Never met a ranga.
25th February 2010 by Shandri Brown
OK so I have a few friends with ginger coloured hair.
When I lived in NZ these friends were called 'gingas' (pronounced like 'singers'). I don't know that it was always said with love and affection but seemed so much nicer than hearing my mates called 'rangas'.
I have been pretty dumbfounded over the last year by how many times I have heard this word used. Apparently it is ok to call people with red hair 'ranga' because orangatans (big monkeys) have red hair.
What on earth?! Is it ok for me to call someone a dog because they have a pointy nose or shaggy hair? Who makes the rules on these things? Who gets to decide which physical characteristics we call flaws?
And then... some things we call flaws we all must overlook because it is rude to mention them, but other things are fair game to pick on. Weird!
Personally I reckon my red-headed friends take it all pretty well but I do get offended on their behalf. I hate hearing my friends called 'monkey' for their hair colour and would be super upset if someone picked on my kid for their looks.
I have heard people say "man I would just be devastated if my kid was born a ranga". Yep I would be devastated too if you had those kind of relations with a monkey..cos that's the only way you will ever produce a ranga.
Man oh man we need to get smarter with our words. I know some people couldn't care less what people say about them or call them, but many do care. How many times have you heard someone say, "yeah but we are mates, you don't care if I call you that, do you? You kinda like it. It's affectionate".
Yeah whatever. Whose gonna have the guts to say, "actually it really hurts my feelings and embarrasses me when you say this stuff"? Of course they're gonna shrug it off. That's what we do...whether it hurts or not. Have you ever been given a dumb nickname? An inconsiderate nickname?
I am having a kid soon and it makes me nervous to think of some of the dumb and hurtful stuff we say to each other in the church, let alone outside the church. I doubt this kid will have red hair, but I'll be learning some ninja skills for whoever is keen to pick on their appearance :)
Shandri
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Comments
Yeah, I'm pretty relieved that all of my ranga hair has fallen out. Now I don't have to worry about being humiliated based on my appearance.
Oh... wait a minute...
=|
lol
I have a few friends with redish hair who get the name 'ranga' a lot. When people call them that they don't seem to be annoyed but you can tell that deep down they hate their hair because of it. God designed them to have red hair, just as people with brown hair were. They shouldn't be teased because of who they are - God doesn't make mistakes.
haha, when it comes to discussing cross-species relations you just went there Shandri
"if you're smarter than a sanga stop calling people ranga" - yeah, I pretty much just came up with that myself on the spot...as you can probably tell.
and Jarrod - you're a beautiful man regardless of what's going on upstairs
Ranga is short for orangutan? Well, hours of Wiki'ing have lead me to some interesting discoveries. Orangutan comes from the malay words "orang" meaning man, and "(h)utan", meaning forest. Hence, orangutan literally means "man of the forest".
A ranga: http://www.catsandbeer.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/george_of_the_jungle-poster.jpg
@Kimberley Douglass:
I find it interesting that you say "They don't seem to be annoyed" and also say "you can tell deep down they hate their hair". It's one or the other, right? If they don't show anything, then you're just guessing about how they feel deep down.
I've had red hair for 26 years now, which I guess makes me a bit of an expert on the subject. I've never hated myself because of it. I've also had plenty of great friends who have nicknamed me 'Ranga', and never been offended by it. Maybe some others have though. Personally, I find the whole 'Summer Heights High' and 'Sorry Ranga Day' thing pretty funny. Kinda like Mardi Gras for the red-headed community.
I'll be honest though, there is ONE thing that is annoying: when people try to call you 'Ranga' as a joke and then act like they're super funny and original. But it's not annoying because I'm offended, it's just annoying because you're not as funny as you think you are!
i think it all depends on the context...
For me nicknames dont bother me, and also my friends arent affected by this.. i wouldnt call someone ranga if i didnt know them but i do call my red head friends ranga and they call me nicknames aswell..
My nickname all throughout school was eggy becasue of the shape of my head, and i loved it.. to me my head is unique and i couldnt care less wat ppl thought...
I say that we should still be able to joke amongst mates and say this stuff aslong as everbody is cool with it..
Your right that we shouldnt use it if it affects ppl, but if its a bunch of mates then let it go.. Mates should be able to call each other nicknames if its accepted
Hey guys....I don't think the term "ranga" is derogatory at all.....as a matter of fact i'm a big fan of orangutans and wouldn't be offended at all to be associated with these gentle endangered beasts of the Borneo and Sumatran rainforests.....
Also, just think of all the gorgeous role models red heads have.......like Rick Astley! (Gen Ys may need to google image the name), Prince Harry, Lucille Ball and Pauline Hanson!!
My friend at school's, little sister is like 7. and she has the most beautiful ringlets, and she does have ginger hair, however the other kindy kids picked on her so much that she now will not leave the house without wearing a bandana, to do that much damage to a smal child, based ont he colour of hair is a pretty tragic state we are in, ive even seen tiny kids wearing shirts that have 'Sorry Ranga' written on them. To be honest im guilty of calling people 'rangas' but our words are definately important, thanks for the reminder and challenge Shandri :)
Hey great article...I've just been surfing the web a bit since Julia Gilard became Prime Minister yesterday, because I just can't believe how many times I have heard the word 'Ranga' since. Why oh why is this word ok? I find it totally offensive and as a Redhead just want to go into hiding until she is voted out at the next election.
Ranga and all those anti-Redhead words do hurt, they aren't funny and are usually meant as an insult. I have had people say the word around me, look at me and then say "Oh I didn't mean you"...they know they have said something wrong..the guilt is all over their faces, but I'm not sure if they know exactly what it is they have said that is wrong...I don't like being called a monkey, it hurts and actually makes me feel inferior somehow. It just sounds so ugly when I hear on the radio.."Our Prime Minister is a Ranga" it's like WHAT?? totally disrespectful and I'm thinking gosh maybe I should move overseas!
Anyhow, just having a little rant...but thanks for your article, at least some people out there understand that it's harmful and not ok...bless you.
We can no longer tell irish jokes, enid blyton's gollywogs have been banned, people with dark skin are super protected, it is illegal to discriminate on political beliefs, or religious beliefs, or sexual preference or disabilties, but funnily enough, in this POLITICALLY CORRECT WORLD we live in, it is still acceptable to poke fun at redheads. WHY? Are we not human? Don't we have feelings. Don't we get offended, embarrassed or humiliated. Of course we do. Can I call a negro a chimp? No, of course not. Can someone call me a chimp ( RANGA ) Of course they can. Well, to hell with political correctness and double standards. I will now say what I want, when I want.
cry me a freaking river, who gives a stuff... I have mates that dont care if they get called ranga or not.. keep it within ya circle of friends there are bigger problems in the world then the word ranga
Oh, thankyou! It IS derogatory and I still ask myself why it has become socially acceptable. I equivocate it with the monkey/ape jokes and noises called out during football games to darker skinned players. Totally unacceptable!
I agree that we need to try and make this a better world for our kids, no matter their hair colour, skin colour, religion, race etc. This kind of slang just breeds intolerance and it does seem to be younger kids who run with these kind of slang words. I say NO to the word Ranga. It IS offensive, derogatory and insulting. If anyone even mentions it when I am around WATCH OUT!
unfortunatly i dont think we will ever see the day when the word ranga is unacceptable to be used to describe a read head. i am a read head but i keep my hair white blonde as it makes my life so much easier, i got sick of being compared with an animal and having it shouted out of passing cars by complete strangers and any other time someone feels like it. the simple truth comes down numbers, it is unacceptable and there is public outcry when a black person is compared to or called a monkey because there is alot of black people to take offensive to it so there voice is heard loud and clear. unfortunatly red heads make up only 2% of the entire population so when they voice there distaste it doesnt even make a ripple in an ocean. and unless you are a read head why would decide that it is innappropriate to call someone a ranga? it is not you being compared with an animal and it is the social norm and simply passed off as "funny and just a joke" by the ignorant majority. sorry but something is not a joke or funny unless both partys are laughing and red heads are not. its the children and teenagers that i worry for, the constant barrage of insults crushes your self-esteem even if you pretend otherwise. and if the verbal barrage isnt enuff there are people now being physically assulted 'kick a ginger day'. WTF???!!! how is this ok in this day and age??? i hope this changes but i know it wont, it leaves me terrified to have children incase they too are read heads. i often think that when people say they hope there child isnt a ranga, its not because they hate the hair colour its because they know exactly how much tuffer there life is goin to be than with blonde or brown hair. funny they havnt even lived as the recipient of there derogitory comments instead being the instigators. if you know the hurt its causing why are you doing it?? this country we live in disgusts me n saddens me because i know its never gunna change.