Gingers: Why so much hate?

[Lauren Olson]

     When does a joke turn into prejudiced and eventually racism? I wouldn't say that America is on the verge of a ginger-genocide, but the jokes have increased in the last few years. I think of a Ginger as anyone who has red hair.  Ginger is defined by the Urban Dictionary as, "A human, characterized by pale skin, freckles and bright red hair.
"Gingers" are generally considered to be inferior to their more
melanin-rich brethren, and thus deservingly discriminated against.
Gingers are thought to have no souls. The condition, "gingervitis" is
genetic and incurable." In 2008, a Facebook page was
created called “Kick a Ginger Day.” I don't know if the members carried
out this day, but I would be afraid if I was a ginger.

      Where does the ginger hate originate from? I did some research and I found that Theophylus Presbyter, an11th-century monk, wrote that the blood of a young redhead could be used to transform copper into gold. In

1486, Malleus Malefacarum declared that "Those whose hair is red, of a
certain peculiar shade, are unmistakably vampires." Ginger hatred
surfaced in England due to anti-Irish sentiment. In more recent times, a
British company was forced to pull its advertisement that said "Santa
loves all kids, even ginger ones," because it provoked a national
response. Then, in 2005, "South Park" aired an episode in which Cartman
gives a hate speech declaring that "gingers do not have souls."

 

     This may all seem like a joke, but when searching the internet I found websites dedicated to Ginger hatred. The comments include threats to ginger children and the calling for a vaccine to cure “gingervitis.” I
also found a few articles that include a little ginger girl being forced
to switch schools due to being constantly bullied because of her hair
color or a ginger family, from England, being attack in their
home.    

   MIA released a nine-minute music video for her song  "Born Free."  The video imagines, in vivid detail, a world where brutal riot cops round up gingers, shoot them in the head, beat them with batons,
and force them to run through mine-fields. The video caused so much
controversy it was pulled from YouTube. I watched it and it's quite
disturbing, but the video makes me think twice about making fun of a
ginger.

    I challenge you to ask yourself, is the carrot-top hate a joke or racism?

[Ashlyn Jensen]

I definitley agree with some of the points you've made, but w/ others I see things from a different point of view. I agree that in some cases, people take making fun of gingers to point  way beyond where it should ever be taken, and yes some could see it as racism. But in other cases, i think its more innocent than that. Yes, theres not really a point to it, but i dont really think all cases are as extreme as to be classified as racism. I know, my best friend is a ginger, and I occasionaly tease him, and he doesn't find it offensive, only because he knows I'm kidding and I would never mean anything by making a comment about his hair. I think it also has something to do with the person your talking to, and how sensitive they are. But again, I agree there is no need to make ginger comments, especially if you know someone is sensitive about it.

[Megan Teschner]

i think everyone has made a ginger joke atleast once in their life. i believe that peoples hate on ginger is racism. just because theyre different doesnt mean people should treat them differently and make jokes out of them.

[Grace Stapleton]

Yeah, I don't understand either. The whole "gingers have no souls" thing got old fast. It seems to mostly guys the have red hair that get bullied. Girls not as much. I have a friend who dyed her hair red and she calls herself a ginger but in a way, I think she's making fun of people who actually have red hair.

[Lauren Andersen]

In some cases, yes, I can see how the ginger jokes cross the line. Personally, I've never seen it get crossed. I have many friends who can be considered "gingers" and also many family members and I've honestly never thought of them as any different than  my other friends, so this blog really came as kinda of a shock to me. I feel like the world gets along easier when it can make differences seem abnormal. People try to find every little flaw in someone who is different and then picks apart and belittles that flaw to withhold their standing in society. Not to say being a ginger is a flaw, it most certainly isn't, but since it is not an extremely common trait, people tend to hate.

[Kaity Drahos]

As a proud Irish girl, I do take some of these jokes offensively. I was born very pale, with lots of freckles, and red hair. I just don't understand why these jokes were brought around. I mean, it's not like we could help the hair we're born with.. even today after I have dyed my hair black, I get laughed at when I say I have naturally red hair. Although I've gotten pretty good at just brushing it off, it can sometimes get to me. I understand it's just a joke to some people, but there are some that really do believe the things they say. I don't think the people that joke about it realize that some people actually feel that way.

[Ben Perkins]

I am not going to lie south park is a fantastic show, and this was an extremely funny episode. But "ginger kids" are not even a race, I know it offends people when they get called ginger, but im sure there is wide range of red hair kids who are smart enough to know that they are not a race, because it is all genetic. That one dude screaming at the camera saying "GINGERS DO HAVE SOULS!!" I mean come on? Do you actually believe that people without red hair think you don't have a soul...? It is alittle stereotype that gives people a good laugh, and I am sure that a lot of kids with red hair are laughing at that south park episode and are even laughing at that one kid screaming at the camera. PEOPLE it is just funny... sorry. Doesn't make you any less of a person. everyones equal, people just have to take a joke.

[Kristina Lopez]

I think any jokes that has to do with what you look like or what religion you are are really stupid.  No one should be made fun of for who you are.  I know there are a lot of ginger and blonde jokes, and they don't always hurt people, but that does not mean its OK to say something so harmful.  Gingers are just the same as the rest of us.  I feel bad with those who have red hair and freckles, they get a lot of hate, when "normal" people with brown hair get no hate at all.

[Clayton Cox]

Like Alex said, this is blown out of preportion. If this is really a problem, what about all of the blonde jokes? haha. I'm blonde, and have never cared when people make a dumb blonde joke at me. A lot of dumb blonde jokes are towards girls, but that's the same thing. I don't think blonde girls really care. These are just jokes, and nothing close to "descrimination" or "racism." A "ginger" is not a race. haha

[Garrett O'Reilly]

The fact is, is that this isn't racism, it's a joke. It may appear to be racism because people are being judged based on their appearance, but people that are "treated as gingers" only get a tease. Nobody is going to deny a person with red hair a job, like some people would deny a person of a minority a job.

 

This bullying of gingers is light-hearted. To understand, you must first understand the nature of people and the internet. When someone can become anonymous online, they don't need to have any morals. Anyone online that is easy "troll-bait" can be lured into dramatic situations where one side ends up looking like a fool, while the other side LOLs. If a person is easy to troll (make fun of), and has red hair, why not make it about the hair?

 

This is an example of what the bullies on the internet want from people they make fun of. By coming up with the lame excuse that his hair was lame, they got a hilarious video.

 

[Jessi Jorgensen]

I'll admit, i'm guilty of making ginger jokes because I am good friends with a lot of red-haired people, but I totally agree with this blog. This "discrimination" has really gotten out of hand. Reading this, I put myself into the situation and I know I would feel extremely targeted if I were a red head. Now, I'll definitely think twice before making ginger jokes.