Tesco Withdraws Christmas Card Reading: ‘Santa Loves All Kids. Even Ginger Ones’ After Woman Complains
David Murray, Herald Sun (Southbank, Melbourne), December 16, 2009
A leading UK supermarket chain has withdrawn a Christmas card that poked fun at “gingers” after claims of discrimination.
Davinia Phillips, a mum of three flame-haired children, saw red when she came across a card which stated: “Santa loves all kids. Even ginger ones.”
She lodged a complaint with the store and went public to defend redheads everywhere against “gingerism”.
“I kept thinking is it me because I’ve got ginger kids and I’m a bit over-reactive mother?” she told BBC television.
“But everybody I’ve spoken to said if that had of been about an obese child, or a child with glasses, or a child with braces, or a coloured child, then there would be a massive uproar.”
Ms Phillips, 30, from York, added that a few weeks ago her children returned from school upset because they had been called “ginger ninjas”.
“I just said there was nothing wrong with being a ginger, or a ninja for that matter,” she said.
“I have never seen anything in my life prompting making fun out of people with ginger hair.
“Maybe I’m just being naive but they shouldn’t be able to make fun of ginger children like that.”
While critics dubbed her a “ginger whinger”, supermarket chain Tesco released an apologetic statement saying the card had been withdrawn.
“We sell a large range of Christmas cards including some which are intended to be humorous,” the statement said.
“It is never our intention to offend any customer and we are sorry if this card caused any upset.”
Redheads are often the target of comedians, with Australia’s Chris Lilley once launching a ‘Sorry Ranga Day’ for a tongue-in-cheek reconciliation with the ginger generation.
