Red is the New Terrible

Two studies have come out recently that are piling on our red-headed cousins. First, apparently redheadism (I'm coining that word now!) is just as bad as racism. (As all black people scoff loudly.) Apparently, copper-tops face jokes at school and even in the workplace.

"In other countries redheads will get teased at school but it stops when they become adults. If you are a woman you are fiery and alluring, beautiful."
In adult life, women get stereotyped and red-haired men take much of the worst abuse. Treatment of red-haired children in school ranges from mild taunts to grim persecution.
Michele Eliot, the American director of British children's charity Kidscape, regularly has significant numbers of red-haired children in courses on coping with bullying.

The article seems to suggest that this phenomenon is limited to the UK, but also hints that these Duracells face persecution everywhere.
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But, it looks like it is going from bad to worse for our fire-headed friends as another study has come to the conclusion that redheads do not deal with pain well and are more likely to feel pain. I'll let the doc explain, since this is in fact a science blog.

Dr Liem said the findings could be explained by genetics, and in particular variations in the melanocortin 1 receptor which is linked to red hair.

He said the discovery could help scientists to find out more about how the body manages pain.

"Since red hair can be traced to particular mutations in the melanocortin 1 receptor, we now have the opportunity to evaluate central nervous system pathways that may influence or mediate anaesthetic requirement," Dr Liem said.

"Investigating the role of melanocortin system in the central nervous system is thus likely to help us understand fundamental questions such as which systems in the brain produce unconsciousness and which modulate pain perception."

If that was a little too much science jargon for you, I'll let the doc break it down, layman style.

In a nutshell, redheads are likely to experience more pain from a given stimulus and therefore require more anaesthesia to alleviate that pain.

No word on how the redheads do outside the nutshell. (Thank you very much, I'll be here all week.)
In conclusion, redheads, it sucks to be you. You feel more pain when bullys beat you up just for being born redhead. At least you (used to) have Lindsay Lohan.

(both via BBC)
Is gingerism as bad as racism?

It's a pain being ginger