h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Bring back 'Viz' that has all the advice you need on Ginger issues

Absolutely, Robyn.

It's worse when you attach the word to an insult, as it makes it sound as if you are labelling all ginger people as twonks.

For a more acute example, I could call someone dark-skinned, say, and I could call them illegitimate, but if I use them together, I'd be inciting racial hatred.

I am actually red-haired. Or Ginger.** It's taken me a while to accept this. I've been masquerading as blonde, (cos my hair does fade to blonde in the sunshine) but 'blondes' have just about as bad stereotyped perceptions as fiery redheads.


** I even have freckles

Time to dig out my raindeer antlers and wear them for the next few weeks... I've written my list out and sent it to santa But I don't know if I've been a good boy this year or not Its all starting to feel a bit Christmasy and the advent calenders must be started by now I guess Just need to find someone to roast my nuts for me...

i didn't acctually accuse or insult any ginger people

its just a startling headline to get people in

the papers do it all the time

it could have been a cake recipie for all you knew

i mean ginger nuts is a far more offensive term

"A face with no freckles is like the night sky with no stars".

My partner's ginger but refers to herself as having auburn hair, it plainly isn't but I'll do anything for a quiet life!!

Re Chris Evans- I've also noticed lots of christmas references, and I've also noticed I'm able to tune to another station for the duration. Or put in a cd. Non-xmassy, of course!!

>>i didn't acctually accuse or insult any ginger people

its just a startling headline to get people in

the papers do it all the time

it could have been a cake recipie for all you knew

i mean ginger nuts is a far more offensive term<<

Oh come on now. 'Ginger' is being used in derogatory way because you're attaching it to a mild yet dergatory term. You wouldn't say 'brunette twonk' if it was a dark haired broadcaster, you'd have found something else that can be perceived as something personal to point the finger at. 'four-eyed' or 'fat' or 'bald'. Yes? Probably? Would I be, in general if not in this situation, correct?

Because the papers say it all the time makes it ok does it?

And, er, no, I couldn't have mistaken it for a cake recipe. You were making a personal statement about someone with a distinguishing feature that you feel it is acceptable to point out in conjunction with an insult, no matter how nonsensical or mild.

Just sayin, it's still racism even if it's not recognised yet. Bullying of redheads should be classed as a hate crime same as picking on blacks, asians, gays or anyone else based on the way they look. For kids who are bullied for being ginger, it is the same. There's nothing they can do about it, it has the same effects and nobody should be made to feel ashamed about how they are born, the way they look. Should black people be ashamed of the colour of their skin? No? Tell me what the difference is. I know too many people who are pretty scarred from their experiences as children, being bullied and picked on from a young age, for anyone to tell me that it's not a big deal and it's meant to be a laugh. It's not funny when your the one being picked on.

I think it's disgusting that it's still considered acceptable to make fun of people because of the colour of their hair.

As for Evans, he's a total twonk, hair colour aside. But I dont listen to whatever radio station it is that he's on so I dont worry about it.

Anti-ginger prejudice is very old indeed. I thought about writing it up for the edited guide, but it's actually quite shocking, and I don't think the Eds would want to publish it.

Here's part of the entry in the Oxford Dictionary of English Folklore:

"Families where red hair is frequent are often said to be descended from the Danes, from the Scots, or from Spanish sailors of the Armada — all formerly enemies of England. If only one child has this colouring, it might be vaguely ascribed to ‘bad blood’, or, more specifically, to the mother's adultery — nowadays, it is usually jokingly said, ‘with the milkman’. Another ‘explanation’ is that the parents had made love during the woman's period, thus breaking a powerful taboo. This does not appear in standard English folklore collections, presumably because of its unseemly nature, but was known, and used as a taunt, in Kent and London in the 1950s and 1960s..."

'ginger' or 'four-eyed' or 'fat' or 'bald'




I am going to a gym though

Ah, but you're a twonk by choice darlin

In my family we always blamed the red hair on our Gypsy grandmother - which seemed unlikely until I just found this traditional song


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eygGEaU7rgA

i see no one is rushing to defend Twonks???

Unless it is a terribly tasty chocolate bar - no.

Are twonks those things with the mad hair that you stick on pencils?

Didn´t the Romans use to kill gingers?

Why is it called that anyway? Isn´t ginger a white-yellowish colour?

No.

Ginger is a plant root that can make cookin' whisky taste presentable (to some).

its also good for making

<>

Aren't they 'gonks'?

Mr Evans seems to be getting very opionated of late, more so than usual and in danger of descending into his old Radio 1 persona.

Well, *I* was really pleased that Chris has started playing the occasional Christmas song, because I can't find my Christmas CD, and I really like Christmas songs.

I usually re-tune my radio if I'm not enjoying a programme, it's not hard, is it?

Mol

Hang on ... people start opening advent calendars on the 1st December ... so what's wrong with starting to play festive songs then? Blimey the shops I've been in November are already playing them. I've seen supermarkets with a festive section down one of the aisles in mid-August. As far as I'm concerned if all festivities were held back until Dec 1st and then we had 25 days that would be fine by me ...

PS Past seven years Christmas tree has been up somewhere between Nov 7th & 24th ... this year can't be bothered to put one up ...