I was watching the BBC documentary Magic Numbers, The Mysterious World of Maths and noticed that the presenter had red hair. Not a dye job, because she is translucently pale like fine china, just a natural ginger. I wouldn’t cross the street to avoid her, but I’ve heard some Brits act like redheads are horrifying monsters who should be burnt like witches (perhaps slightly exaggerated). Why is that? For every pasty-faced Rupert Grint (who I want to punch in the face but only because he looks like my brother) I’ll give you Karen Gillan.
But this Big Brother UK contestant tells of the misery of her childhood and what she has to do as an adult to hide her natural appearance. Why is that?
Ginger is the hair colour of the Scot - the Auld Enemy. But it’s a load of cobblers, really. It’s something of which the English like to make fun - like Chris Evans - but secretly love.
Yeah, I’ve always found it odd, too, as redheads are quite often considered quite attractive here in the US, at least from a cisgendered male perspective on the opposite sex. So it always struck me as odd when I learned of the whole “ginger” thing in regards to UK culture. Is there still some negative connotation to redheads in the UK (or, now that I read it again, England specifically, I would think), whether in regional pockets or the whole, or is this something exaggerated in pop culture or simply anachronistic?
Then you misread the reaction. Redheads are not remotely reviled. They are traditional, childish, figure of fun, reasons for which I have no explanation except that they are a minority, and minorities haven’t faired well in any society.
For the ones making the jokes, it’s done, most frequently, in ‘good natured jest’. For the child on the receiving end of a ribbing or mockery for their appearance - well, that has never been fun.
Isn’t rather like the reputed Welsh sheep fucking? It may be mistaken as genuine hostility but it’s stiff upper-lipped piss taking. I presume that after a while, it can get as tiresome as blonde or tall jokes unless you’re clever about it.
English Chris Evans. He’s not particularly well-known in the States, but I get the sense that, in terms of U.S. comparisons, he falls somewhere between Howard Stern and Ryan Seacrest.
There’s red hair in my family. I always wanted a redheaded kid. No luck.
I always thought the gingers were associated with the Irish and that’s why they were made fun of in England.
That could well be true. You know how every country has another country they use as the butt of their jokes - the stupid guy (eg Belgian’s for the French?). Well, the Irish traditionally were for the English (needless to say, such jokes have fallen out of favour). So it wouldn’t surprise me that Gingers have been associated with the Irish, hence being the butt of jokes.
I doubt many English would make the link in this day and age though.
