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Had something on my chest, didn’t I? Fun fact, Sam was originally conceived as a redhead, but I figured there were enough representations of redheads as nerdy and bookish out there. (Not that I won’t ever have characters with red hair… obviously.)
I hope Sam’s rant comes across clearly here: I’m not trying to imply that gingerism is just like racism or antisemitism. There’s obviously a history to each kind of bias which informs how it functions on an institutional level, and we can’t conflate one with another. But the words that I’ve heard come out of people’s mouths about “gingers”? The words I’ve heard even come out of very thoughtful progressive people’s mouths (or keyboards) about “gingers”? Are like a fill-in-the-blank for other stereotypes they KNOW are dated and bogus.
News flash: it’s never funny to dehumanize someone. There are ways to construct jokes without reducing people to their physical characteristics. These jokes can be just as funny, and probably even funnier, because you’re not alienating a portion of your audience. If you are a progressive making dehumanizing jokes, you should resolve this contradiction by either ceasing to make these kind of jokes, or ceasing to identify yourself as progressive.
Words have consequences. Intolerance breeds violence.
I got heated about this topic from happenings in my personal life, but Sociological Images made this post on the topic, which included this very disturbing paragraph:
“Gingerism appears to be ongoing, especially in Britain… A recent series of verbal and physical attacks is nicely documented at Wikipedia. They include a stabbing, a family who has had to move twice after their children were bullied, a woman who won a sexual harassment suit after being targeted for her red hair, and a boy who committed suicide after being teased relentlessly.”
Shakesville also had this piece on an ad campaign in Australia. I know in the U.S. the big example to work with would be the South Park episode, but I haven’t seen it, so I’ll only say, while I realize South Park often intends to be satirical, intent is not magic. And if the lesson there was “don’t bully redheads”, obviously, the message widely didn’t stick.
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↓ TranscriptSAM: So, because someone has red hair and freckles, I shouldn’t want to date them?
JULIA: I’m sure she’s nice, but come on, gingers are just, different. And not really attractive.
SAM: And I suppose she shouldn’t want to date me because I’m a dumb blonde? Or because I’m fat?
JULIA: No, I didn’t say…
JULIA: You’re not fat!
SAM: Yes I AM, Julia. I’m fat and I’m beautiful and Liz is a ginger and she’s beautiful.
SAM: It is so abhorrent to me that while I work hard every day to SMASH prejudice, people are thinking up NEW ones. What’s next, brown eyes? Small earlobes?? Redheads are INHERENTLY unattractive? There’s something just WRONG with them? Do you realize how sentences like these SOUND? You sound like my clueless uncle telling me all Asians look the same, or the kids on the playground saying Jews have hook noses, except you're not a child and you don’t yet have the pathetic excuse of “that’s how it was in my dayâ€. This IS your day! And you’re ACTIVELY DECIDING to judge and outcast and stereotype people and cause loneliness and hurt and even lasting emotional scars, based on this bogus standard someone made up so they could crack jokes at other people's expense and feel like they’re superior! Well, you’re no better than her and you’re no better than me, you, YOU BIGOT!
LIZ: Excuse me?
SAM: Oh… hi.
LIZ: Hi! I am dating you, right? Because I’d hate to have to reject her after that thorough of a verbal smackdown.
… I honestly had no idea that “gingerism” even existed. My girlfriend’s a ginger, and I think she’s gorgeous.
I want to quote your post in my blog. It can?
And you et an account on Twitter?
thank MAUD that’s about the only “ism” that hasn’t taken root in the states. i get nothing but compliments about my hair and have never been teased about that. many MANY other things, yes, but my hair color/complexion, no.
I often hear gingerist statements used knowingly to make fun of other prejudices such as skin colour – because (outside the UK only, perhaps?) it’s sounds as irrational as – well, as small earlobes. When Australia elected its first female PM (a redhead), I really enjoyed that people were able to deal with her policies rather than her femaleness, and part of the way they did this was jokingly focussing on the importance of her bring the first ginger PM, rather than female.
My mind boggles that this is even a THING.
Like… Japan I could understand bullying on that front (understand meaning I see where they’re coming from), being virtually uniform in hair color.
But in Britain and Australia? Really? Failure.
lol the first boy I ever had a crush on was a ginger. 😛 Gingers are adorable.
I think redheads are the hottest of all women. But I don’t discriminate too much. 🙂
Oops – should’ve saved my rant for this ep. Sorry.
(Nicole Kidman, Alyson Hannigan, Laura Prepon…)
This totally hpaepned to me in middle school in KY. To this day people sneer and snicker when they have the opportunity to use the phrase redheaded step-child in my presence. Yea. Real effing funny folks. And you wonder why redheads are charged with having raging tempers. Kind of explains the chip on my shoulder, eh?