At last, a blow is being struck for truth, justice and equality:
Gingerism in the workplace could form the basis of formal grievances or constructive dismissal cases, an employment lawyer has warned. The news comes in the wake of one Newcastle family having to move house because of abuse about its members’ red hair.
The Chapman family has moved home three times in three years in the Newcastle area because of abuse directed at its six red-haired members. Kevin Chapman told reporters that his 11-year-old son even attempted suicide after becoming depressed following years of abuse.
The story has led to speculation about whether insults over red hair could have the same legal status as insults regarding a person’s race or gender.
This country is plagued with ugly and unchecked gingerism which is completely unacceptable in a multi-folicle society. According to scientifically-proven statistics more than 100% of ginger-haired people die before the age of 6 due to ruthless oppression and rampant pilophobia. This has serious repercussions for their future employment and housing prospects. This is the worst problem facing the world today and it is high time that the politicians did something to combat it. Hirsuitism must stop. Full stop.
Wait, didn’t I see this on a South Park episode already?
Man, between this and the Islamic Episcopalian Priest, my “life imitating Parody” meter is going to have to be re-calibrated.
I think “multi-follicular”* would have been more accurate than “multi-follicle”. Even Homer Simpson has three functioning follicles across his bonce.
“Hirsutism” refers to something rather different than the colour of hair. It’s more quantity and texture.
I don’t really see the prejudice myself. In my salad days I knew loads of lads who wanted nothing more than to go on a “Ginge Minge Binge”.
For myself, one of the very finest of ladies who take their clothes off on the internet is strictly ex-Sov Irn-Bru (Gawd bless ya torrent!) so what’s their problem?
I have said too much.
*”Chromatically follicularly challenged tending to the lower end of the visible spectrum” would be even more accurate but a bit of a mouth-full. And I mean like a mouth-full of rusty wire-wool.
I have said far too much.
They have a higher pain threshold. The future belongs to them. The future is bright the future is orange.
What’s to be done?
A multi-million pound awareness and sensitivity campaign for starters. Free hair dye and counselling for Gingers who just can’t take it anymore. Ginger hate crime legislation with a re-education camp for gingerphobes.
And of course special subsidies for Ginger art and Welfare top ups for Gingers who are at a disatvantage due to the discrimination they face in the work place.
Why not come to Australia? We have a balding PM, a blondish Tintin-impersonating Opposition leader, and a red-haired Deputy opposition leader! Black-haired people are in short supply, so you might get in under some affirmative action plan. Oh, we’ll also give you an ironic nick-name- gingers will be called ‘Bluey’, politicians are called ‘Honest’, or ‘Honourable’, etc….
As a slaphead I have to say that gingers get it easy; everytime a TV “comedy” needs an archtype for mild, inoffensive, put upon and/or henpecked you can guarantee he will be bald. This is institutional hirsuitism and I’m sick of it (where do I claim my compen?).
As for the subjects of this thread, I am fairly certain I have seen other gingers when in Newcastle and they didn’t seem to be suffering. Could it be something else they have done to earn the hostility? But we can’t admit people hate us because we’re unpleasant, so we’ll claim it’s “cos we’s ginger”.
Anyone would think victimhood was an aspiration in modern Britain.
Stop the Suffering (Link)
What, praay tell, is ginger, other than a seasoning for Chinese food?
This is Ginger.
I think Catherine Tate did it too Dave.
Well this is good news for me !
You see I’m an undercover ginger!!
I have fair hair, well salt n pepper now, but when I grew a beard and moustache back in my 20s it came out bright red. My Welsh genes I expect.
That’s two victimhood cards I’ve got, and at the first sniff of compensation all I have to do is grow it back.
I to am bald – although no one seems to use any of the nick names (they never did “Baldy” Harper the free market economist any harm).
Red heads – they actually have a lower tolerance for pain (not a higher tolerance) and as their skin tends to be very pale they are subject to sun burn.
However, their reaction (biological reaction – they can choose to resist their impulses) to pain tends to be aggression (rather than running away or begging for mercy) – so perhaps this was the natural selction advantage. They were the original “no tolerance for….” people (cause them pain and get a lot more pain yourself).
As for hard words or other “discrimination” in the work place – the solution is simple, work somewhere else. “Discrimination” is simply another way of saying “freedom of choice” and if someone chooses (for example) to pay red heads less than people with black hair that is his business (if you do not like – work elsewhere or work for yourself). It would seem a poor business practice to pay people less for having red hair, or to allow your employees to be insulted by other employees – but if that is how you want to run your property it is up to you (at least till you go bankrupt).
Insults where you live are another matter – this comes close to common law assault.
Sunfish:
I’m surprised that you as a red-blooded American don’t know that Ginger (reasonably safe for work) is one of the castaways on Gilligan’s Island. 😉
There is no difference between attacking someone because of the particular dominant pigment in their skin to attacking them because of their hair colour. Both are meaningless distinctions and – unlike religion, politics or nationality – not within the control of the person attacked.
I’m sure you all find this highly amusing – in the mean time a family is subject to systematic abuse and harassment because some low-lifes take exception to their hair colour. But who cares – they are probably on welfare so don’t count…
Ian, attacking someone for any reason is – quite rightly – a criminal offence.
What we object to is discrimination dressed up as anti-discrimination and the subtle (and often not so subtle) shift of the burden of proof in such cases, connected to near-impossibility of proving or disproving discriminatory intent.
A black man sues an employer for wrongful dismissal. The employer has to prove he is not racist. How? A gay man is beaten up. His assailant has to prove it was just a random act of violence or face a much heavier sentence.
This is absurd.
Bullying for whatever reason is deeply unpleasant (believe me, I know), but please let’s not start down the road of yet another “ism”.
Make a stand…
The Ginger Beard Man
Buy a t-shirt.
However, their reaction (biological reaction – they can choose to resist their impulses) to pain tends to be aggression
Please don’t generalize so rampantly. This is as ridiculous as saying that Chinese women’s reaction to ska music tends to be huffiness.
Yeah?
Well you havent been down on those Yangsi banks beating your socks against the rocks , when Desmond Dekker comes on the People’s Radio
Have Ya?
Utter Mayhem!!!
MarkE, I must say that for an outsider you seem to have grasped it well; I am a ginger who is rapidly going bald and the lack of hair causes a great deal more commentary than the red ever did.
Well, hoping that this thread was started as some kind of lesson in the irony we Yanks are reputed not to understand, I feel I must speak for gingerness anyway.
My wife is gloriously red-headed and has provided 26 years of wedded bliss and, quite frankly, a lot of, uhm, fun.
For those of you who find gingerness to be a fault, I say you don’t know what you’re missing and thanks.
Seems to me that a while back in the arts & entertainment world that being ginger thru auburn was the desired shade. Hope flared for a moment there.