Apparently red hair is not liked in Australia :-(

[ilovelonghair]

I never get compliments on my hair color here in Australia, while I used to get tons of compliments on my henna-ed red hair in Holland when I had red hair and on here I get compliments as well.
Also for a country where most people are from Anglo-Saxon heritage there are nearly no people with red hair, really odd. Children have red hair, but I have seen one adult with red hair recently (she had gorgeous thick straight long red hair) in maybe a year?

A friend explained to me that Australians don't like red hair and that the ones who have red hair dye it.
Aussie LHC-ers, is that true?

[Toadstool]

Well, the ones who dye it red must like it!:)

[Captain Nikki]

There are plenty of natural red heads but no, it doesn't seem to be popular.

[DARKMARTIAN]

So was Keith Urban just an excuse for Nicole Kidman to move here for awhile then?

I personally love red hair...:)

[Linainverse]

Yes. Sadly, it's not particularly popular. They call red-heads 'rangers' pronounced 'rang-ah' or 'red-nuts'. I say 'they' because I don't consider myself a part of these people as I personally love red hair and henna it as often as I can =) I will never be a true red-nut until I am 70% grey though, as I am naturally dark chocolate brown.

[Lassie]

sadly its true...there is a nasty stigma to red hair :(
Its aweful....i dont know why it has developed
They are called "Rangers" and "Fanta Pants" (think hair in pants)
My son has redish hair...and got teased, apparantly a child at school called him a 'matchstick' (white body, red top)
When my son was younger and in a pram, so many people would comment (which undertone of disgust) "oh my god, look at that red hair" as though it was a horrible thing...
There also seems to be a stigma attached to women with red hair - as power hungry, aggressive, dominatrix type persona...

[Linainverse]

Not to mention our new Prime Minister is also a redhead!

[Sammich]

Eeek. Wow. I can't believe that happens! It makes Sammich sad. :(

Here in England we have a little nastiness towards red headed people, but I don't think they have super teasing like that. They're usually called "Gingers" no matter what the shade of red. :p

[Milui Elenath]

I don't think that its true at all! I haven't come across that it' not popular. I don't know any red head adult Australians that dye their hair another colour. Of the non red heads most people I know dye their natural colour or a shade lighter or darker. IF they do change the colour radically it's blonde or black. I think Australians are more likely to remain a natural colour judging by my friends and family.

As for compliments I get them occasionally about the colour but more importantly I don't get teased/insults etc. (Except sometimes from the much older generation red hair = temper etc)
It's probably just that people don't tend to comment one way or the other.

I will say I don't know that many adults with red hair but again I think it's because people tend to stick with their natural colour range and red is always going to be significantly less. Even though it might be said that Australians have a predominantly anglo saxon heritage, we are such a multi cultural and diverse country that it's difficult to identify people's ancenstry.

I do know a lot of children with red hair. I have a friend who is orange copper, (grew up with her and never heard her teased by any name) her husband is also a red head and their three children are all red heads. Two other friends daughters are red heads as well. One of these children gets compliments all the time because her hair is a deep red and long. I myself have complimented it yet the other 3 children's colour is beautiful too but not so unusual that I say anything. Perhaps that's another reason why people don't comment. Because it's no big deal.

I am wondering though if I will be hearing some red head jokes now that our Prime Minister has changed. (She is a red head.)

[Milui Elenath]

snip
There also seems to be a stigma attached to women with red hair - as power hungry, aggressive, dominatrix type persona...

WOW :(:shocked: I have never come across this. My friend who I said was very orange copper would laugh to hear this. She is quite short, jovial, very selfless individual and I could not think of any one less likely to fit that personality profile.

[Whimsical wind]

I love red hair. I think it's absolutely beautiful. :p That's why I henna my hair.

[Svenja]

I have never been to Australia, but if I ever do I tell my husband to cover his head :-P as he's a natural "gingerhead" and I love it!

[fairystar32]

well i henna mine and have loads of compliments ;)

[Nat242]

Have you seen the new VicRoads campaign against using a mobile phone whilst driving?

It plays very intentionally on the prejudice against people with red hair that exists in Australia.

[twolunarspring]

When I was in Australia, everyone kept asking me if I was Irish :p despite the fact that I think it's fairly obvious that I'm not a natural redhead! I got lots of compliments from elderly ladies.

[30isthenewblack]

I love red hair! Australians do have a tendancy to tease boys or men with red hair but I think that's the larikin nature of some people like calling someone tall, shorty. I saw a guy at the gym the other day who dyed his red hair a light strawberry blonde and I did say something to him about liking his original colour. It just suited his personality as he has a very cheeky way about him and now he just looks like a blonde wanna be and it doesn't suit him at all! He was very surprised I liked his hair colour. But my bad though to make any sort of comment about his hair colour as it is his choice.

[MandaMom2Three]

There also seems to be a stigma attached to women with red hair - as power hungry, aggressive, dominatrix type persona...

Now see I would REALLY have fun with this! I'm the kind of person who would carry a bullwhip or something with me everywhere just to mess with people's heads :whip: :D. Of course I have all my hair covered when out in public anyway so no one would KNOW I had red hair (henna head so they eyebrows don't tell on me :D) and I'm going to hendigo soon to go a dark brown, but man that would be fun :D

[Oskimosa]

I believe there used to be quite a bit of a stigma on red hair here in the US, as well. If I remember my history correctly, red hair was associated with the Irish that came to the US right around the turn of the 20th century. Of course, there were a good deal of immigrants from many other nations as well. I'm not sure why they were singled out and discriminated, but I do remember my Grandparents (and even parents) talking about how red-haired folk were joked on because of their presumed heritage. It seems to have fizzed out. Maybe someone else knows the rest of the story?

[ilovelonghair]

When I was in Australia, everyone kept asking me if I was Irish :p despite the fact that I think it's fairly obvious that I'm not a natural redhead! I got lots of compliments from elderly ladies.

I often get asked if I'm Russian, I am Dutch and even a Dutch guy asked if I was Russian LOL.


I love red hair! Australians do have a tendancy to tease boys or men with red hair but I think that's the larikin nature of some people like calling someone tall, shorty. I saw a guy at the gym the other day who dyed his red hair a light strawberry blonde and I did say something to him about liking his original colour. It just suited his personality as he has a very cheeky way about him and now he just looks like a blonde wanna be and it doesn't suit him at all! He was very surprised I liked his hair colour. But my bad though to make any sort of comment about his hair colour as it is his choice.

We had a guy in highschool in Holland who had long red hair, man was I jealous! It was so beautiful.
Red hair is very common in Holland, so my hennaed hair was complimented on often.

I noticed when I had black/dark brown hair in Australia I got heaps of compliments. But weird thing is, when i went from black to red, no one noticed it haha.

I love red hair, but I am a bit worried if it causes problems with my work, I'm an artist and wonder if red hair would affect if people hire me or not.

[GRU]

Maybe it's not a redheaded thing, but just that they don't give hair (of any color) much notice?

If they really don't like redheads, then I'm not gonna visit.... my snarky sarcastic mouth gets me in enough trouble, I don't need any help at it!!!

[rapunzhell13]

Have you seen the new VicRoads campaign against using a mobile phone whilst driving?

It plays very intentionally on the prejudice against people with red hair that exists in Australia.

I'd never seen this before. That is so ridiculous. For anyone interested, put "gingas get fresh" into YouTube search. :puke:

I've heard people comment about our newest Prime Minister Julia Gillard and how they don't want a "ranger" in charge of our fine nation. :rolleyes: Seriously, if you have a problem with her as our prime minister, PLEASE provide better reasons than her hair colour.

[Charlotte]

I personally just adore red hair and always (well, since I was a teenager) wished I was a natural red head with red, curly, long hair! :love:

I say since a teenager, because red headed children were teased mercilessly at my school when I was young. I have also noticed the derogatory nick-name "ranga" going around lately - apparently an abbreviation of Orangatun (sp) which I think super insulting and juvenile - some people never grow up. I don't care for a lot of what Aussies call good natured larakin behaviour - I think it's just plain rude.

I have noticed on TV commercials over the last couple of years a large proportion of children and adults with red hair. Perhaps because their beautiful hair stands out much more than other colours??? Anyhow, I love it! :D

[ilovelonghair]

Just wanted to add: I notice d that lots of people do dye their hair where I live, mostly blonde with dark low-lights is popular and older women tend to use a purple-red but that I don't count as red.

[Charlotte:)]

Who cares what other people think! If you like it, keep it. And if anyone doesn't like it, that's their problem. Personally, I think red hair is beautiful :)

[LittleDreamer]

I also love red hair, but just to point out the term 'ranga' is used between my friends and I as a bit of an endearing nickname :shrug: I've heard others using it as a derogatory comment though.


I've heard people comment about our newest Prime Minister Julia Gillard and how they don't want a "ranger" in charge of our fine nation. Seriously, if you have a problem with her as our prime minister, PLEASE provide better reasons than her hair colour.

I agree.

[rapunzhell13]

I also love red hair, but just to point out the term 'ranga' is used between my friends and I as a bit of an endearing nickname :shrug: I've heard others using it as a derogatory comment though.



I agree.

Damn, I just noticed I put "ranger" instead of "ranga". :silly: Anyway, I definitely do take into consideration whether or not the term is being used in an endearing or derogatory manner, although I've heard it far more often used in the latter. I feel like the term marginalises redheaded people and if there's one thing we don't need in Australia, it's more "othering". :twocents:

[Toadstool]

I think it's the same in the UK. My friend was bullied for having red hair. It's kind of a standing joke. I have no idea why. My sister was horrified when her son was born with red hair.

[gorgeous]

well Im an aussie and I never ever heard a complaint or any biased words !!!! and I lovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeeeee red hair lol....

[Whimsical wind]

I often get asked if I'm Russian, I am Dutch and even a Dutch guy asked if I was Russian LOL.



We had a guy in highschool in Holland who had long red hair, man was I jealous! It was so beautiful.
Red hair is very common in Holland, so my hennaed hair was complimented on often.

I noticed when I had black/dark brown hair in Australia I got heaps of compliments. But weird thing is, when i went from black to red, no one noticed it haha.

I love red hair, but I am a bit worried if it causes problems with my work, I'm an artist and wonder if red hair would affect if people hire me or not.

If people hire you or not on the basis of your hair colour, then there is something seriously wrong with them. But then, I wouldn't put that past some people. :shrug:

Personally, I think all the hatred towards red-heads is just envy. :p

[chopandchange]

In the UK there is a lot of prejudice against people with (naturally) red hair. Maybe not once you are grown up, but at school some of the bullying that goes on is horrendous if you have red hair, pale skin, and freckles. It is really horrific and not something to joke about. Here's (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1268303/Terrified-schoolgirl-dyes-hair-blonde-girl-gang-sends-seven-death-threats-day--ginger.html) an example. Redheads are often considered to be "ugly" by mainstream society. I do not know why this is or how it came about, because I understand that in the US, for example, red hair is much admired. Also, back in the day, weren't redheads much in demand and considered to be beautiful when employed as models for old-fashioned paintings? I don't understand why there is suddenly all this hatred and abuse flaring up in schools against them. It's very sad.

There is also a stereotype attached to (natural) redheads that they are "fiesty" and have hot tempers. Either that, or there's the other stereotype that they are all bumbling intellectual nerds who wear glasses. It's comparable to the stereotype attached to (natural) blondes that they are all stupid airheads lacking in intelligence. Neither of these are likely to be true! Rationally, we all know that for all types of colouring there are bound to be people of varying levels of intelligence and tempers, so it's sad that there are people out there who are still making these stupid, insulting generalisations.

I include the word "natural" in brackets because for some reason people often seem to claim they are redheads or blondes when they dye their hair those colours, and it simply isn't true. I have often heard people with peroxide hair and dark roots say laughingly of themselves: "oh, I'm such a dumb blonde" and I think to myself, hmm, no, you may be dumb but you certainly aren't blonde! I even used to have people say this teasingly to me every time I did something stupid, back when I highlighted my hair, despite my obvious roots. I find it puzzling.

I do not think someone who hennaed or dyed their hair red would encounter the often horrific abuse and bullying endured by beautiful pale-skinned, freckled, genuine redheads. Unless you happen to have natural porcelain skin and freckles, then it will be obvious that you dye your hair and aren't a natural redhead, so they won't pick on you and single you out as a "ginger."

[chopandchange]

I think it's the same in the UK. My friend was bullied for having red hair. It's kind of a standing joke. I have no idea why. My sister was horrified when her son was born with red hair.

That rings a bell. My sister once said the most awful thing. She meant it as a joke (at least I'd like to think so) but it still serves to demonstrate that there is a very disturbing mindset that is developing over here against redheads.

We were talking about how many children we each wanted to have one day, etc., and she said she wanted her children to have blonde hair. I said "but you just have to take what you get. What will you do if it turns out to have ginger hair?" and she said" "ewwww! I'd shove it back in."

The worrying thing is, ginger people have to endure this kind of comment from people, but because they are white, they just have to take it. Nobody stands up for their rights. It's reached the stage where the bullying and prejudice has got so bad that they're being treated like an ethnic minority. Just imagine if somebody said that about a black baby. People would be up in arms. There's been so much lobbying and pressure for social awareness of the prejudice and bullying faced by black children, that they are now often the recipients of positive discrimination and we are all socially conditioned not to be prejudiced against black people any more.

Sadly, it seems ginger is the new black.

[Liss]

My best friend is a redhead and she has never dyed it because she loves it and the colour suits her. We were discussing it the other day and she said that only 4% of Australians are natural red heads, so that's quite a minority!

We also discovered that growing up, we both had about the same amount of comments about our hair colour. But while I was trying to come to terms with adults calling me a "dull mousy brown", she was being called "Bluey" - which was derived from blue bloods (royalty). So with brown hair, I was getting the worse comments.

She says that she hears Ranga from time to time, but says that most people saying it don't realise that it comes from Orangutan. When she tells them, she says that they then feel bad for being insulting with their ignorance when they were only trying to have a bit of fun.

I thought it was rude that people kept pointing out Julia Gillard's hair colour until I saw one of her original speeches when SHE was the one making comments about it, even though it had nothing to do with the political situation. Now I don't care that people bring it up, because I feel that she initiated it all.

[Locksmith]

That rings a bell. My sister once said the most awful thing. She meant it as a joke (at least I'd like to think so) but it still serves to demonstrate that there is a very disturbing mindset that is developing over here against redheads.

We were talking about how many children we each wanted to have one day, etc., and she said she wanted her children to have blonde hair. I said "but you just have to take what you get. What will you do if it turns out to have ginger hair?" and she said" "ewwww! I'd shove it back in."

That's so awful! :( I don't understand it at all. I think red hair is beautiful. :(

[rach]

Personally i love natural red hair and have always envied it. It seems sad that society has to be like this. I see bulling as insecurity myself . If you happy with your hair that's all that counts in the end because if we listened to every comment than we'd go no were through life sane.

[rapunzhell13]

My best friend is a redhead and she has never dyed it because she loves it and the colour suits her. We were discussing it the other day and she said that only 4% of Australians are natural red heads, so that's quite a minority!

We also discovered that growing up, we both had about the same amount of comments about our hair colour. But while I was trying to come to terms with adults calling me a "dull mousy brown", she was being called "Bluey" - which was derived from blue bloods (royalty). So with brown hair, I was getting the worse comments.

She says that she hears Ranga from time to time, but says that most people saying it don't realise that it comes from Orangutan. When she tells them, she says that they then feel bad for being insulting with their ignorance when they were only trying to have a bit of fun.

I thought it was rude that people kept pointing out Julia Gillard's hair colour until I saw one of her original speeches when SHE was the one making comments about it, even though it had nothing to do with the political situation. Now I don't care that people bring it up, because I feel that she initiated it all.

What exactly did Julia Gillard say and in what context?

[GRU]

I thought it was rude that people kept pointing out Julia Gillard's hair colour until I saw one of her original speeches when SHE was the one making comments about it, even though it had nothing to do with the political situation. Now I don't care that people bring it up, because I feel that she initiated it all.

It could be that she brought it up in "self-defense" knowing that there were cultural stereotypes associated with it.

If you can poke fun at your own foibles (real or imagined), then that takes the "power" away from those whose goal is to hurt you with their comments.

When I comment about the fact that my head looks like an old rusted-out Brillo pad (steel wool scouring cleaner), that can take the wind out of the sails of anyone who might be inclined to make rude jokes about my unconventional hair. Ditto for people who refer to themselves as "four-eyes" or "fluffy" or "klutzy" or whatever.

[Toadstool]

[quote=chopandchange;1157872]In the UK there is a lot of prejudice against people with (naturally) red hair. Maybe not once you are grown up, but at school some of the bullying that goes on is horrendous if you have red hair, pale skin, and freckles. It is really horrific and not something to joke about. Here's (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1268303/Terrified-schoolgirl-dyes-hair-blonde-girl-gang-sends-seven-death-threats-day--ginger.html) an example. Redheads are often considered to be "ugly" by mainstream society. /quote]
That link brought me to tears :(

[Sunsailing]

...
Also for a country where most people are from Anglo-Saxon heritage there are nearly no people with red hair, really odd.

Since it began (for Europeans) as a prison colony and if it's true there are fewer people with red hair there, then one explanation might be red haired people are more honest and law abiding! :D

On a serious note... I've always LOVED red hair on women. My wife knows that I can't resist looking at red hair. She just tell me, "Go ahead and look. I know you want to." ;)

[talecon]

wow thats sad. I think red hair is beautiful. especially the combination of red hair and green eyes. :)

[Boudicca]

I believe there used to be quite a bit of a stigma on red hair here in the US, as well. If I remember my history correctly, red hair was associated with the Irish that came to the US right around the turn of the 20th century. Of course, there were a good deal of immigrants from many other nations as well. I'm not sure why they were singled out and discriminated, but I do remember my Grandparents (and even parents) talking about how red-haired folk were joked on because of their presumed heritage. It seems to have fizzed out. Maybe someone else knows the rest of the story?

The stigma attached to red hair is to do with anti-Irish (and general anti-Celt) sentiment, which is why it is much more prevalent in England than anywhere else.

It also has links to anti-semitic prejudice.

The witch-hunters in the 1400s and onward used the Malleus Maleficarum as a sort of manual for hunting witches. It was written by a Catholic Inquisitor, and listed red hair as one of the signs of being a witch.

I think that any rare physical attribute is likely to be feared because it differs from the norm, and this usually leads to prejudice.

[heidihug]

The stigma attached to red hair is to do with anti-Irish (and general anti-Celt) sentiment, which is why it is much more prevalent in England than anywhere else.

It also has links to anti-semitic prejudice.

The witch-hunters in the 1400s and onward used the Malleus Maleficarum as a sort of manual for hunting witches. It was written by a Catholic Inquisitor, and listed red hair as one of the signs of being a witch.

I think that any rare physical attribute is likely to be feared because it differs from the norm, and this usually leads to prejudice.
I think Boudicca hit the nail on the head, here.

Thankfully, red hair is generally appreciated in the US. My DH was born with a head of bright red curls (comes from the Celt part of his heritage, his family claims). His mother tried to get everyone to call him Rusty when he was little, but, thankfully, it didn't stick. I was sorely disappointed that neither of our boys had red hair. DH's hair is now a fairly dark auburn, going gray. But his facial hair is still quite red, which I think it really attractive.

[Sarahmoon]

Can't believe that's true, I've seen some Australians with red hair and several that had died their hair red.
Maybe they're just not as fast to give compliments in the area where you live? I usually like red hair but I to be honest I rarely comment on it.

Another option... the sun is so strong in Australia... maybe the natural redheads don't like their hair because they associate it with being prone to sunburn? :shrug:

[Nat242]

That rings a bell. My sister once said the most awful thing. She meant it as a joke (at least I'd like to think so) but it still serves to demonstrate that there is a very disturbing mindset that is developing over here against redheads.

We were talking about how many children we each wanted to have one day, etc., and she said she wanted her children to have blonde hair. I said "but you just have to take what you get. What will you do if it turns out to have ginger hair?" and she said" "ewwww! I'd shove it back in."

The worrying thing is, ginger people have to endure this kind of comment from people, but because they are white, they just have to take it. Nobody stands up for their rights. It's reached the stage where the bullying and prejudice has got so bad that they're being treated like an ethnic minority. Just imagine if somebody said that about a black baby. People would be up in arms. There's been so much lobbying and pressure for social awareness of the prejudice and bullying faced by black children, that they are now often the recipients of positive discrimination and we are all socially conditioned not to be prejudiced against black people any more.

Sadly, it seems ginger is the new black.

Actually, nasty, racist things ARE still said about black babies and black mothers, and unfortunately, we're a very long way from eradicating prejudice.

[May]

I live in Canada and people call redheads "gingers" out here. My male buddy has red hair and he hates it and even dyes his eyebrows. He think if he had "normal" hair he would get more girls! He even calls redheads "nightwalkers" because they burn in the sun!!! Auburns are "daywalkers" though.

Has anyone ever seen the SouthPark show making fun of redheads?

I grew up in Montreal Quebec and people loved redheads there but for some reason it's different here in Calgary, Alberta...I think it's a little close minded and prejudiced here TBH.

I think redheads are cool. I'm a more pigmented version of one...known as an "auburn" :)

[rapunzhell13]

It could be that she brought it up in "self-defense" knowing that there were cultural stereotypes associated with it.

If you can poke fun at your own foibles (real or imagined), then that takes the "power" away from those whose goal is to hurt you with their comments.

When I comment about the fact that my head looks like an old rusted-out Brillo pad (steel wool scouring cleaner), that can take the wind out of the sails of anyone who might be inclined to make rude jokes about my unconventional hair. Ditto for people who refer to themselves as "four-eyes" or "fluffy" or "klutzy" or whatever.

That's exactly what I was thinking. :thumbsup:

Also, people tend to warm up to people who can have a laugh at their own expense; It could have been a political strategy. I still don't think it's right for other people to disparage her based on something as trivial as hair colour. :shrug:

[julliams]

I'm a strawberry blonde so I've never had anything but compliments but being a teacher, I have heard many nasty things said to and about children with dark red hair, pale skin and freckles. It does not seem to be a combo that is seen to be attractive here in my part of Australia for some reason. I even had one parent speak to me, as a teacher, about another child who had red hair, pale skin and was also a little shy and awkward, referring to her as having "absolutely nothing going for her". I couldn't get away fast enough from that conversation.

Even though I'm not a redhead in that sense of the word, I do consider myself to be in the red category and I do take offense when people use the term "ranga" because it's just a derogatory term. I haven't met anyone who uses that term because they are complimenting anyone.

It's one of those things where people enjoying picking on someone who is different. I don't think the term is used on people who dye their hair red, it just seems to be that natural dark red/orange with very pale skin and freckles covering the child/person - something they have no control over which is why it makes them an "easy" target for this kind of teasing.

It really upsets me when I hear it.

[Nae]

I personally love that look and wished I had been born with it, (some of my cousins were, but I got the dark haired genes.) I am American and growing up I had never heard the term "Ginger" unless you were talking bout the movie star from Gilligan's Island. Just recently I did hear it though from a 22 year old co-worker. We were talking about a family and I mentioned that one of the kids was a handful. He said, "Oh, you mean the ginger?" The way he said it made it sound like a bad word. I said, "No, I mean the eldest boy with the beautiful coloration."

The whole conversation made me grouchy. Please tell me this isn't a nasty growing prejudice.

[little_cherry]

Yep, it's true. Aussies dislike redheads. It makes a lot of sense now, because I'm disliked over there..

[Chibbylick]

I'm a red hair envying Australian.Don't hate it at all.

[jane53]

Weird that Aussies often don't like redheads. I have a friend who goes ga-ga every time she sees any redhead, especially redheaded babies or children or men she finds attractive.

[Bluegrass Babe]

I heard on a radio show last month, I think, that natural redheads are such a minority that they will be extinct within a few generations. How sad. I love all the natural shades.
Apparently, the genes are recessive or something and usually the darker genes are dominant.

[ilovelonghair]

T
It also has links to anti-semitic prejudice.

In what way?


Anyway, I am keeping my red hair, it suits my pale skin better than my medium-darkish-blond-whatever hair :)

[Nightshade]

I believe there used to be quite a bit of a stigma on red hair here in the US, as well. If I remember my history correctly, red hair was associated with the Irish that came to the US right around the turn of the 20th century. Of course, there were a good deal of immigrants from many other nations as well. I'm not sure why they were singled out and discriminated, but I do remember my Grandparents (and even parents) talking about how red-haired folk were joked on because of their presumed heritage. It seems to have fizzed out. Maybe someone else knows the rest of the story?

Heh, I'm not sure that applies a lot any more. I've read more than one Fark thread where there's many willing to take in the poor abused gingers from the UK where their beauty is under appreciated. I present these as examples from such a thread:

http://facepwn.com/posters/redheads-need.jpg

http://facepwn.com/posters/redheads.jpg

And my favorite, linked because of NSFW language :lol: [moderation: link removed]

As a redhead in the US, I get a LOT of compliments on my (henna) color.

[rapunzhell13]

Alyson Hannigan is so cute! :inlove:

[GRU]

<all of Nightshade's great graphics, particularly the last two>

Okay, fellas, we wanna know the truth.... do redheads REALLY have that sort of an effect on the typical guy????

[Nightshade]

Ah what the hell, here's some more :eyebrows:

http://www.motifake.com/image/demotivational-poster/0810/cute-redhead-demotivational-poster-1224458191.jpg

http://www.motifake.com/image/demotivational-poster/0811/redheads-redhead-red-redheads-demotivational-poster-1226177477.jpg

http://www.motifake.com/image/demotivational-poster/0810/kryptonite-redhead-woman-girl-hot-babe-demotivational-poster-1223945220.1

http://pix.motivatedphotos.com/2009/7/24/633840249080995015-Redheads.jpg

http://pix.motivatedphotos.com/2009/12/27/633975159498539495-REDHEADS.jpg


LOL there's a LOT more of them just do a Google Image Search for Redheads Poster. A lot of them are very not safe for LHC, but mostly quite flattering and funny.

[rapunzhell13]

Crap, now I wanna go back to henna. :p

[Nightshade]

Crap, now I wanna go back to henna. :p


:spitting:

:deal: :twisted:

/not a quality post

[GRU]

<off to Google Image Search.....>

[GoddesJourney]

I heard a rumor that redheads are supposed to be hot lovers. I think anyone getting oggled at gets hot lover points just for being hot. Anyone hot girl with any hair color posing like that would get that reaction out of a guy. However, red hair is quite beautiful. I'm not the most superstitious person in the world, but I do believe there is a significant overlap between hot tempers and red hair. I find a lot of men like that in a woman. Many men love a woman that is alive and kicking.

[Nightshade]

Okay, fellas, we wanna know the truth.... do redheads REALLY have that sort of an effect on the typical guy????

My husband says that with guys and redheads it's either "meh" or brain-numbing "OMG WANT".

Want to guess what category he's in? :lol: :o :eyebrows:

ETA: I've heard the "redheads are hot lovers" thing before, though I've heard it more often phrased as "crazy but worth it." :D

[ilovelonghair]

Love those pictures! I want my hair more red, NOW! Got to seriously get that henna out of my fridge!

[jane53]

No henna or red for me. It looks bad bad bad with my skin tone.

However, I LOVE red hair on those whose skin tone goes with it.

I never encountered the prejudice against red hair until I saw this thread.

I'm a light brown with silver. I always thought my hair was boring compared to red hair!

[trolleypup]

My husband says that with guys and redheads it's either "meh" or brain-numbing "OMG WANT".
I wouldn't say 'meh', but not more attractive than nice hair in other colors. I will say that the color variation in natural red hair looks particularly nice in sunlight.

[Boudicca]

In what way?


Anyway, I am keeping my red hair, it suits my pale skin better than my medium-darkish-blond-whatever hair :)

You might find this article on the anti-semitic connotations interesting:

http://jhom.com/topics/color/judas.htm

I don't know whether they mention it, but the physical characteristic is/was often used with characters such as Shylock and Fagin.

[Arriens]

Okay, fellas, we wanna know the truth.... do redheads REALLY have that sort of an effect on the typical guy????
YES.:D Especially naturel ones (with the freckles).

*Comment removed by moderator* (and this last line gets me banned :()

[HintOfMint]

I have never in my life witnessed or heard of any real prejudice against redheads. I've heard some preference against it once or twice in random Happy Days episode, and then there was the "gingers" thing on South Park, but that's about it. Everything else about redheads I have heard was how gorgeous they are.
Even most of my former boyfriends imagined a leggy redhead as their dream girl (how they ended up with short, brown me is a mystery).

[Thinthondiel]

I think red hair is gorgeous (but mostly on women and children... I guess maybe the reason why I just don't find it appealing on men is because my brother has red hair).

I wish I had hair like this: http://www.trueblood-online.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/s2-15.jpg

[chopandchange]

This has got me thinking about something else:

Do red-haired actors/actresses normally get cast as "baddies?"

Also, why are there so few (male) redhaired actors in Hollywood?

I can only think of a few natural redheads who are Hollywood actresses: Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, and Amy Adams. (Yes, I'm sure there are more, but those are the only ones I can think of personally at the moment). But I can't, at the moment, think of one single male actor with naturally red hair who gets major roles. What's the reason for that? Is there redhead prejudice in Hollywood as well, or is it just because there are less redhaired people in the population, and hence less redhaired actors?

I can only recall two male redheaded actors: Dash Mihok, who had a supporting role in Romeo and Juliet (I had to google him, as I didn't know his name, but I remembered him from the beach scene) and a guy called Damian Lewis who starred in the Forsyth Saga, a BBC period drama. I just googled him as well, as I didn't know his name. He looked incredibly dashing in his top hat and tails (phwoar!) and it really made me think when I was watching it: "gosh, why aren't there more redheaded actors?" Interestingly, he was also cast as the "baddy" (although I think they took liberties with the plot and made it seem like everything was all his fault, when in the original book I don't think it was quite like that).

[HintOfMint]

Never mind, misread the post!

[Toadstool]

I never encountered the prejudice against red hair until I saw this thread.



As someone who's always lived in the UK, that concept is astounding to me!! It's like someone saying they've never heard of racism or something. Amazingly refreshing :cool:

Anyone remember this?
http://www.facinghistory.org/resources/facingtoday/national-kick-ginger-day

[Yozhik]

Wow! Great article linking red hair to anti-Semitism!

I learn so much from LHC . . . and I had no idea redheads were so disliked :(

FWIW, I love red hair :crush:, and tried to be a redhead when I was younger (totally wrong complexion to pull it off, though).

[rapunzhell13]

Crap, now I wanna go back to henna. :p


:spitting:

:deal: :twisted:

/not a quality post

Last night I had a nightmare that I tried to bleach my hair and use permanent red dye. It turned out horrible and I was looking in the mirror going, "NooOOOoOOOooOOOoooOOOOooooooo!! This is all Nightshade's fault!!!!!". Why yes, I do spend too much time on LHC. :silly:

[ilovelonghair]

This has got me thinking about something else:

Do red-haired actors/actresses normally get cast as "baddies?"

Also, why are there so few (male) redhaired actors in Hollywood?

I can only think of a few natural redheads who are Hollywood actresses: Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, and Amy Adams. (Yes, I'm sure there are more, but those are the only ones I can think of personally at the moment). But I can't, at the moment, think of one single male actor with naturally red hair who gets major roles. What's the reason for that? Is there redhead prejudice in Hollywood as well, or is it just because there are less redhaired people in the population, and hence less redhaired actors?

I can only recall two male redheaded actors: Dash Mihok, who had a supporting role in Romeo and Juliet (I had to google him, as I didn't know his name, but I remembered him from the beach scene) and a guy called Damian Lewis who starred in the Forsyth Saga, a BBC period drama. I just googled him as well, as I didn't know his name. He looked incredibly dashing in his top hat and tails (phwoar!) and it really made me think when I was watching it: "gosh, why aren't there more redheaded actors?" Interestingly, he was also cast as the "baddy" (although I think they took liberties with the plot and made it seem like everything was all his fault, when in the original book I don't think it was quite like that).

In the modeling world there is a guy with red hair: google Bartek Borowiec.
But yes in Hollywood there seem to be none. I wonder why it is that red hair is liked in women but not in men.

[RachelRain]

dunno how to do the quote thing: I include the word "natural" in brackets because for some reason people often seem to claim they are redheads or blondes when they dye their hair those colours, and it simply isn't true. I have often heard people with peroxide hair and dark roots say laughingly of themselves: "oh, I'm such a dumb blonde" and I think to myself, hmm, no, you may be dumb but you certainly aren't blonde! I even used to have people say this teasingly to me every time I did something stupid, back when I highlighted my hair, despite my obvious roots. I find it puzzling. /quote

I say that I'm having a blonde moment all the time, but I no longer have blonde streaks in my hair because I dyed my hair until they went away. however, still having a few ash blonde stray hairs that pop up occasionally, I have no problem saying that (as in, the blonde hairs are strangling my brain), although I'm just as likely to say it's just me being my dip$hit self. and I only say it around people who know I used to have these streaks, so they just laugh and say that the streaks must be trying to come back.

that said, I would never dye my hair any color and pretend it was my natural color. that's just stupid.



aaaaand that said, I adore red hair. the darker the better!

[Rini]

Hmmm.....

Yes, redheads have been called "Rangas" in the past and Aussies comment all the time on red hair (I know, I used to be a henna head!). Hate is a strong word though. You have to understand the Aussie psyche here a little bit. We are very blunt sometimes and feel free to express our opinion ANY time :D We're also very good at self-effacing humour, we just don't take ourselves seriously at all. I know I'm generalizing here, but then the title of this thread is pretty general too.

Btw, we also hate losing a cricket match to the English and rubbish them at any chance we get.....but really, deep down, we do LOVE them :inlove: Really..... ;)

[drquartz1970]

I'm Australian and no - I do not like red hair! Never found red hair or their wearers for that matter attractive.

[ninelifewriter5]

Hmmm.....

Yes, redheads have been called "Rangas" in the past and Aussies comment all the time on red hair (I know, I used to be a henna head!). Hate is a strong word though. You have to understand the Aussie psyche here a little bit. We are very blunt sometimes and feel free to express our opinion ANY time :D We're also very good at self-effacing humour, we just don't take ourselves seriously at all. I know I'm generalizing here, but then the title of this thread is pretty general too.

Btw, we also hate losing a cricket match to the English and rubbish them at any chance we get.....but really, deep down, we do LOVE them :inlove: Really..... ;)

Haha, yeah, we do have a fairly blunt sense of humour. A girl I go to school with has naturally bright orangey-red hair, and she is constantly called a ranga. It's never intended as an offence, though; just a joke.

My Dad, on the other hand, hates rangas (I mean it). Anyone who he sees with red hair he automatically dislikes, and thinks is ugly. :P

I personally like red hair. I'm not particularly a fan of coppery-orange hair (it suits a lot of people though, and looks really nice on the right complexion), but I really like dark reds and auburns. I want to dye my hair a dark auburn... and hope my dad doesn't freak out. :rolleyes:

[rapunzhell13]

There does seem to be some distinction between bright flaming copper red hair and dark auburn mahogany red hair. The former is usually the one that receives the most flack, especially if it's accompanied by other "ginger" features like fair skin and freckles.

Here's a thought- I wonder what it would have been like if Harry Potter and Ron Weasley had each other's appearances.

[Locksmith]

WRT Hollywood actors with natural red hair - I can believe it's disproportionate, but red hair *is* by far the rarest hair colour - according to Wikipedia, that fount of all knowledge, only 1-2&#37; of the world's population are natural redheads. So in terms of sheer numbers, it's almost inevitable that there won't be many Hollywood stars with red hair.

[MonaMayfair]

dunno how to do the quote thing: I include the word "natural" in brackets because for some reason people often seem to claim they are redheads or blondes when they dye their hair those colours, and it simply isn't true. I have often heard people with peroxide hair and dark roots say laughingly of themselves: "oh, I'm such a dumb blonde" and I think to myself, hmm, no, you may be dumb but you certainly aren't blonde! I even used to have people say this teasingly to me every time I did something stupid, back when I highlighted my hair, despite my obvious roots. I find it puzzling. /quote

I say that I'm having a blonde moment all the time, but I no longer have blonde streaks in my hair because I dyed my hair until they went away. however, still having a few ash blonde stray hairs that pop up occasionally, I have no problem saying that (as in, the blonde hairs are strangling my brain), although I'm just as likely to say it's just me being my dip$hit self. and I only say it around people who know I used to have these streaks, so they just laugh and say that the streaks must be trying to come back.

that said, I would never dye my hair any color and pretend it was my natural color. that's just stupid.



aaaaand that said, I adore red hair. the darker the better!

I agree with this, I always think it strange. I dye my hair with henna (and I'd love to be a natural redhead - although I was when I was born!) but I always think of myself as a blonde with dyed red hair.
If people refer to me as a redhead it seems odd to me (I always tell people it's henna, though lots of them think it's natural)


WRT Hollywood actors with natural red hair - I can believe it's disproportionate, but red hair *is* by far the rarest hair colour - according to Wikipedia, that fount of all knowledge, only 1-2% of the world's population are natural redheads. So in terms of sheer numbers, it's almost inevitable that there won't be many Hollywood stars with red hair.

Spencer Tracy and James Cagney were both redheads, though as their early films were in black and white, maybe people don't know that. By the time they were making colour films they had turned grey.
Danny Kaye was also a redhead and the studio used to have his hair dyed blond apparently because of the redhair prejudice thing! He's blond in most of his colour films.
They let Red Skelton and Red Buttons alone - maybe because they weren't leading men!

Female redheads were popular though, some of them not natural of course (like Clara Bow or Rita Hayworth)
I believe Greer Garson and Maureen O'Hara were both natural. Also Deborah Kerr (though her hair was also dyed blonde sometimes) Valerie Hobson (gorgeous elegant British actress, big in the 40's) was a real redhead too.

[Nightshade]

Last night I had a nightmare that I tried to bleach my hair and use permanent red dye. It turned out horrible and I was looking in the mirror going, "NooOOOoOOOooOOOoooOOOOooooooo!! This is all Nightshade's fault!!!!!". Why yes, I do spend too much time on LHC. :silly:

:lol: Sorry! :p

[Nae]

How bout David Caruso from CSI Miami? In looking for his name (since I can never remember the names of actors I ran across this page of redhaired actors.) Some aren't natural though I believe. http://www.raising-redheads.com/famous-actors.html

I enjoyed the shout out to Adam Savage on mythbusters, but I am not sure how much of an "actor" he is, more of a goof ball. He makes me laugh!!

[heidihug]

Damian Lewis who starred in the Forsyth Saga, a BBC period drama
Also the star of one of the best US TV shows in recent history, "Life". If you like red-headed men, and outstanding acting, rent it. He makes my heart go pitter-patter...[sigh].
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=4493&pictureid=76336

Of the 6 men I dated, four of them were red-heads. I gotta thing for them, obviously, as I married one.

[eri401]

Having grown up in the USA, I have never heard of this red-hair prejudice until a friend explained why the Harry Potter books kept referring to the Weasley kids as "gingers." In fact, as a child I always associated red hair with The Little Mermaid (princess hair).

There are many Hollywood actresses with natural red hair. Some icon red heads: Julia Roberts, Lindsay Lohan, Molly Ringwald. Also, Marcia Cross (TV) has the red ruby beautiful hair. I'd also put Amy Adams into this group, since she seems to have a strawberry blond shade.

[ilovelonghair]

Why do they call them 'ginger'? Ginger is not red at all.

There are types of red that I find less nice, but it depends on the person really. The paler types of red aren't my favorite, but the deeper darker reds are. My henna is dark coppery, I like it to be more flaming red, but I guess I have to be happy how it is now: I get lots of compliments on this forum :)

[rapunzhell13]

Why do they call them 'ginger'? Ginger is not red at all.

There are types of red that I find less nice, but it depends on the person really. The paler types of red aren't my favorite, but the deeper darker reds are. My henna is dark coppery, I like it to be more flaming red, but I guess I have to be happy how it is now: I get lots of compliments on this forum :)

I have no idea! Does anybody here know the origins of the term? I would be interested to know.

[WyrdWay]

I have seen some redheads who's hair has kinda of a Ginger color to it and I have seen some people who, as they have aged their true red turns kind of ginger.

It might also have something to do with freckles, as lots of red heads have them, it looks like someone sprinkled you guys with ginger :D

I love redheads, and I didn't know anyone used the term "Ginger" in a mean way. I only use it in a loving way. It's defiantly my favorite naturally attained hair color. And I love the complexion and skin tone that tends to come with it. *sigh* discrimination is horrible, sorry gingers v_v

[Sherwood]

The stigma in America is no longer so great, but, when I was a child in the '50s, friends of my parents would often tell me, in a comforting sort of way, that my red-gold hair wasn't red, but strawberry blonde. As though blonde was better than red. I would stamp my foot, and proclaim loudly that NO! My hair is RED! I have an unusual first name, so the teasing nicknames I got in school were based on that, otherwise I would have been "Freckles" or "Ginger" I am sure.

[Flynn]

There are two parts to this, I think.

The first is that people are not commenting. We tend not to, actually. Travelling overseas, I feel downright threatened when someone comments on my appearance. Epsecially in major towns and cities, it's just not done.

Second, no. Australians do not tend to be in awe of redheads, and many tend to go the other way. I'm tempted to say this has nothing to do with hair colour, but more the extremely fair skin that natural redheads tend to have, which burns, does not tan, and is completely at odds with the "outdoors lifestyle" that "Patriotic Australians" like to believe represents this country.

I think, however, being an unnatural redhead your problem is more the first part. People aren't complimenting you, because they just don't.

[Flynn]

Why do they call them 'ginger'? Ginger is not red at all.

There are types of red that I find less nice, but it depends on the person really. The paler types of red aren't my favorite, but the deeper darker reds are. My henna is dark coppery, I like it to be more flaming red, but I guess I have to be happy how it is now: I get lots of compliments on this forum :)

Considering that the other term using "ginger" is "ginger nut", I assume it has to do with gingernut biscuits, which are orange.

Nut means head, so drop that bit and get ginger.

[rapunzhell13]

There are two parts to this, I think.

The first is that people are not commenting. We tend not to, actually. Travelling overseas, I feel downright threatened when someone comments on my appearance. Epsecially in major towns and cities, it's just not done.

Second, no. Australians do not tend to be in awe of redheads, and many tend to go the other way. I'm tempted to say this has nothing to do with hair colour, but more the extremely fair skin that natural redheads tend to have, which burns, does not tan, and is completely at odds with the "outdoors lifestyle" that "Patriotic Australians" like to believe represents this country.

I think, however, being an unnatural redhead your problem is more the first part. People aren't complimenting you, because they just don't.

Yep, a tan is serious business here. We have a strong beach culture.


Considering that the other term using "ginger" is "ginger nut", I assume it has to do with gingernut biscuits, which are orange.

Nut means head, so drop that bit and get ginger.

I didn't even think of that. Mmm, gingernuts; I love those biscuits! :yumm:

[ilovelonghair]

There are two parts to this, I think.

The first is that people are not commenting. We tend not to, actually. Travelling overseas, I feel downright threatened when someone comments on my appearance. Epsecially in major towns and cities, it's just not done.

Second, no. Australians do not tend to be in awe of redheads, and many tend to go the other way. I'm tempted to say this has nothing to do with hair colour, but more the extremely fair skin that natural redheads tend to have, which burns, does not tan, and is completely at odds with the "outdoors lifestyle" that "Patriotic Australians" like to believe represents this country.

I think, however, being an unnatural redhead your problem is more the first part. People aren't complimenting you, because they just don't.

About compliments I have experienced the opposite: people compliment a lot, just not on hair color that much. Maybe it depends on which region of Australia?

I am quite pale, I used to be quite dark before I decided not to tan anymore. Skin cancer and skin damage is a serious business here and when I saw people of my age (I was 32 when I moved here) already had sun spots/wrinkles (and having a friend who was 25 and had already 5 melanoma's removed at his age) I decided not to go in the sun much anymore. I get a lot of compliments on my skin, which is nice :)

[Finoriel]

I got a lot of compliments when traveling through Australia some years ago :shrug: on hairlength, haircolour and other things. And I´m pale like an olm and freckly like the shirt of a 4yo after eating spaghetti with tomato sauce :p. So I don´t think natural red hair is more unpopular in Australia than it is anywhere else in the world.

[Hana212]

In Melbourne at the moment deep auburn reds, or cherry red is very fashionable! But orange - not so much... There is a lot of teasing about red hair (ginger ninja, ranga, fire crotch etc.) but personally I love it and wish I could have red hair myself.. (don't think it would suit me)
:(

[Arya]

Well...I'm Canadian, and my boyfriend is Aussie, and he loves my red hair! Yeah, he and his mates call me a Ranga, but that's just cos Aussies value teasing and people who can take a joke. They don't get all bent out of shape about being PC like we do here, they're mostly really good natured. I get more **** for being pasty, but I just shoot back "tell me that again in 30 years when you have liver spots, and I still look like Evan Rachel Wood, b*****s!"

[RadiantNeedle]

You know, I find this a really interesting thread, particularly when I think about all those advertising campaigns that seek to portray the 'typical, Aussie kid'. I think 8 out of 10 of those ads revolved around.... A little boy with red hair and freckles.
The quintessential Aussie Kid, if you pay attention to the advertising industry, is a red head. It plays up to the 'cheeky larakin' image we have of ourselves, playful and a bit rebellious. I think this might be changing, however, considering the fact that our population is incredibly mixed in terms of racial diversity.

On a more personal level, I love red heads, I wish I was one, and my fianc&#233; just about trips over his own feet every time he sees a cute red head with glasses. Red hair tends to be embraced more by adults, in my experience, and there are always pleeeenty of red shades in the hair dye isles.
I think the issue with all the teasing is that kids are cruel, unempathic and very prone to going along with everyone else because they don't want to be singled out and subject to the same cruelty (something adults struggle with as well). Anything that makes you different is exploited. Most people grow out of this, but when you combine it with a culture that tends to playfully tease, you will encounter comments and words that seem like they're intended to seriously hurt someone, when that's not the actual intention. In some cases it is, but as a rule I think you need to take most teasing from Australians with a hefty grain of salt. We don't always really mean it, and we tend to be just as quick to mock ourselves as anyone else. I can understand why that would be really hard to deal with if you're not used to it, particularly coming from countries where any teasing is generally not playful, and by no means friendly.

In terms of compliments, yeah, we don't always match our liberal teasing with genuine compliments. It's a problem, I think, but again, it is going to depend on the individual. It seems to be harder for a lot of Australians to express feelings of admiration just in case it makes them vulnerable. It seems to be easier to bond over silliness than genuine joy. But again, this will vary from person to person.


Since it began (for Europeans) as a prison colony and if it's true there are fewer people with red hair there, then one explanation might be red haired people are more honest and law abiding! :D

Actually, there are more people in Australia who are or are descended from migrants than there are of penalised Irish, Scottish and English ancestors. That percentage is shrinking every day. You're more likely to find that prejudice being in place because you have classrooms full of people with Lebanese, Greek, Chinese, Pakistani, Italian, Indonesian and Dutch colouring than the typical Anglo-Saxon British descended kids. Of course, this does depend on the area you're in, as some places have higher concentrations of migrant descendants than others, particularly in the more metropolitan places. Being the only pale, red headed kid in a class along with the only Sudanese kid, or the only Hmong kid must be quite interesting.

ETA: I am reminded of a very irreverent song by Tim Minchin called 'Taboo'. Look for it on youtube if you're alright with risky but clever satire and naughty language.

[redhead2011]

My bf is from Western Australia and he of course LOVES redhair :) I've heard from other Australia's that they love NATURAL redhaired WOMEN but not the dyed ones or the men. Living in the US, I've been teased alot for being a redhead/giner. I think when ever you are different than most people like to point out your differences. I consider my natural redhair a wonderful blessing, although when I was younger I hated it. Do you know how much money people spend to get color like this?!!!!! :D Mine was God given, and I'm thankful :)

[Babyfine]

I, also, have never heard of any prejudice against redheads until I found this forum.
My Aunt had copper colored hair(in her youth) and very fair skin
My husbands sister also had very red hair in her youth.
I was hoping with red hair on both sides we would have a child with red hair but both our sons have brown hair like dh and I.
I love red hair, I would color it red if it suited my skintone(which it doesn't) so I keep it brunette.

[redhead2011]

This has got me thinking about something else:

Do red-haired actors/actresses normally get cast as "baddies?"

Also, why are there so few (male) redhaired actors in Hollywood?

I can only think of a few natural redheads who are Hollywood actresses: Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, and Amy Adams. (Yes, I'm sure there are more, but those are the only ones I can think of personally at the moment). But I can't, at the moment, think of one single male actor with naturally red hair who gets major roles. What's the reason for that? Is there redhead prejudice in Hollywood as well, or is it just because there are less redhaired people in the population, and hence less redhaired actors?

I can only recall two male redheaded actors: Dash Mihok, who had a supporting role in Romeo and Juliet (I had to google him, as I didn't know his name, but I remembered him from the beach scene) and a guy called Damian Lewis who starred in the Forsyth Saga, a BBC period drama. I just googled him as well, as I didn't know his name. He looked incredibly dashing in his top hat and tails (phwoar!) and it really made me think when I was watching it: "gosh, why aren't there more redheaded actors?" Interestingly, he was also cast as the "baddy" (although I think they took liberties with the plot and made it seem like everything was all his fault, when in the original book I don't think it was quite like that).

*******************************
What about the guy who plays on CSI Miami, he's a natural redhead and his voice is so sexy. I don't know his name?

[ddiana1979]

There are people who DON'T like red hair?!? Seriously? I love it. My fiancé & I both have brown hair with red highlights naturally, but we're crossing our fingers that we end up with adorable little red-headed children since we both have redheads in our respective family trees.

[Arya]

*******************************
What about the guy who plays on CSI Miami, he's a natural redhead and his voice is so sexy. I don't know his name?

CSI? That show, where if one of the suspects is a woman with red hair, she is 95% likely to be the criminal?

[ddiana1979]

I'm tempted to say this has nothing to do with hair colour, but more the extremely fair skin that natural redheads tend to have, which burns, does not tan, and is completely at odds with the "outdoors lifestyle" that "Patriotic Australians" like to believe represents this country.

I live a very outdoorsy lifestyle. LOVE the beach (we got engaged at Monterey Beach in California, and are getting married on the beach in Hawaii), swimming, surfing, hiking, jogging, etc. I just have to do it with extraordinarily high SPF. ;)

[DecafJane]

What about Seth Green, Rupert Grint and (not to forget) Lindsay Lohan? They are all natural redheads who had done well for themselves.

[HintOfMint]

This is so weird to me. Many men I knew (and some I've loved) had a serious weakness for redheads.

[Una]

Going to highschool in Australia there was a lot of prejudice toward red heads. They were called "Ranga" "gingernut" etc behind their backs. Some students I knew were hated just because they had orange hair.
I have to agree that this is probably a result of the seeming conflict between fair skin and the Australian climate.
A lot of Australians often describe things as "unaustralian" when they don't fit the stereotypical mold.
I think people are just afraid of things that don't match their own identity (particularly children and immature adults).

I still live in Australia and I have very pale skin...and I cannot count the amount of times people have told me to "get some sun"...it makes me angry that people's differences aren't celebrated.

[Babyfine]

*******************************
What about the guy who plays on CSI Miami, he's a natural redhead and his voice is so sexy. I don't know his name?

David Caruso.
I was going to mention him, too,but I forgot his name-had to look it up.
yes he does have a sexy voice!

[Kaelee]

Wow...I'm in the US and I know there is somewhat of a stigma attached to red hair in some circles (at least, there used to be?) I don't hear anything negative except from my grandfather who says "People have to suffer they're whole lives with natural red hair, I don't know why you would dye yours red!!!!" But he's my pappy and I love him anyway. :P

[Vani1902]

Red hair is so beautiful. My ex bf had red hair. I was in awe of it. I wish I had red hair myself. I could not imagine someone that hates it.

[Lostsoule77]

My sister moved to Oz 2 years ago. Her boyfriend is a redhead and so is one of his sister's. I don't know if they were teased or not though. Then again they are on the west coast so maybe things there are different there. I think I'm gonna go ask him. :)
I can't imagine not liking red hair. I've always thought it was the prettiest color. My fiance doesn't like it, but his best friend and my brother both go crazy for girls with red hair.

[estherbeth]

I just don't understand how anyone could hate someone just for the colour of their hair (or skin, or anything else along that line, really). :sad A branch of my family is like this. When the daughter of one of my cousins in that branch was pregnant, my mom said "Maybe it'll have red hair!" because red is so strong in our genetics. Both my cousin and her daughter looked horrified and her daughter said in a very disgusted tone, "Oh God, I hope not!" and my cousin patted her arm and said "Don't worry, if it's red, it can be dyed." I was incredibly insulted.

But then on the other hand (back before my family simply exploded with redheads), my maternal grandfather used to tell me when I was little that I was the only real [our surname] out of all his grandkids because I had red hair and freckles. :heartbeat

[ilovelonghair]

I still live in Australia and I have very pale skin...and I cannot count the amount of times people have told me to "get some sun"...it makes me angry that people's differences aren't celebrated.

I am pale too and never get any comments, except comliments. I don't think I have the greatest skin, but if I look around and see people my age (still quite young) I am surpriced how their skin looks; so much older.

Regarding compliments, I never noticed Australian not giving compliments, do give a lot of compliments!
Lately I have had a lot of compliments on my hair color, strange that change!

[Vercelli]

Interesting thread as we have been applying for jobs in Australia recently (unfortunately too late to watch the Ashes live in Australia). What a strange thing that they seem to have a problem with reddish hair which I like so much...:(

[julliams]

I was always told I looked "pale" or "sick" when I was younger. Now at 37 I get compliments for my "peaches and cream complexion" (what is that anyway???) I don't have the traditional skin of a redhead as I don't have freckles or a pink hue. My skin has golden undertones but I'm still very very pale. My hair is strawberry blonde. I personally have never felt discriminated against. I think I have posted here before that in my profession (teaching) I have heard nasty things said about children who do have red hair and freckles (not to their faces) by both parents and teachers, to which I personally take offense to. I wish these things were not said and that people realised that it is hurtful. I certainly don't think they are "hated" but I think it is generally seen as less attractive and not desirable (not to me personally).

[smcm1232]

In the US I have grown up with many names for my hair and would consider Ranga/r or Ginger nice! lol Bozo, red goat were the replies I got. And where I live most people either had Brown or blonde hair and I never forget the look of bizzare disgust on my female peers faces when they asked " What color is your hair" lol. And they were tougher on boys that even had a hint of red in their hair. I know a few that did and will deny to this day that they do and actually dyed their hair. One was not even a hint of Irish, actually Italian! Most adults love/d it but growing up was tough I longed for brown hair and did my best to make it blonde during high school because of that. Another one was always asking about the downstairs! If I was a true redhead or not after high school. Now older and wiser I cherish being different but people can be creul.

You are right julliams stigma always there. Now it seems there has been an awakening of the redhead as being sassy, seductive more than the blonde or brunette and now everyone wants to be red. Which I think it is good to get rid of the stigma somewhat but I don't ever think it will be gone for good. The adults show the children how to act and alot of the teasing as hurtful as it is is done out of jealousy and insecurity. But kids who can easily see they are different and try to just blend to make friends and be normal are met with that road block from the beginning. But I tell anyone that has to go through that, that they will come to see that it's a blessing more than you know and what thaey had to endure just makes you that much stronger than the rest! Maybe that's why they think were so fiesty!!! lol

[Gingevere]

How strange, I thought that whole anti-redhead thing didn't really exist in the US. I grew up in the Midwest, and I was never, ever teased about having red hair. Not once! I've gotten nothing but compliments on it my entire life. And nobody has red hair where I grew up. Most people around there have some shade of blond. Now I live in New England, where everyone says "ginger" instead of "redhead." Still, I haven't heard any name-calling. I asked my dad (also a redhead) if he was ever teased, and he said no. He thinks that it's because people knew he was the kind of guy who wouldn't take that lying down, lol!

On the other hand, I remember being told many times throughout my early teens that I needed a tan. I used self-tanner for a couple years, but never hit the tanning beds. Just seemed silly to me, paying big bucks in exchange for skin cancer. Finally, I grew out of such insecurities and embraced my paleness. :)

[mrs_coffee]

I have never heard anyone express disdain for red hair (I'm in the Midwest). My best friend when I was little had red, wavy, waist length hair and I wanted it! I only ever remember people admiring it and especially wanting to touch or tousle it. That drove her crazy.

I have to laugh at the "ginger" thing. I'm 40 years old and had never heard that term until it was used in an episode of South Park. I thought it was a term they came up with for that episode! :laugh:

[smcm1232]

lol
i don't mind ginger at all actually kind like it hehe.. But I think people in the mid west in my opinion are more open believe it or not more so than NY. I have lived in NY all my life and seems to be more insecure and closedminded people here if you ask me. I am so glad alot of Redheads out there had better experiences than myself and some others. People around my area have seemed to only like what they have been told that is the "look" (Blonde, brunette, tan nails done certain clothes.etc..)and anything outside of that is not acceptable. Some base they're life around it. In my area if you had Red hair it was shocking and you were either "Goth" or something to that effect. But never natural. It was like it was a bad word or dirty to be natural, has gotten better with age. So sad...But cest la vie

[bondeandeebowl]

I love your red hair! If I ever have a little girl, I really want a redhead. Though, no one in my family has red hair so it looks like I'm out of luck.

[GRU]

I love your red hair! If I ever have a little girl, I really want a redhead. Though, no one in my family has red hair so it looks like I'm out of luck.

Not necessarily -- my birthmother is a brunette, as is everyone in her family, and from what I can tell my birthfather was blond, and yet I somehow came out strawberry-blonde. And even though his father's family only has brown hair, my son was born with strawberry-blond hair. It ended up turning more blond as he got older, but there's still that tinge of red in it a decade later.

Hold out hope! :D

[smcm1232]

I can attest to GRU! My Dad has brown hair my Mom blonde. I red, although my grandmother that has passed had once mentioned that my grandfather had red under arm hair haha...Guess that means Grandpa dyed his hair! When I was younger sounded more like I got my red hair from his arm pits! lol Confusing to a youngster and not something one wants to think about as a kid hehe..

[Red Leo]

Not sure about downthere but I am a redhead too, and have seen many of us with very long hair.

[maradeerfarmer]

Depends on the region I suspect, how much teasing went on as a kid.

Personally, I'm Australian and had my hair dyed very bright red for several years, never got anything but compliments from it.

Fiance is a Ranga, is fed up with his complexion but more because he has such fair skin he only needs to look outside in summer and he is burned to a crisp ;)
That being said, he looks at pics of when my hair was dyed red and bugs me to re-dye it...

[TheMechaGinger]

It's like this where I live in Arizona. I've lived here for ten years now and have received maybe two compliments during that time period. I've also only ever seen about two other natural red heads since I've lived here as well.
I've noticed that it's more popular among men here than women as well, most women I encounter tell me I'd look better as a blonde. No thanks! When I visit family in New Mexico however I get all kinds of compliments from complete strangers on it, even though there's even less redheads in that area! Maybe people over there are just generally nicer?

[A. Correira]

Where I live, it is really rare to see red. My family has a lot of red. and I am kinda a red head... more of a Ginger, if you will. I have always wanted to have pure red hair and tried dyes and things like that. Recently my husband informed me that he doesn't like red hair!! He says that my color is ok but pure red hair is ugly to him!! So it makes me sad to think that something that I think is so beautiful, he finds gross.

[afu]

As Sammich says, there is also some nastiness towards it in the UK, very few people keep their hair red if it's natural. Recently there seems to be a trend for bright red (the un-natural looking shade, not henna or gingery/auburn). I've never seen anyone who purposefully dyes/hennas their hair red either (as in a natural shade). My younger sister has dark strawberry blonde hair and has always bee teased over it, my aunt, cousin and uncles family have dark aurburn hair and my dad did when he was younger.

[auburntressed]

Where I am living right now in the Midwest, there is more red hair around than any other place I have ever lived. I find that interesting.

As to redhead bashing in the US - I was never teased as a child for red hair, though I was ridiculed for long hair. I never observed any other redhead being teased, either - not even a smidge, until after the South Park Ginger episode. And I was out of college by four years when that came out. Since then, I've seen a bit of "good-natured" teasing. But it has all been by adults to adults. I haven't been around kids enough to see if the youth culture has changed because of it. I do know that I'd never heard the word Ginger used for anything but the spice before that.

My mom, on the other hand, claims to have endured ruthless redhead-teasing as a child.

My observation is that "ginger bashing" in the US is somewhat generational. My mom's generation seems to have gone through it a lot. Mine (I'm 29) didn't.

Though I did get told a lot that I was so pale I looked sick all the time...

[oktobergoud]

I never get compliments on my hair color here in Australia, while I used to get tons of compliments on my henna-ed red hair in Holland when I had red hair and on here I get compliments as well.
Also for a country where most people are from Anglo-Saxon heritage there are nearly no people with red hair, really odd. Children have red hair, but I have seen one adult with red hair recently (she had gorgeous thick straight long red hair) in maybe a year?

A friend explained to me that Australians don't like red hair and that the ones who have red hair dye it.
Aussie LHC-ers, is that true?


I'm Dutch! And I do get compliments here quite a bit, I think. Seriously someone was almost mad at me once when I told her I dyed it... like it all of a sudden it wasn't beautiful anymore because it wasn't natural! Weird...

[Babyfine]

Where I am living right now in the Midwest, there is more red hair around than any other place I have ever lived. I find that interesting.



I can attest to that, too, as I've lived in other places in the U.S., it seems I see more here. It is interesting.
I just remembered my first crush in elementary school(on the west coast) was a little boy with red hair.

[Iolanthe13]

As Sammich says, there is also some nastiness towards it in the UK, very few people keep their hair red if it's natural. Recently there seems to be a trend for bright red (the un-natural looking shade, not henna or gingery/auburn). I've never seen anyone who purposefully dyes/hennas their hair red either (as in a natural shade). My younger sister has dark strawberry blonde hair and has always bee teased over it, my aunt, cousin and uncles family have dark aurburn hair and my dad did when he was younger.

I'd heard this before moving to the UK, but oddly I've had a lot of compliments on my henna-ed hair. Plenty of them were given under the assumption this was my natural colour. I've had people ask why I would ever intentionally become a 'ginger' though.

Oddly, there's a real preponderance of natural redheads among the people I know - out of the approximately thirty people I see daily, seven have natural red hair. Then there's me :p

[AnqeIicDemise]

I personally fell in love with red hair when I first laid eyes on Gillian Anderson's Detective Dana Scully as a youngin'. She was everything I ever aspired to be -- intellectual, professional, gorgeous... and the red was just amazing.

[amylou]

It definitely exists in parts of the US. I'm blonde with just a hint of red and I was still heavily made fun of growing up. It was hurtful. Carrot top, ginger, orphan Annie. You name it, I was probably called it by kids at school and even family.

And I barely have red in my hair!

The pale skin doesn't help either though. Tan is considered desirable and healthy I guess and pale is associated with sickness or something. Just because I can't tan does not mean I'm not pretty too.

[Micayla47]

i've heard that british people don't really like red hair either, which just makes it all the more attractive if you ask me. in addition to being beautiful, red hair is rebellious! lol i think there is nothing as pretty as long red hair. :cheer:

[catamonica]

I used to be a natural red head until it turned grey. Red hair is beautiful It is different from
any other color.

[DaniVerde]

I used to be a natural red head until it turned grey. Red hair is beautiful It is different from
any other color.

I know that this is a red hair appreciation thread, but I think that all colors are different from each other...and should be appreciated as such. One hair color is not any better (nor worse!) than any other, no matter what. /hijack

[catamonica]

Your right. One color is not better than any other. I always loved dark hair. Every color is
different.

[Mrs.Witherup]

My hubs has a glorious red beard (one of the many reasons I fell in love with him!) our second son came out with red hair which turned blonde before he was 1, our first daughter came out with dark reddish hair, more brown, but now at 2 1/2 she is full on ginger and fits the stereotypical redhead personality, fiery! She has so much personality for someone so young, and I know it has nothing to do with her hair color but I think her hair enhances it! She's so beautiful! :D

ETA: The only reaction to DD's red hair so far has been my BIL who said "Finally, a kid that's not blonde!" No blondes in my hubby's family, they all secretly covet my blonde hair and cover it up with bad jokes, my SIL hates me (no exaggeration) because her hubs made a comment one day about how he wished her hair looked like mine. All petty people!

[Tealpuffin]

I am personally not a red head but I live in the England and where I live there are many red heads. two of my cousins (male) have what I would call Ginger hair and I went to school with many red heads.There is not much prejudice around here.

Where I live the term Ginger is used to describe the deep fiery red hair and I don't see it as an offensive term. I think that Ginger comes from the idea that Ginger is very fiery spice but I am not too sure. I recently had a discussion at work with 2 of my colleagues about the terms to describe red hair because N has light ginger hair P is from India and was interested on the term we would use to describe N's hair.

Catherine Tate (an English red headed comedian) did a very interesting sketch on one of her sketch shows about Gingers and the way they are portrayed. I think people like Catherine Tate, the weasley's in HP, and many others have changed the stereotype in the UK x

[jeanniet]

Hair is hair to me (I mean I think all colors are cool), but my husband is fascinated with red hair and I'm sure would like me to henna if I had lighter hair. It's a shame that people always have to look for something to pick on.

[Silverbrumby]

I never get compliments on my hair color here in Australia, while I used to get tons of compliments on my henna-ed red hair in Holland when I had red hair and on here I get compliments as well.
Also for a country where most people are from Anglo-Saxon heritage there are nearly no people with red hair, really odd. Children have red hair, but I have seen one adult with red hair recently (she had gorgeous thick straight long red hair) in maybe a year?

A friend explained to me that Australians don't like red hair and that the ones who have red hair dye it.
Aussie LHC-ers, is that true?

Growing up hearing the term 'Flame Brain' and

...For example, in Australia, redheaded males are often called Bluey. This nickname originated from the Victorian Goldfields of the 1850s - 1860s. A large influx of Irish people saw a good proportion of redheaded men trying their luck. They soon gained a reputation as hard drinkers, hellraisers, and fighters. So much so that when a redheaded Irishman passed by, the comment followed "there goes a blue" i.e potential fight.

kind of twigs me to the fact it's not popular there. I love red hair btw. I have found a great appreciation of the red head in romance novels which aussies love but those lasses are on distant shores. Must ask the sisters back home why this is.

p.s. no longer living in Australia

[jessa]

Im from Oz and I love red hair. I have a few friends who are natural red heads and they all dye their hair other colours. I agree that there is a sitgma here and I this our current PM Julia has added to this. I think red hair should definitely be more appreciated here for its beauty.

[ttverdy]

Well, I guess I won't go to Australia then! :)

Just kidding. No matter where you go, there are always going to be stigma surrounding something. So I am just going to love what I have and move on. :)

[jojo]

Yes a lot in the Uk dislike redheads, yet it only seems to apply to natural redheads not the dyed variety which is kinda confusing; red is probably the most popular colour women dye their hair in my area!
Derogatory terms ive heard is Gingah and ginger winger.

I personally love to see red hair, my daughters boyfriend has beautiful red hair!

[Phexlyn]

Yes a lot in the Uk dislike redheads, yet it only seems to apply to natural redheads not the dyed variety which is kinda confusing; red is probably the most popular colour women dye their hair in my area!
Derogatory terms ive heard is Gingah and ginger winger.

Except when your dyed red looks like natural read. I spent a week at a school in Scotland last autumn and they took me for a real redhead.
One of the girls (a cute little redhead herself) was quite cool about it and said "Hey, your hair looks just like mine. Jack (the boy who said next to her) calls me ginger, but then I hit him." The two were always fighting with each other but in such a cute way - they looked like they would grow up to get married some day ;)