginger gene...;-)

Vic

"vic arpeggio" wrote in message news:[email]...

I'm Wog in name only.

George "We've got Jews and perverts and bullies and all kinds of sinners in this town, Sister Ann." - Eric Cartman - 26 July 2000

Well he's definitely NOT a scientologist anyway.

Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.