Facebook and 'South Park' Blamed for Anti-Redhead Assault

by Terrence O'Brien on November 24, 2009 at 07:28 AM

Police in Calabasas, California are investigating the assault of a 12-year-old boy that, they believe, may have been inspired by a Facebook post declaring this past Friday, November 20th "Kick a Ginger Day." "Kick a Ginger Day" began in 2008, borne out of a 'South Park' episode that satirically featured pale, redheaded, freckled children, or "gingers," as being singled out for abuse.

While the first, clearly tongue-in-cheek "Kick a Ginger Day" drew some criticism, it went largely unnoticed, due to a lack of any serious violence. This year's "celebration" was unfortunately not so uneventful, as a student at A.E. Wright Middle School found himself on the receiving end of punches and kicks from as many as 14 classmates, according to the Associated Press.

Lieutenant Scott Chew, of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, dismissed the notion of the assault being treated as a hate crime. It is, though, hard to ignore the irony here. What began as a humorously fictitious prejudice, meant to illustrate the arbitrary nature of racism, may have become an all-too-real hatred, thanks to the viral Web and its uncanny knack for stripping away context.

Of course, media outlets and bored pundits will likely blame Facebook and 'South Park' any minute now, but it would be ridiculous to do so (especially since it's this type of activity the show is lampooning). It's a parent's responsibility to teach children basic rules of conduct. Don't pick on someone for having red hair (or any other physical attributes), don't beat people up, and don't succumb to mob mentality. Before you start laying blame, take some responsibility, and stop expecting the Internet to raise your kids. [From: Associated Press and L.A. Times]

Tags: facebook, Ginger Kids, GingerKids, kick a ginger, kick a ginger day, KickAGinger, KickAGingerDay, prejudice, south park, SouthPark, top

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numerwanNov 24th 2009 9:04AM

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South Park didnt come up with Kick a Ginger day... Some random punks did...

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AdamMay 16th 2010 11:09PM

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South Park popularized the hatred. They make lots of money by selling air-time to sponsors, which means that the show gets people to buy things simply by being aired at the same time as the show; so it's absurd to claim that they have no responsibility for the influence they have over people regarding things that are actually ON the show.

If that's the case, then you must believe that the sponsors are buying air-time during South Park for the pure fun of it, and throwing away their money, since you're claiming that the show has no influence with viewers regarding the purchase of products advertised during it.

Likewise, this episode was clearly different than others; while others are satirical in that the mean the OPPOSITE of what they say, this one this one indicated that parents of redheads really DO hate their kids; and nothing really bad happened to Cartman in the end-- he just got away with his hate. Meanwhile they wouldn't have DARED to make these statements about any other group.

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KrisNov 24th 2009 9:37AM

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A hate crime is when a person is targeted based on his membership in a social group. This kid was targeted specifically because he was a red-head. If it was any other racial or social minority in this country, these kids could be accused of a hate crime. What a double standard in LA Sheriff's office. Each of these kids AND their parents should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. A message needs to be sent that hate crime in ANY form is not tolerated (except maybe in Calabassas).

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AdamMay 17th 2010 8:37AM

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Agreed, they should be sued for unequal protection under the law, a civil rights violation and federal offense.

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DumbNov 27th 2009 12:22AM

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The very idea of a "hate crime" is dumb. Really. It is. Think about it - a guy robs a store vs a guy robs a store he "hates" -- end result, he still robbed a store....or a guy kills someone vs a guy kills someone he hates -- end result, he's still a murderer. What are you going to do, hang them twice? Just punish according to the existing law people.....why is that so hard to figure out?

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AdamMay 16th 2010 11:00PM

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No, people who don't understand logic are dumb. A hate-crime is based on hatred of a group, and so it is not simply a crime against one person, but every member of that group as well; and they have the right to be PROTECTED against that, by increasing the punishment.

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CooperNov 24th 2009 1:03PM

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This is absolutely a "hate crime" as that term is defined (although I find the term sort of stupid since you can hardly call assaults, murders, etc. anything but hateful).

What I'm really left wondering is whether this was a real beat-down or just some annoying punches and kicks. There is a difference although neither should be tolerated in a school. Was this red-headed kid seriously hurt, or was he just tired of the stupidity - like the one kid who forgets to wear green on St. Patty's day and gets sick of being pinched all day?

At the end of the day, I'd have to agree that this all boils down to poor parenting - again. (This is just me, but I wouldn't even let my kids watch South Park. I get that their Ginger Day episode was satirical - I just think it's a stupid show. And, I think there are more productive things my kids could be doing than watching cartoons.)

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AdamMay 16th 2010 11:10PM

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Double-standards come from hypocrisy, i.e. people not being seriously opposed to prejudice, discrimination and hate, but also not wanting to admit it; and so they rationalize why protected groups SHOULD be protected, but how unprotected groups shouldn't; and it's easy for them to find some reason, however flimsy. Blacks and Jews are easy, being well-sung victims; meanwhile the hypocrites will say that other ethnic-groups should be protected because they're ethnic, and that "redheads aren't TECHNICALLY an ethnic-group etc." or that "redheads weren't SYSTEMATICALLY oppressed," or any other handy excuse for their double-standard.
Hypocrites obviously aren't interested in logic, since they're obviously WRONG; they just want to make excuses for their double-standards; a hypocrite is, by definition, a PHONY-- again, they WANT to be prejudiced and bigoted, and to rationalize their hate against someone; but they are also cowards, and so don't want anyone to hold it against them. So they cowardly attack only "safe" targets, i.e. those whom society labels as being safe to hate-- which USED to include blacks and Jews, as well as other ethnic-groups and women etc, but now is pretty much down to redheads as a genome-related group.

This is the perpetual defense I see of the double-standards of why hating redheads "isn't as bad as racism--" i.e. the hypocrites cherry-pick the details, while ignoring the ethical principle that it's not about the effect, but the principle of hating and defaming a group because they look different. It doesn't matter how bad some ethnic group USED TO BE treated, that doesn't justify treating redheads worse NOW... but the hypocrites seem to think so. That's what makes them hypocrites: they don't care about right and wrong, just APPEARING right to others.

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christina kerrJun 14th 2010 12:30PM

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Better becareful red heads were knowing as sexual witches in the 1800s... I wouldn't mess with me ;)

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