Redheads in the British Media

A while ago, the BBC decided to write a story about the institutionalised abuse redheaded people have to put up with here in England.

It was a serious, sensitive subject and they treated it accordingly. The headline ran: “Carrot Tops See Red.”

That’s just typical, really. Here in Britain, the systematic ridicule of redheads is so long standing that nobody can take the subject remotely seriously. What’s the point of actually addressing a real issue; like why redheads are subjected to a lifetime of abuse; when the BBC can raise a cheap laugh with a natty head line?

They’re not alone. As far as the media’s concerned, redheads are fair game. When Sun editor Rebekah Wade pummelled her Eastenders star husband, The Times described her as a “ginger ninja.” The Daily Mirror matched that hilarious pun by describing a drunken Prince Harry as a “ginger binger.” Unsurprisingly, The Sun are pretty cruel about redheads too, running a news story about “Mr Ugly,” a redhead deemed “too ugly” to work at KFC. But at least in his case, there was an upside. They fixed him a date with a Page 3 girl.

Even on British television, redheads are the supporting characters and the comedy sidekicks. There’s Eastender’s geeky Bradley, described the Sun as the “ginger whinger.” Or eccentric Fiz, from Coronation Street. A bit nutty? Well, she’s ginger, isn’t she! How about Martin, from old Sitcom Game On? He was the limp wrested mummy’s boy who couldn’t get a date. Or cringing sidekick Ron Weasley, from the Harry Potter movies? One thing is certain. If they’re ginger, they’re unattractive, unsuccessful and, let’s face it, just a bit odd.

With the media spoon feeding Britain the stereotype of the ginger looser, is it any wonder that redheads still feel like the butt of some kind of national joke?

Thank goodness other countries are slightly more civilised. With redheaded David Caruso leading the team of CSI Miami, the Americans have shown us that redheaded men can be sexy, confident and capable.

We Brits might think we’re five hours ahead of Miami, but it actually looks like we’re several decades behind.

I always thought Britain’s media was acutely sensitive of racial issues, carefully crafting ethnically diverse casts and characters into soap operas and dramas. What I want to know is this: How long do we have to wait until redhead characters are penned with the same respect as any other minority group?