Facebook 'Kick a Ginger' campaign prompts attacks on redheads

The Telegraph, London, UK ^ | 2008-11-23 | Matthew Moore

[rabscuttle385]

The teenager behind a "Kick a Ginger" group on Facebook is being investigated by police after reports of attacks on redhead children.

Nearly 5,000 people joined the online campaign which urged members to "get them steel toes ready" for a day of booting this week.

The website appears to have been inspired by a recent episode of the cartoon South Park, in which a young character called Cartman describes people with red hair as evil and soulless.

Dozens of children left messages on the page claiming to have carried out attacks on "National Kick a Ginger Day" on Thursday, and a girl in Alberta, Canada claimed that she and her 13-year-old sister were punched and kicked by pupils at their school.

The 14-year-old boy from Vancouver who ran the Facebook group has apologised and insisted that it was only meant as a joke, but the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has launched an investigation and warned that those involved could face charges.

"We do treat this sort of thing seriously," a police spokeswoman told the Vancouver Sun newspaper. "This is sort of inciting hate. It's a hate crime, really."

[rabscuttle385]

Additional coverage from The Edmonton Sun, Edmonton, Alberta

Apparently this is going on in Calgary. First, there was the meteor...and now, ginger campaigns inspired by South Park. What the hell is going on in Alberta???

[rabscuttle385]

Double Canada/South Park ping.

[ari-freedom]

I guess they’ve moved on from hating Bush.

[mockingbyrd]

BLAME CANADA!!!!!

[ClearCase_guy]

The “Kick a Mary Ann” effort never got off the ground. Because Mary Ann rules!

[ari-freedom]

Kick the Canadian!

[Blue Highway]

Weird thing is the Ginget Kid episode was over 3 years ago. The story says it is a recent South Park episode. Wonder if they were also wanting to take a cheap shot at that “piehole” girl on the Bud Lite “Drinkability” commercial. She is rather annoying.

[LiberConservative]

... Cartman describes people with red hair as evil and soulless ...

My ex is a redhead. Hmm ...

[Daffynition]

If you are from Croatia, you'll recognize this attorney, who may be a candidate by reason of her profession ............or looks.

[kms61]

okay, I have to ask what that’s all about.

[muir_redwoods]

Go ahead kid, this redhead holds a 3rd degree black belt and carries a .40 S&W Glock.

Make it a real good kick.

[Drango]

Cartman describes people with red hair as evil and soulless.

Redheads are pretty bad, but the true spawn of satan are liberals.

[cripplecreek]

Considering the ease with which Cartman organized the gingers into a genocidal nazi like mob should be of great concern to us all.

[coop71]

[P8riot]

My 6yr old red-headed son is in his second year of Kenpo, and just won his second match. I dare anyone to kick him.

[Lizavetta]

Sorry about the loss of your wife. Hopefully you have found peace and relief from the torment.

[nmh]

Doesn’t ANYONE at ANY age have ANY SENSE?

Even a kid should realize this is WRONG.

[gwilhelm56]

**My ex is a redhead. Hmm ...**

Both of my ex’s are Redheads.....

but ... HATE CRIME??!!??!!?... so it goes back to another SOUTH PARK Invention.

“BLAME CANADA”

[Daffynition]

Seriously. She’s an attorney in Croatia. Don’t know much else ... a descendant of nobility perhaps? Carrot Top’s mom?

[nmh]

The problem is they won’t bother you ... .

They’ll sense YOU are no weakling.

BTW, we LOVE redheads.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Some muggle is in for a rude shock.

[basil]

This lifelong “Ginger” is armed and waiting for someone to pull this sh#t on me, my redheaded daughters, or redheaded grandkids.......

[fanfan]

Thanks for the ping, rabscuttle385.

[Tax-chick]

*snicker*

[hinckley buzzard]

All Bud Lite commercials are annoying and have been for the last twenty years or so.

[misharu]

WOO WOO! As a fellow natural redhead, I say the same!! Come try to kick me and I will unleash a big bad can o’whoopa$$!!

[Clemenza]

We really need a “kick a HIPSTER” movement so that those whiny little cow tipper transplants can be chased out of Brooklyn.

[MathDoc]

[LiberConservative]

Ginger. Definitely Ginger.

[martin_fierro]

Kick away.

[television is just wrong]

Red heads are HOT!

[ccmay]

Kick a ginger? No thanks, I'd much rather hit them.

[SouthTexas]

Better watch out this week.

[pbmaltzman]

Yikes. Is that a woman, or is that a transsexual?

[Salamander]

“... Cartman describes people with red hair as evil and soulless ...”

Actually we are, therefore, kicking us is a really, *really* bad idea.

[Don W]

Gillian is MINE! Ya HEAR ME!?!?

[ME-262]

"kick a ginger"?

If the 14 year old kid turns out to be dyslexic they'll charge him with the maximum hate crime possible. For going after the one race which can not be teased.

[Salamander]

Yes.

It should.

[Uber alles!]

[smokingfrog]

You wanna see somethin' kick?

[retrokitten]

They sure are! LOLOLOLOL

P.S. I’m a bottle redhead and I’m almost 6 feet tall. I dare someone to kick me.

[Sparky1776]

Yep!

[ExSafecracker]

If this is a Ginger vs. Maryann FreePpole, put me down for 3 votes for Maryann!! (I was registered by ACORN)

[Candor7]

How could these little A$$ Hats do such a thing?More cultural lockstep and precursor socialization towards Big Brother Society a la Brave New World.

Red haired fems are the root of all feminine beauty and wisdom, and in mythology that is true also ( Beautiful Red Haired Scathach, of the Tain Bo Cooley Irish Cycle of Mythology, trained Cuchulain in battle skills.)

South Park sometimes creates some real social problems. This is one of them.

When I was 14 , I would have stopped them from doing this.

[cripplecreek]

Never forget.

[OneWingedShark]

It’s SOUTH PARK... WTF would someone take it seriously?

[Salamander]

Say what you will about Carrot Top but whoever kicks him is in for a world of pumped-up hurt.....:)

[Mr. Jeeves]

Doesn’t ANYONE at ANY age have ANY SENSE?

Social networking sites are particularly attractive to young people with no identity of their own, who are seeking a peer group to tell them who they are. In this case, identify so strongly with an in-group that they rationalize physically attacking an out-group.

Kind of like DU and Kos posters...

[lefty-lie-spy]

Through my personal experience, the LAST THING YOU WANT TO DO is kick a full-grown Scott ginger, let alone call him a ginger, so therefore I can understand the targets being kids. I’ll pass this to a Scott ginger friend of mine for comment.

[cripplecreek]

Say what you will about Carrot Top but whoever kicks him is in for a world of pumped-up hurt.....:)

Kinda like Joe Piscapo. Really annoying but too intimidating to complain about.

[LucyT]

Someone on FR once mentioned their aunt had red hair, but she always wore a black wig.