My husband loves watching trailers for upcoming movies, which I also enjoy. The other day we watched a trailer for a documentary called Being Ginger. "It's the story of one redhead's attempt at trying to regain his self confidence," as stated on IMDB. The movie intrigues me. Why? Because I'm a 'ginger' as people like to call us redheads now-a-days.
Growing up as a redhead wasn't without its challenges. That might sound silly to any non-redhead, but it's true. I lived in Southern California until I was 10 and there were hardly any redheads at all. I didn't really get teased maliciously, but I did get teased. You know, being called carrot top and the like. Plus, I was lucky enough to have the last name Green and recall being called a bloody booger at one point. On the other hand, old people love red hair, they want red hair and offer to take it from you at every opportunity.
Even though I don't remember running across too many red heads on a daily basis in California, there was a Strawberry Festival that we attended every year. During the festival there were red head contests; ones for the most freckles the prettiest hair etc. When I was 10 we moved across the country to Pennsylvania. There were actually more redheads there, which I always thought was strange.
As I got older the compliments got more even between my peers and the older people. But, unfortunately, once I got older the inappropriate comments came. You know the ones, like "Does the carpet match the drapes?" That one I could do without! And one thing about being a red head is that your embarrassment shows on your face instantly, so there is no hiding that you are humiliated.
Funnily enough my 16 year old daughter was just looking through a magazine and came across the picture of an opera singer, that happens to be a redhead. She held the magazine up to me and said "she looks like you, you're both redheads!" Ha! My daughter was just kidding and didn't even know I had started writing this post. But what she does know is that I have been told my whole life that I look like any other redheaded girl/woman out there. When I was in the Navy and stationed in Cuba I wore this plaid shirt and was often told that I looked just like Claire Danes by the many Jamaicans that went to the bars there. I guess I could do worse than being compared to Claire during her years on My So Called Life.
So, back to the the movie that prompted this post. Being Ginger is about a guy that doesn't like being a redhead and (he thinks) projects that on other redheads so he doesn't like them either. I find that I'm complete opposite. I feel a certain camaraderie with my fellow redheads, this doesn't really make any sense either. But I feel like we have a bond of some sort. How do blondes and brunettes feel about this?
Just another note about being a "ginger." Where did that term come from? I know it wasn't around when I was younger. And it doesn't really make sense either, I mean ginger is tan on the outside and a yellowish white inside; isn't it?
Lol loved this post and the 'old people love red hair' and 'does the carpet match the drapes' parts! My family is of Irish/Scotish ancestry and every generation the is a baby born in the family with pale skin and red freckles the match the bright red hair! My brother had dark curly hair, blue eyes and a red beard and he was called 'Red' by his friends! I think there are more redheads on the east coast because of Irish ancestry.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you could relate to this. It probably is because of the Irish ancestry on the east coast, but for some reason I always thought there would be more redheads on the west coast. Maybe that's because I was born there.
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