Gingers

Ginger isn’t just a spice but a racialized term to describe redheads, specifically in Great Britain. In the U.S. I have never heard of anyone being discriminated against because they had red hair, but over seas they down right hate redheads. I originally saw this story on the news and was able to find it on Youtube. The story is about all the ridicule that redheads in Great Britain endure, accompanied with a few short interviews.








I have two reasons for choosing this story as a media device. One reason is that my boyfriend is a “ginger” and as a kid he was teased for it but he has never been discriminated against because of his hair. I also was so shocked by such arrogance from the people of Great Britain. The second reason is because I think it relates to the reading “Yellow” by Wu.
“Yellow” is a short autobiographical interpretation of his race, Asian. Wu talks about how he is either stared at or is simply just invisible, to everyone except family. Its that statement that really stands out to me when the first women is being interviewed, she says that when redheads see each other on the streets they give one another a nod or wink. Like Wu the redheads are in search of their own kind, so they don’t feel like such a minority. The women also said that just on her way in to do the interview she was yelled at, by some random person that didn’t like her red hair, which would be an example of just being stared at.
Then there is a blonde model in a magazine talking about her redheaded baby, she says “ I lover her anyway, even if she is a ginge! When people are horrible about people with red hair, its as bad as being racist”. Little does she know that it is racist, people with red hair are generally Irish and/or Scottish. Which brings me to another idea from Wu. Wu talks about the fictional character becoming more real than the actual person, in the case he mentions, a person can only understand their Asian friend after reading a book. In the story of the gingers, characters on television, like Willie on the Simpsons, become what all redheads are. Willie is the epitome of the Scottish stereotype, but because that’s what people know, all redheads automatically become angry Scottish people. Just like Wu’s friend became the character from a story.
Nearing the end of the story, Nightline interviewed a woman who sued her boss because he was sexist and “gingeriest”. Even though a cutesy word was used it means racism. This woman won her claim and received 35,000 dollars but she felt compelled to dye her hair so she wouldn’t have to face the ridicule anymore. She was basically forced to change who she was, just so she could live her life.
I couldn’t believe the hatred that exists toward redheads, here in the states we have issues but Great Britain’s issue with redheads is utterly menial and trivial. I can think of many times when someone was discriminated against because of the color of their skin but none because of the color of their hair. However, there is a stereotype against blonde women that they are stupid, but I can’t recall a time in history where they were literally yelled at on the streets.