Social Question

filmfann's avatar

Do all red-haired women really have short fuses?

Asked by filmfann (52487points) December 27th, 2011

The stereotype for a Red Haired woman is someone who is short tempered. Is this something genetic, or due to constant teasing throughout their lives for having red hair?

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52 Answers

AnonymousWoman's avatar

One of my very favourite childhood friends is a redhead and she is an extremely friendly, sociable, approachable, and easygoing person. I don’t remember her ever losing her temper on anyone. If she has a short fuse, it certainly was never around me (unless I’ve forgotten)!

As for the constant teasing, ... err, are you sure? Several guys seem to dig redheads… and there are women who seem to be jealous of them. Even I have wished I was born with red hair at at least one point in my life.

filmfann's avatar

I think red headed women are just gorgeous, but I remember a lot of them being teased as a child.

AnonymousWoman's avatar

Well, it seems like times are changing now… at least where I live. Maybe I’m ignorant as well, though, as I didn’t grow up being one. I’ll see my friend I brought up in January, most likely. Maybe I’ll ask her how she feels about this question. It should be easy to get into a discussion about it. After all, I want to dye my hair red and I would like to know what to expect. Who better to ask than her or someone else who has red hair, either dyed or natural? If I do speak with her about this, I may just get back to you and fill you in on what she has to say about it. :)

Imadethisupwithnoforethought's avatar

I can’t tell you for certain yet. I assure you though, I am constantly working to sample more of that population.

jonsblond's avatar

You better hope that @augustlan lady doesn’t see this question or she’s going to…........ oh, never mind. ;)

saint's avatar

I only know a few. And they all support the stereotype.

jonsblond's avatar

I can tell you I’ve known a few red-haired men who had short fuses. The only red-haired guy who was very calm happened to be Mormon. go figure

AnonymousWoman's avatar

^ Interesting. My childhood friend I mentioned is Christian. :)

ANef_is_Enuf's avatar

I wonder if this is so common because of the stereotype, and not the other way around. The redheads that I know (in person, anyhow) are pretty feisty. I don’t believe for one second that it is genetic, but it really might be something that is commonly embraced by redheads. Less about “having a short fuse” and more about being a “firecracker” or “dynamite.” I can’t really say, since I was born blonde.

PhiNotPi's avatar

Red-haired people are about as short tempered as blondes are stupid, or as dark-haired, fair-skinned, blue-eyed people are Nazis. So, maybe. No, I don’t think that is true at all. I have red(-ish) hair and have had people call me soulless (tried to perform fake exorcisms on me, and all that other stuff), even though I am not female.

I hereby offer a challenge for people to search through all of my Fluther posts and find one time I have said anything that would require censorship in front of small children.

I call Godwin’s law, on myself.

AnonymousWoman's avatar

@ANef_is_Enuf That reminds me of Astrology and how people make their signs suit them just because they are convinced their signs do. It’s like a self-fulfilling prophecy in a way. That’s a very good point you brought up.

@PhiNotPi Well said. Nice humour there, too. And challenge. I will check out your profile, not because I want to take up your challenge, but because I like the way you worded that! I feel that I may find other posts worth reading. :)

Blueroses's avatar

No!! What a stupid stereotype! These things really get my blood boiling.
taking my xanax and gin cocktail now

choreplay's avatar

@Blueroses, Are you a redhed, oh baby.

AnonymousWoman's avatar

If @Blueroses is and is being sarcastic, I love it. :)

filmfann's avatar

If any red heads are offended by this question, please don’t kill me

Blueroses's avatar

Why, how did you guess @choreplay? It’s the Scot thing… Tight with money and quick on the fight. :)
More serious answer though… I found it very interesting, working with dogs that the redder the coat, the nuttier the animal. There definitely could be a relation between temperment and pigments.

filmfann's avatar

@Blueroses Is that true? I never heard that!

PhiNotPi's avatar

@filmfann Any last words?

AnonymousWoman's avatar

Looks like you’re going down, @filmfann. ;)

I hope this death is the one you want! :)

[Disclaimer: I’m not serious. I don’t actually want @filmfann to die.]

filmfann's avatar

@AnonymousGirl Actually, going down on a red haired girl is on my bucket list

PhiNotPi's avatar

@filmfann But I’m not female, just a red head. Now what?

filmfann's avatar

do I get a last request? If so, see above remark

PhiNotPi's avatar

@filmfann Nothing reasonable will be denied. (Sorry, but I just had to say that)

AnonymousWoman's avatar

Then it looks like this will be quite an enjoyable adventure for you! Who was it who said death is the next adventure? Was that Dumbledore? :)

{I love how the redheads who answered you proved how much of a sense of humour they can have.}

augustlan's avatar

Just what the fuck are you trying to insinuate @filmfann?!?

Nah, I’m a redhead. Feisty, but rarely short-fused. Side note: I was teased a lot for having red hair when I was little, but my 14 year old red-headed daughter has never experienced that. Times do indeed change. :)

filmfann's avatar

@augustlan I am glad to hear things are different now.

I am also glad I didn’t piss off august motherfuckin’ lan

AnonymousWoman's avatar

Yeah. It seems like every woman wants red hair now. Well, maybe not every woman, but enough to notice. :)

augustlan's avatar

<bats eyelashes at the boys>

Blueroses's avatar

@filmfann it really did seem to be true in certain breeds; golden retrievers, cocker spaniels, dachshunds come to mind. Coat colors toward the blond or black sides of the range meant more reasonable, obedient dogs. When you got a redcoat, expect the unexpected.

AnonymousWoman's avatar

^^ That amused me as well, as did his screen name. I didn’t notice it before. Hey, at least he recognizes his potential opportunities when he sees them. This is a pretty fun thread, so why not? :)

Soupy's avatar

Of course not. I am a red head and I have a relatively short fuse, but my sister who is also a red head does not.

JLeslie's avatar

I know quite a few redheads, and I would say the stereotype is not very true. Maybe the Irish redheads have shorter fuses? Haha.

@PhiNotPi What’s this about blue-eyed people being Nazi’s? I have never heard that before, is that something you just made up? I realize Hitler wanted to produce a whole bunch of aryan blue eyed blond people, but I never heard a generalization that blue eyed people are Nazi’s. I ask because one time when I was in school someone asked me how I can be Jewish and have blue eyes.

john65pennington's avatar

My wife has red hair and is a Cancer in the astrological signs.

She is well-tempered and does not have a short fuse.

I believe some women, with red hair, do have short fuses.

I am lucky, my wife’s fuse is very long and I love her this way.

jonsblond's avatar

@JLeslie You just reminded me of my grandmother. She was an Irish redhead. She didn’t have a short fuse but man was she feisty! She had siblings she never spoke with thanks to hurt feelings. She was very stubborn.

Bellatrix's avatar

With the exception of @Blueroses and @augustlan who are of course both passionate, beautiful, fiery redheads, I think this is just a stereotype. I have a very fiery temper and I am not a redhead. Might be a bit or red in there but not enough to call myself a redhead.

My husband used to be a ginger, but his hair colour has softened to more of a dark blonde/light brown now. He is the most even tempered person I know.

JLeslie's avatar

@johnsblond Most of the redheads I know are Polish.

whitetigress's avatar

Come on @filmfann It’s like asking do all very deep pigmented men have big penises? I think as a society we need to move on from any kind of stereo type. It’s truly unbecoming.

choreplay's avatar

@whitetigress SEE, there’s another fallacy! I’m pale skinned and….and..I….........aaaaa never mind. (someone had to do it).

judochop's avatar

I don’t know how I missed this but coming from a line of Irish blood as red as can be I would like to say no….it is not true. In fact, most red haired ladies I know, I love the heck out of.

ucme's avatar

Nah, it’s just that their pubes look like a live wire on a plug.

whitetigress's avatar

@choreplay It’s not a fallacy if it’s the perceived stereotype :/ You must be Jewish correct? :P

FutureMemory's avatar

I would agree that many redhead women are very feisty.

choreplay's avatar

note to self: write fluther question and ask if, being asked if I’m Jewish, when referring to my penis size is a compliment or jab?

PhiNotPi's avatar

@choreplay Jab. People don’t normally bring stuff up to compliment you.

choreplay's avatar

lol, awwww.

JLeslie's avatar

Some people wear their tempers proudly. Italians are known for yelling, making hand gestures at each other, but also being incredibly united within the family. The yelling is just part oftheir schtick. There are cultural difference in temper that can be observed, not that everyone fits the stereotype or generalizations of course.

Temper is not the same as penis size, temper can be changed.

PhiNotPi's avatar

@choreplay “lol, awww”? Did I misunderstand the question?

choreplay's avatar

@PhiNotPi were you taking me seriously when I thought of asking that? I knew it was a jab but didn’t get the Jewish reference.

PhiNotPi's avatar

@choreplay I was not thinking that you were going to ask that question. It was the thing about the “awww” that made me think “why did you say that?” because I didn’t see anything to awww about.

flutherother's avatar

It may not be true but one afternoon all four redheads in our office gathered together by chance around the photocopier. The rest of us just looked at each other and slowly ducked down behind our desks waiting for the explosion. It never came but it was a nerve wracking moment.

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