I now have Tim Minchin's song Prejudice as an earworm.
I grew up as red-headed but copper/auburn (and with dark eyes) rather than strawberry blonde/ginger. I do suspect that auburn-haired people get a lot fewer really nasty insults, but apparently it's still hilarious enough for strangers to make witty wisecracks about*, and unusual enough that little old ladies come up to me and stroke my hair. I got a lot of joshing, banter and teasing about my hair (and skin**), but not much in the way of physical violence or ostracism. My sister (who has strawberry blonde hair and pale eyes, and burns through factor 50 sunscreen *much* easier than I do) did not get off so lightly.
*Occasionally, these are chuckleworthy. E.g. going to a red squirrel reserve with my family as a teen, some people pointed at us and went "Oh look, there's a couple of red squirrels over there!"
**Do I burst into flames in sunlight like a vampire? Do I sunbathe under a sieve? Give me your arm Becky, I want to show $person how good my tan is, miming being blinded by a brilliant light, What's got two legs and looks like tippex? Becky. Ect ect. Tiresome but pretty harmless, can usually be headed off if I join in with the jokes.
My parents OTOH royally stitched me up by teaching me to reply to the question "Where did you get your lovely hair colour from?" with the answer "The milkman". Thanks. Thanks a bunch.
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Date: 2014-12-02 12:57 pm (UTC)I grew up as red-headed but copper/auburn (and with dark eyes) rather than strawberry blonde/ginger. I do suspect that auburn-haired people get a lot fewer really nasty insults, but apparently it's still hilarious enough for strangers to make witty wisecracks about*, and unusual enough that little old ladies come up to me and stroke my hair. I got a lot of joshing, banter and teasing about my hair (and skin**), but not much in the way of physical violence or ostracism. My sister (who has strawberry blonde hair and pale eyes, and burns through factor 50 sunscreen *much* easier than I do) did not get off so lightly.
*Occasionally, these are chuckleworthy. E.g. going to a red squirrel reserve with my family as a teen, some people pointed at us and went "Oh look, there's a couple of red squirrels over there!"
**Do I burst into flames in sunlight like a vampire? Do I sunbathe under a sieve? Give me your arm Becky, I want to show $person how good my tan is, miming being blinded by a brilliant light, What's got two legs and looks like tippex? Becky. Ect ect. Tiresome but pretty harmless, can usually be headed off if I join in with the jokes.
My parents OTOH royally stitched me up by teaching me to reply to the question "Where did you get your lovely hair colour from?" with the answer "The milkman". Thanks. Thanks a bunch.