I'm a Ginger - Not a Bully

"Bullying's lifelong damage," The Week Magazine, March 11, 2013

A few days ago I was reading The Week Magazine when I came across an article about bullying. It should have caught my attention because such information is important to the anti-violence work I do. Instead my first thought when I saw this photo was, "why did they have to use a redhead as the bully?"

I am a ginger. Or a redhead, carrot top, strawberry, Pippi, Annie or any of the other clever or not-so-clever nicknames used to describe a girl with red hair.

From my experience, having red hair makes you different. I spent most of my childhood being teased for and hating my hair. Like Anne in Anne of Green Gables, I wanted to be anything but a redhead. We just tried to avoid being picked on.

Never mind that between South Park, this guy on YouTube and Tosh.O, gingers are back in the hot seat. We've been getting a bad rap since we were thought to be witches...but when did we become bullies?

Here's a few ginger bullies that come to mind:

• Scut Farcus, of course (from A Christmas Story. For the record, I don't know any of us that have yellow eyes).
• Sideshow Bob from The Simpsons (I'm creeped out by all clowns. Not just the redheaded ones.)
• The entire O'Doyle family from Billy Madison
• Yosemite Sam (sure, he's lovable in his own way, but still a bully: he shoots first and asks later)
• Sergeant Nick Brody on Homeland (the redhead betrays his country for Al-Qaeda)
• ...and the many, many comic book redheaded villians...

You get the idea. But where does this come from? Because we're known for having tempers? Because freckles make us appear more mischievous like Alfred E. Neuman from Mad Magazine? Who knows.

Redheads are a rare breed. So rare, in fact, that due to genetic mutation scientists believe that we may be extinct by the end of the century. So get out your hair dye, befriend a ginger, stop picking on them. If you have red hair, embrace it - we may be mythical in the not-too-distant future.

Be nice to us. Or I'll take your lunch money.