Militant Ginger

Now I'm living in civilisation, I'd almost forgotten one of the major driving forces behind this blog - my intense annoyance at the ridiculous prejudice British people have about redheads.

But word of this prejudice seems to have followed me across the Atlantic. On Yahoo this morning, the Americans were reporting on what they dubbed 'Ginger Phobia.'

You can see the ABC news story about it here.

One of their most amazing claims was that Prince Harry got bullied at school for his red hair. His comrades in the army apparently call him The Ginger Bullet Magnet and his girlfriend refers to him affectionately as: The Big Ginger.

I mean, this is the guy who's forth in line for the throne! Show some bloody respect!

The American reporters on this item seem incredulous. I can't blame them. Picking on somebody for the colour of their hair is crazy enough - but for the Brits to do it?

But the British reporter, who actually narrates the piece, has that same, snide, snotty lilt to his voice that we've all heard when exploring this particular issue. As Dan Wright, presenter of F*** Off, I'm Ginger, told me: We don't want to make it too serious.

That's why all reports about ginger prejudice are littered with puns, jokes and references to 'ginger nuts.' It's a serious issue that nobody in Britain is willing to take seriously. Why? Most likely because it reveals a nasty streak about British culture that loves to pick on people who are different.

As Charlotte Rushton says in the news item: A redhead stands out; and a nail that stands out gets hammered down.