When Romain Gavras sat down with M.I.A. to think about ideas for their new video, one of the topics that came up with was the bullying he endured as a kid for having red hair. One thing led to another and the idea was formed for “Born Free” A 9 minute short movie/ video that got banned by both YouTube and MTV for violence and other frank depictions.
After watching this video it is hard not to be put in a bad place. It was a reminder of how you have to be careful especially if you're a minority in doing stuff that other people can take for granted.
It reminded me of something myself and most minorities are aware of, that a feature you take for granted and may not think of on a daily basis (skin color, facial structure, handicap etc) can be the thing that marks you for harassment or even horrible physical harm, and thus you can't take for granted where you go.
When I was a teenager, a girl I knew told me about a college visit where she and a few other people she was with got "Niggers go home" yelled at them by some locals driving bye. I am pretty sure her foremost thought that day was is this college right for me, not "am "I going to experience racism today."
By choosing red hair as the allegorical stand in for minorities or oppressed people in general two very good points are made. By choosing red hair as the allegorical stand in for any number of factors (Race, Religion, Nationality, Hair Color) the absurdity of prejudiced behavior is pointed out. Just as important is the danger of being the wrong person in the wrong place however wrong is defined.
This also leads to the question why is Red Hair such a good allegorical stand in ?
About Red Hair or Gingers 101
A friend once posted on Facebook once said, "Redheads are very much like Asians in that they are both universally exoticized but also equally reviled." In many respects this is true.
Much like media portrayal of Asians, (Asian women tend to be portrayed in a positive light, while Asian males outside of Asian Cinema are rarely portrayed on screen or when portrayed are usually lackeys or villains), Red heads have a very similar divide.
Most red head jokes and negative portrayals being directed towards red headed males while females are usually fetishized because of all the sexual qualities that red headed women are supposed to have.
Red hair as the world's rarest hair color is bound to be exoticized, and despite the rumors they are not going extinct. Even in populations that are associated with it, they make up a sizable portion of the population but never a majority (Scotland has the largest percentage at 13% Ireland is second with 10%)
What is not known often about red hair is that contrary to popular belief red hair, isn't only a European trait. Though an even more rare and small population you will find redheads in all human populations both naturally and through inter-mixture.
It reminded me of something myself and most minorities are aware of, that a feature you take for granted and may not think of on a daily basis (skin color, facial structure, handicap etc) can be the thing that marks you for harassment or even horrible physical harm, and thus you can't take for granted where you go.
When I was a teenager, a girl I knew told me about a college visit where she and a few other people she was with got "Niggers go home" yelled at them by some locals driving bye. I am pretty sure her foremost thought that day was is this college right for me, not "am "I going to experience racism today."
By choosing red hair as the allegorical stand in for minorities or oppressed people in general two very good points are made. By choosing red hair as the allegorical stand in for any number of factors (Race, Religion, Nationality, Hair Color) the absurdity of prejudiced behavior is pointed out. Just as important is the danger of being the wrong person in the wrong place however wrong is defined.
This also leads to the question why is Red Hair such a good allegorical stand in ?
About Red Hair or Gingers 101
A friend once posted on Facebook once said, "Redheads are very much like Asians in that they are both universally exoticized but also equally reviled." In many respects this is true.
Much like media portrayal of Asians, (Asian women tend to be portrayed in a positive light, while Asian males outside of Asian Cinema are rarely portrayed on screen or when portrayed are usually lackeys or villains), Red heads have a very similar divide.
Most red head jokes and negative portrayals being directed towards red headed males while females are usually fetishized because of all the sexual qualities that red headed women are supposed to have.
Red hair as the world's rarest hair color is bound to be exoticized, and despite the rumors they are not going extinct. Even in populations that are associated with it, they make up a sizable portion of the population but never a majority (Scotland has the largest percentage at 13% Ireland is second with 10%)
What is not known often about red hair is that contrary to popular belief red hair, isn't only a European trait. Though an even more rare and small population you will find redheads in all human populations both naturally and through inter-mixture.
(Black Redheads)
(Old School Rapper RedHead Kingpin )
(Sadly this is Maurice Jefferson a missing person. More information about his case can be found here
(Yes Malcolm X was a Redhead.
Back before his conversion to Islam, when he was a pimp he was known as Detroit Red because of his natural red hair.)
(Sadly this is Maurice Jefferson a missing person. More information about his case can be found here
(Yes Malcolm X was a Redhead.Back before his conversion to Islam, when he was a pimp he was known as Detroit Red because of his natural red hair.)
Pakistani Boy with Red Hair
Palestinian Girl With Red Hair
Japanese Kid With Red Hair
(Hey Japanese People you better be nice to this kid or else he's going to grow up to be this guy.)
Palestinian Girl With Red Hair
Japanese Kid With Red Hair
(Hey Japanese People you better be nice to this kid or else he's going to grow up to be this guy.)
Another interesting fact about Red Hair is the negative connotations it has often had.
Mark of The Traitor
Since Medieval Times and earlier, Red hair has had strong negative connotations. Judas Iscariot the betrayer of Jesus to the Romans was always portrayed as having red hair (There is very little description or evidence of Judas having red hair in The Bible. At least one famous bible figure is described as Having Red Hair, King David of the Old Testament.)
During Witch hunts in medieval times, red heads were targeted as bearing the mark of the devil. And at least one origin of the term "Hit you like a Red Headed Stepchild" is said to be traced back to Medieval origins
The Term " Hit you like a Red Headed Step Child" has multiple disputed sources of origin. Surprisingly the most benign of them has to do with inflicting physical harm on a Orphan (one of the most famous orphans and red heads of all time, Annie.)
The alleged origin which traces itself back to Medieval times has to do with the Viking Raids on Europe. Allegedly whenever a redheaded child was born it was thought to be the result of a rape by Viking Raiders during one of their frequent raids. This child would then be subject to horrible mistreatment and physical abuse by his family because he was thought to be a illegitimate offspring of a rape by hated enemies.
Two other explanations for the origin of the term both allegedly have their origins in the Southern United States during the Slavery Era. One origin is that it referred to beating the red headed offspring of a plantation owner and a slave.
The other alleged origin is that its a variation of the term "Beat you like a red headed Nigger." most likely because the person getting their
ass whupped combines two undesirable features, black skin and red hair.
Finding out about the origins of the step child term makes me loathe its usage Fortunately for me I'm not a red head, unfortunately for red heads they are, and the abuse because of hair color is not only limited to Medieval times and history anecdotes.
England has a reputation for being anti red head (as discussed in this article by BBC Journalist Finlo Rohrer), why this prejudice exist isn't exactly certain. a possible source is the traditional negative associations with red hair. The second possible source is the association of red hair with Irish ethnicity and the history of British prejudice and discrimination against the Irish. And the harassment experienced goes way beyond school yard taunts of Carrot Top and fire crotch.
At least one family has reportedly claimed having to move twice because of harassment due to their red hair. In another incident , there was a stabbing of a red headed man, who got into a argument with someone after they made comments about his red hair. And in one very tragic incident a young girl committed suicide in part because of the taunts over having red hair.
But no need to hop across the Pond for this type of behavior, In the U.S. and Canada there is National Kick a Ginger Day, which has resulted in red headed kids being afraid to go to school on that day.
So while being a red head won't make you have to drink from a separate water fountain, or forced to live in a slum, or be deported, or from marrying someone you love (though allegedly the Nazi's refused the marriage of two red heads because they didn't want "Degenerates reproducing") it is in many ways the perfect allegory for discrimination.
During Witch hunts in medieval times, red heads were targeted as bearing the mark of the devil. And at least one origin of the term "Hit you like a Red Headed Stepchild" is said to be traced back to Medieval origins
Orphan Abuse
The Term " Hit you like a Red Headed Step Child" has multiple disputed sources of origin. Surprisingly the most benign of them has to do with inflicting physical harm on a Orphan (one of the most famous orphans and red heads of all time, Annie.)
The alleged origin which traces itself back to Medieval times has to do with the Viking Raids on Europe. Allegedly whenever a redheaded child was born it was thought to be the result of a rape by Viking Raiders during one of their frequent raids. This child would then be subject to horrible mistreatment and physical abuse by his family because he was thought to be a illegitimate offspring of a rape by hated enemies.
Two other explanations for the origin of the term both allegedly have their origins in the Southern United States during the Slavery Era. One origin is that it referred to beating the red headed offspring of a plantation owner and a slave.
The other alleged origin is that its a variation of the term "Beat you like a red headed Nigger." most likely because the person getting their
ass whupped combines two undesirable features, black skin and red hair.
Finding out about the origins of the step child term makes me loathe its usage Fortunately for me I'm not a red head, unfortunately for red heads they are, and the abuse because of hair color is not only limited to Medieval times and history anecdotes.
Gingerism
England has a reputation for being anti red head (as discussed in this article by BBC Journalist Finlo Rohrer), why this prejudice exist isn't exactly certain. a possible source is the traditional negative associations with red hair. The second possible source is the association of red hair with Irish ethnicity and the history of British prejudice and discrimination against the Irish. And the harassment experienced goes way beyond school yard taunts of Carrot Top and fire crotch.
At least one family has reportedly claimed having to move twice because of harassment due to their red hair. In another incident , there was a stabbing of a red headed man, who got into a argument with someone after they made comments about his red hair. And in one very tragic incident a young girl committed suicide in part because of the taunts over having red hair.
But no need to hop across the Pond for this type of behavior, In the U.S. and Canada there is National Kick a Ginger Day, which has resulted in red headed kids being afraid to go to school on that day.
So while being a red head won't make you have to drink from a separate water fountain, or forced to live in a slum, or be deported, or from marrying someone you love (though allegedly the Nazi's refused the marriage of two red heads because they didn't want "Degenerates reproducing") it is in many ways the perfect allegory for discrimination.
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