* It ain't easy being ginger

In this politically correct age, ginger-baiting has become the new racism.

Fair-skinned, ginger-haired people often find themselves the butt of jokes but in New Zealand, the ginger taunts come with a good-natured grin.

This is unlike in Britain, where one family claimed they were hounded out of their Newcastle home for having ginger hair.

They said thugs had bullied their children and spray-painted the slogan "gingers are gay" across a wall on the estate.

One council official had even suggested they dye their children's hair.

Skating through Cathedral Square yesterday,, flame-haired David Nelmes, 16, said he had heard most of the ginger taunts throughout his life.

"You get fanta-pants," he said.
"Ginga, that's one we all know. Carrot-top, that's old school. Gingernuts – that's not good when they're in my lunch," Nelmes said. "It doesn't bother me too much, but when you're feeling a bit down it can hurt.
"Mostly it's good-natured but it can be insulting. Anyway, I'm proud to be ginger."

St Bedes Year 11 student Leo Wall said ginger-haired boys at the school were all called names such as rusty-crutch and fanta-pants.

"I've got one friend called F. O.T. – frickin' orange thing. It's all harmless."
English photographer Charlotte Rushton published a book on redheads called Ginger Snaps.
She told reporters that of 300 subjects in the book, only two were spared from bullying over their hair colour and said she had suffered verbal abuse from complete strangers because of her own ginger locks.

Ginger jokes
Q. What's the difference between a terrorist and a redhead?
A. You can negotiate with a terrorist.

Q. What's the difference between a ginger and a brick?
A. The brick will get laid.

Q. How do you start an argument with a redhead?
A. Say something.

PROUD: David Nelmes, 16, is proud to be ginger haired.

He has heard all the ginga jokes but says they are mostly good-natured.

Bron:http://www.stuff.co.nz/thepress/4096668a19719.html