Being a red-haired child circa 2005 was tough shit, and that largely has to do with the infamous ninth episode of South Park's 11th season, titled "Ginger Kids."
The episode widely introduced the disease known as "gingervitis" and the concept that fair-skinned, red-haired kids don't have souls. Kids ran with that as they tend to do, and the episode is thought to have inspired 2008's "National Kick a Ginger Day," which resulted in a bunch of red-haired students getting attacked at school and the RCMP investigating it as a hate crime. That's intense!
And as this decade's foremost redhead, Ed Sheeran has now come forward with his own thoughts on the episode and its subsequent cultural impact, telling Slam Radio that "Ginger Kids" "fucking ruined [his] life."
"Having red hair in England was always a thing that people took the piss out of you for, but it was never something in America. People never knew what a ginger was in America," Sheeran said. "That episode of South Park fucking ruined my life. I was going to America and everyone was like, 'I love your hair dude.' And I was like, 'Oh my God, people like my hair?' And then I remember that episode coming out and that was just it worldwide for the rest of my life."
Careful not to burn any bridges, however, Sheeran said that despite the hair-shaming it caused, he still loves South Park and would love to appear on the show himself someday. Perhaps there's an opportunity for some healing to take place.
"I hope that if I'm ever on South Park, them taking the piss, I hope I'm allowed to voice my character," he said. "Even if it's very offensive, I'd love to voice my character."
The concept of anti-ginger discrimination was taken to darker extremes by M.I.A. in the controversial video for 2010's "Born Free." You can revisit that below.
The episode widely introduced the disease known as "gingervitis" and the concept that fair-skinned, red-haired kids don't have souls. Kids ran with that as they tend to do, and the episode is thought to have inspired 2008's "National Kick a Ginger Day," which resulted in a bunch of red-haired students getting attacked at school and the RCMP investigating it as a hate crime. That's intense!
And as this decade's foremost redhead, Ed Sheeran has now come forward with his own thoughts on the episode and its subsequent cultural impact, telling Slam Radio that "Ginger Kids" "fucking ruined [his] life."
"Having red hair in England was always a thing that people took the piss out of you for, but it was never something in America. People never knew what a ginger was in America," Sheeran said. "That episode of South Park fucking ruined my life. I was going to America and everyone was like, 'I love your hair dude.' And I was like, 'Oh my God, people like my hair?' And then I remember that episode coming out and that was just it worldwide for the rest of my life."
Careful not to burn any bridges, however, Sheeran said that despite the hair-shaming it caused, he still loves South Park and would love to appear on the show himself someday. Perhaps there's an opportunity for some healing to take place.
"I hope that if I'm ever on South Park, them taking the piss, I hope I'm allowed to voice my character," he said. "Even if it's very offensive, I'd love to voice my character."
The concept of anti-ginger discrimination was taken to darker extremes by M.I.A. in the controversial video for 2010's "Born Free." You can revisit that below.
