Ginger Baker drum solo at Cream reunion concert a few years back.
Posted on 09/10/2014 10:14:17 AM PDT by llevrok
Carrot-topped children are aiming to reclaim the term “ginger” as part of a confidence-building course designed to help them beat the bullies.
Run by Donna Strachan – a social worker who was teased mercilessly at school for her red hair and freckles – the workshop sees a string of flame-haired fictional characters talk about their experiences.
The primary school children, aged between five and 12, then create their own red-headed personalities on mugs, T-shirts, gym bags and puzzles.
Ginger activists have hailed the move, claiming the “light-hearted” approach might help redheads cope with any taunts they may receive later.
Workshop coach Ms Strachan, originally from Australia, told how her son, James, five, is now on the end of the same insults she received as a child.
“A lot of kids still get teased and made fun of for having red hair,” said Ms Strachan, who quit her day job to found her own Ginger Pride organisation.
“My generation certainly did. I got the usual names you get in Australia; freckle face, red-headed rat and carrot top.
“And so these talks are all about making sure the next generation of kids don’t have to go through the same thing their parents did.
“What the workshops do is to focus on drawing out those positive qualities in the children, who will then make their own design that represents this.”
Ms Strachan’s anti-bullying campaign comes one year after Canadian comedian Shawn Hitchins led a ginger pride march through Edinburgh to stand up to those that make fun of Scotland’s 650,000 redheads.
John Loughton, 27, renowned ginger and Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack winner in 2008, said the course would be a “much more effective tool” in tackling bullying than a flashy pride march.
He said: “For it to be taken seriously in schools you have to make it light-hearted, you have to make a few jokes, but you also have to put it in a context that’s relevant to children – because it’s also quite serious.
“Children need to be told that a physical trait should not mean they are an easy target for bullying, and that they have a right to feel safe when they’re at school.
“What I don’t support is someone who’s grown up being bullied say that they had a normal upbringing – because there’s nothing normal about getting bullied.”
The Ingingerness course is running at a string of Midlothian primaries this week including Cuiken, Mayfield, St Margaret’s and St Mary’s.
A spokeswoman for Midlothian Council said: “These workshops are a fun way of teaching young people the value of respecting others and learning positive attitudes.”
British gingers recently launched Red Head Day UK, on June 7.
‘No-one should be made fun of’
Actor Arron Usher has spent the better part of his life batting away snide remarks about his red hair and freckles.
But after years of ridicule, the 37-year-old panto star, right – who appeared on BBC comedy Don’t Drop the Baton – believes things are finally starting to turn a corner for Scotland’s redheads.
“I was bullied loads as a kid – not so much in primary school, but in secondary school,” he said. “I was always being called names like carrot top, although I argued back that the top of a carrot was green.
“I support any campaign to get into schools and tackle bullying head on. It sounds like something that will really help kids celebrate their differences, which is what we should be after.
“No-one should get made fun of just because they’re different – we need to be ginger and proud.”
(Insert South Park Ginger Kids Episode Reference here)
Still okay to bully blondes and fat shame boys (girls are “BBW” now) and beat up on “nerds”? Just not gingers and faggots?
How about Don’t bully ANYBODY???
These PC campaigns really suck just as do mean people.
Lots of people suck. Lots of people think it’s fun to ridicule, tease, and bully other people. I topped 6 feet and got got picked on for that... most often by runty girls. Also got picked on for being a good student and being relatively non-voluptuous. I prefer cats to a lot of people!
It would be interesting to know where this term ‘ginger’ originates, as the vegetable bears no resemblance in color.
The Brits are particularly cold hearted when it comes to redheads. In America, its not really so much an issue.
Surprisingly, in the harsh country of Russia, it also isn’t an article of mockery. In fact, there is a small area in the caucuses where there are the most redheaded people in the world.
Probably because ‘ginger’ is a ‘hot’ spice, and ‘red’ is associated with heat..........................
I’ve never gotten this redhead teasing thing.
My mother and grandmother were and sister still is bright red redheads. I am particularly drawn to redheads for some reason.................
I need to head to the caucuses...
But my hair is not very red anymore. It’s a shame too.
Screw with me about being “ginger” and this “ginger”, who has received extensive firearms and self defense training will explain the error of your ways.
CC
and here I thought this was going to be a Harry Turtledove thread
As a red head I can say there are two types of red heads, smoking hot and not even close. There is no in between. I won’t say which I am ;), but I was bullied up until 6th grade when I beat the snot out of the biggest bully (like Ralphie did in Christmas Story I went nuts) after football practice. Never was bothered again and later in high school me and the ex-bully were pretty good friends.
Ginger Baker drum solo at Cream reunion concert a few years back.
” I am particularly drawn to redheads for some reason...........”
Me too. Father,brother,husband,and 2 sons.
Not one red head grandchild though. Very sad.
.
Great episode...and Cartman’s finest acting.
I don’t get it. My daughter has a friend who is red haired and the two of them tease each other mercilessly and love it. My daughter makes fun of her being a ginger and her friend makes fun of her Japanese heritage. People can always take things too far... but c’mon.
Note: My sister, mother, and paternal Grandmother were all red haired. My hair was white when I was four and now it’s dark brown, gray, and has hints of red. My beard originally came in red. But my harassment came from being a “nerdy, four-eyed, yellow-belly”. The last part went away when I went blank during a fight in 8th grade and kicked my opponents teeth out (literally two front teeth). I blame the black out on my celtic (Scotch-Irish) berserker heritage.
Ireland is its share of redheads. I lived three years in Northern Ireland (’78 - ‘81). I have red hair (or I did then) and fair skin. Many thought I must be Irish, and some thought I had emigrated and then come back. I was readily accepted by those on both sides of the conflicts there...maybe because of my red hair, and more probably because of being American.
When I was a boy there were times I was teased for the red hair, but I didn’t let that be a bother. If I had it to do over, I would choose to be a redhead!
The term is at least a hundred years old or more. It's earliest roots come from the time the ginger root first started to be imported into England as a spice. The flower is bright red.
The term is apparently used much more disparagingly in the UK than the US.
I know all this only because I argued with my brother (who thought the term came from Ginger on Gilligan's Island) and I thought it was much older.
Of course, I was right.
WHERE DO RED-HEADED BABIES COME FROM?
After their baby was born, the panicked father went to see the Obstetrician. ‘Doctor,’ the man said, ‘I don’t mind telling you, but I’m a little upset because my daughter has red hair. She can’t possibly be mine!!’
‘Nonsense,’ the doctor said...’Even though you and your wife both have black hair, one of your ancestors may have contributed red hair to the gene pool.’
‘It isn’t possible,’ the man insisted.
‘This can’t be, our families on both sides had jet-black hair for generations.’
“Well, said the doctor, let me ask you this. How often do you have sex???”
The man seemed a bit ashamed..’I’ve been working very hard for the past year. We only made love once or twice every few months.’
‘Well, there you have it!’ The doctor said confidently....
“It’s Rust.”
I’m with you, pal (I am a nordic ginger).
From what I’ve read, red heads are an endangered species (due to the “browning” of the global population). So we can either populate like crazy with fellow gingers (ahem) or get one of those special parking permits.
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