Ginger-ism

[Bullgrit]

What is with all the red-head hate? Yeah, I get that some of the ragging is possibly not actual hate, but rather just picking on people. But why is picking on this particular group a generally acceptable practice? It is so damn prevelant everywhere. I like surfing the web and reading funny sites like Cheezeburger and 9Gag, and it seems that just about every day there is some joke picking on red-heads. There was even one here on ENWorld some weeks ago. I can't remember where right now, but I believe I saw a ginger "joke" on TV a while back.

I just saw this one:

... and it struck me: If you rearrange the letters in "ginger", you get a "joke" that would never be allowed in any public space.

So where did this red-head hate start, and why has it become the only "-ism" to seemingly gain widespread use as "acceptable" humor? As a culture, we've made it clear that the general populace disapproves of demeaning, belittling, insulting, picking and hating on any group . . . apparently except red heads. How did this double standard happen?

Bullgrit

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I dunno, I like redheads. HAWT.

Redheaded step childs, of course, are something else. I like to compare them to WotC treatment of 4E in regards to D&D Next, which might be harsh on them.

*Disclaimer: I am not actually sure if WotC treats 4E as red headed step child, but it was the only comparison that would be immediately recognizable I could come up with on the spot.

 

[Zombie_Babies]

Umm ... it's really simple. The ginger 'hate' isn't real hate at all. It's all 100% just a joke. Most people, for example, that say things like 'gingers have no soul' don't even believe souls exist. That's hardly a real insult then, no? It's just playing around - there's no evil intent to it at all. You mention how if we changed up the letters in ginger somewhat we'd arrive at a joke that'd get us all in trouble. Well, that word is used to hurt, not to joke. That's the difference.

I have several ginger friends and I bust their chops all the time. They make fun of me for stuff, too. We're friends, we joke. I think that's what you're missing here. The 'anti-ginger' campaign you're seeing isn't anti-ginger at all. It's a joke. Nothing more. I'm pretty sure most gingers get that, too.

Srsly, sometimes people say things without any mean intent behind it. What the hell happened to peoples' sense of humor?

EDIT: The easiest way to be offended is to actively look for something offensive. People see what they want to whether or not it's actually there. I don't think gingers need a white knight.

 

[Desdichado]

... and it struck me: If you rearrange the letters in "ginger", you get a "joke" that would never be allowed in any public space.

Well, that's completely irrelevent, and in fact, a rather inflammatory non sequiter. You'd have been better off leaving that alone.

So where did this red-head hate start, and why has it become the only "-ism" to seemingly gain widespread use as "acceptable" humor? As a culture, we've made it clear that the general populace disapproves of demeaning, belittling, insulting, picking and hating on any group . . . apparently except red heads. How did this double standard happen?

Now you're being silly. Blonde jokes are way older than redhead jokes (does anyone besides me not really approve of this new-fangled trend of importing the word "ginger" for redheads from the Brits? It really only makes sense for the more orangey haired redheads anyway. And cats.) I could find many other groups who are routinely demeaned, belittled, insulted, picked upon and hated--publicly--and there's no outcry at all. And this isn't even any of those things anyway, really.

Don't try to make redheads into some kind of victim category; that's absurd. I know victimhood--real or contrived--bestows a kind of Sainthood among certain elements of our society, but give it a rest already. Nobody hates redheads. And even if they do, redheads can get over it, the same as other groups.

 

[Umbran]

I like to compare them to WotC treatment of 4E in regards to D&D Next...

Oh, look! A reason for red text in a thread about redheads!

Because, clearly, what a thread on hair color needs is edition warring?

You want to know why there's animosity and factionalization of the player base? It is this. The changes of editions do little damage, as compared to the damage we do by being so dogged about it ourselves that we bring it up, no matter the context.

Next time, leave the gaming argument in the gaming argument threads, please and thank you.

 

[Bullgrit]

Blonde jokes are way older than redhead jokes

I can't remember the last time I've seen/heard a blonde joke. Are they still used?

(does anyone besides me not really approve of this new-fangled trend of importing the word "ginger" for redheads from the Brits? It really only makes sense for the more orangey haired redheads anyway. And cats.)

I agree. I've never heard "ginger" used until recent few years, and only for insult/ridicule.

Don't try to make redheads into some kind of victim category; that's absurd.

I don't like the victimhood culture, either. And I'm not saying pity the red head. I'm just asking since when did they, (anyone, really), become an acceptable target to ridicule in this age of anti-bullying?

Bullgrit

 

[billd91]

Don't try to make redheads into some kind of victim category; that's absurd. I know victimhood--real or contrived--bestows a kind of Sainthood among certain elements of our society, but give it a rest already. Nobody hates redheads. And even if they do, redheads can get over it, the same as other groups.

Nobody hates redheads? That's patently not true. There are far too many cases of bullying redheads for the color of their hair to say that. But, it's nowhere near the same levels of oppressiveness as other forms of discrimination. Here's an editorial that helps put it in perspective:
Gingerism is real, but not all prejudices are equal to one another

 

[Desdichado]

I agree. I've never heard "ginger" used until recent few years, and only for insult/ridicule.

It's a British slang-term. I think the vector for bringing it to the US was Harry Potter, since the Weaselies are often called gingers in the books.

I've heard it used plenty of times just as a descriptive term.

In any case, I don't think the idea of making jokes at the expense of redheads is anything new. The old expression "red-headed stepchild" is older than me by a long-shot.

 

[Morrus]

Been that way since I was a child. Ginger jokes, not blond/e. Pronounced with hard Gs. The word "redhead" isn't used over hear; you're a ginger.

So in answer to your question of "when" - 40 years ago at least. Probably before.

And no, it's not the last acceptable discrimination. Weight, nationality, all these things are apparently acceptable things to be nasty to people about. We have a long way to go yet.

 

[Zombie_Babies]

I can't remember the last time I've seen/heard a blonde joke. Are they still used?

[sblock=Bad joke! You have been warned!]A blonde, a brunette and a readhead are sitting in an OB GYN's office. They're there for their checkups and they get to chatting. The topic of what sex child they think they're gonna have comes up and the brunette says 'I was on the bottom so that means I'm gonna have a girl.' The redhead thinks for a second and says 'I was on top so I guess that means I'm gonna have a boy!' The blonde looks concerned and begins to cry. The other girls ask her what's wrong and she says 'I'm gonna have puppies!'[/sblock]

I don't like the victimhood culture, either. And I'm not saying pity the red head. I'm just asking since when did they, (anyone, really), become an acceptable target to ridicule in this age of anti-bullying?

Bullgrit

Ever since our culture has been hypocritical. So, you know, since forever. We say one thing and do another. It's life as a human being.