BBC denies Doctor Who 'anti-ginger' regeneration (Agenda against red-haired people is alleged)

The Times (U.K.) ^ | January 6, 2009 | Adam Sherwin

[Stoat]

“I’m still not ginger,” cried the new Doctor Who after his latest regeneration. But the BBC has insisted that the Time Lord intended this as a statement of regret after it received complaints from viewers.

(edit)

Angry parents complained to the BBC that the comment, made in an episode seen by 11 million viewers, would encourage bullying of their ginger haired children. But the BBC said that the Doctor was actually disappointed that he had not joined the ginger ranks.

The statement read: “We’ve received complaints from viewers who believed a line in Doctor Who: The End of Time was insulting to people with ginger hair.

“We would like to reassure viewers that Doctor Who doesn’t have an anti-ginger agenda whatsoever. This was a reprise of the line in the Christmas Invasion episode in 2005, when David Tennant discovers that he’s not ginger, and here he is, missing out again — disappointed he’s still not ginger.”

The statement concluded: “In addition, the Doctor’s previous companion Donna Noble [Catherine Tate] and his new one Amy Pond [Karen Gillan] are both redheads.”

Last year the BBC responded to complaints from EastEnders viewers when the ginger hair of the character Tiffany was mocked.

(edit)

 

[CalvaryJohn]

Best case scenario:

[La Lydia]

Catherine Tate skit about a shelter for abused gingers — whom even the police diss.
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/fdce88e2ba/the-ginger-refuge-w-catherine-tate-from-greatest-comedy-sketches

[Stoat]

This appears to be turning into a ‘red-headed hotties’ thread, which is fine by me ;-)

[BenKenobi]

and me. i love redheads.

[Stoat]

FUNNY! Thank you for posting :-)

[Stoat]

and me. i love redheads.

Agreed.  Roma Downey's hair is one of the things that made Touched By An Angel so special...that and her Irish accent

"sigh"

[La Lydia]

I love Catherine Tate. She is always hilarious. “Am I bovvered?”

[Nachum]

King David was a ginger

[reg45]

Take any hottie and give her red hair! Voila! Megahottie!

[Gay State Conservative]

In Britain the word “ginger” can mean red haired or having fair complexion but it can also be used to describe a guy who’s light in the loafers.Don’t know if this has been pointed out yet.

[SunkenCiv]

[JoeProBono]

[Clock King]

No, “ginger-haired” or ginger-headed has been around for many generations. Such as Malcom X would have been called “that ginger-headed fellow...”

[a fool in paradise]

But calling someone “a ginger”?

[Clock King]

US english - UK english? I don’t know. I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a long-standing racial/group aspect to using it as a noun in the UK.

[dead]

Check out that ginger ho!

[dead]

My brother's a ginger. He just married an Asian girl.

I told him his kids are going to be Ginger Ninjas. I only hope they use their powers for good instead of evil.

[Jack Hydrazine]

The group Improv Everywhere did a fake protest of a Wendy’s fast food restaurant because their logo has girl on it who is ginger and they consider it racist.

http://improveverywhere.com/2007/07/24/redheads/