The Song of the Oppressed!



The comments here are entertaining.

From the "Sucky mutant powers" file...

...Redheads experience pain differently than the rest of us:

The first study revealed that redheads are more sensitive to thermal pain (i.e. perception of pain brought on by excessive cold and heat), and that they're also more resistant to the pain-numbing effects of certain anesthetics. The second study found that redheads required, on average, 19% more anesthetic than dark-haired (black or brown-haired) women. (Interestingly, neither study recruited blonde test participants.)

But the life of a redhead isn't all pain and suffering; a study led last year by researcher Lars Arendt-Nielson revealed that redheaded women are actually less sensitive to stinging sensations (like that of a pinprick) than either blondes or brunettes. So what's going on here? Researchers aren't entirely sure, but one hypothesis ties back — perhaps unsurprisingly — to redheads' mutant melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R).

Like most cell surface receptors, MC1R's activity is regulated by the binding of a specific set of complementary proteins. When it comes to pigment production, those proteins are called melanocyte stimulating hormones (MSH). In 98% of the population, MSH cause MC1R to production dark eumelanin, but in redheads, their mutant MC1R lead to the production of a red-tinged pheomelanin, instead. But here's the catch: melanocortin 1 receptors also interact with molecules that are structurally similar to melanocyte stimulating hormones, including hormones called endorphins. Endorphins have a whole bunch of physiological functions, but one of their primary roles is one of pain relief. Just remember: "endorphin" stands for "endogenous morphine," and morphine is a powerful painkiller.

If mutations in MC1R can lead to changes in melanin production, it stands to reason that the same mutations could have an effect on the body's ability to take signals from analgesic endorphins. By improving our understanding of the interaction between endorphins and MC1R, we can get a better handle on the strange way redheads experience pain.

Hey, now, wait a second...this is discrimination....or something.

Hmm...although it does rather explain my dating life.

Sperm bank turns down redheads

The world's largest sperm bank has started turning down redheaded donors because there is too little demand for their sperm.

Ole Schou, Cryos's director, said that there had been a surge in donations in recent years, allowing the facility to become much more picky about its donors.


"There are too many redheads in relation to demand," he told told Danish newspaper Ekstrabladet. "I do not think you chose a redhead, unless the partner - for example, the sterile male - has red hair, or because the lone woman has a preference for redheads. And that's perhaps not so many, especially in the latter case."

Mr Schou said the only reliable demand for sperm from redheaded donors from Ireland, where he said it sold “like hot cakes”.

Cryos’s stores have now reached their peak capacity of 70 litres of semen, and Mr Schou has a waiting list of 600 donors.

He said sperm from donors with brown hair and brown eyes was particularly in demand, because of the bank’s large customer base in Spain, Italy and Greece.

James Taranto observes:

Life Imitates 'South Park'--II


■"In a class presentation, Cartman delivers something that could be considered a hate speech, arguing that 'Gingers'--people with red hair, freckles, and pale skin--are disgusting, inhuman, unable to survive in sunlight, and have no souls; all because of a condition called 'Gingervitis.' When Kyle points out that he too has red hair, Cartman says that there is a second class of redheads, the 'daywalkers,' who have red hair but not pale skin and freckles, and concludes that 'If you think that the Ginger problem is not a serious one, think again!' while he clicks through a clip, and stops on a picture of Carrot Top."--Wikipedia summary for "Ginger Kids," aired Nov. 9, 2005

Science news you can use...

...or, actually, this explains quite a lot.

At least concerning drinking and eye color, because I am taking "the 5th" on the other items, although the part about being able to distinguish between liberals and conservatives by watching their eyes might be useful in jury selection.

According to this Cracked post on "6 intimate details you can totally tell by looking at them," you don't want to get into a drinking contest with a blue eyed man.

There comes a time in every man's life when it will be necessary to drink another guy under the table. Maybe you're trying to win a bet, or prove your manliness, or maybe you're in a terrible rom-com and the only thing that stands between you and the woman you love is the varsity liquor drinking team that challenged you to a duel. We don't know ... we don't write the rules.


So naturally you'll pick out some blond-haired, blue-eyed pretty boy who looks like two Bud Lights would have him over a toilet. An hour later, you are praying for death. And to think this all could have been avoided if you had known how to pick out a lightweight drinker.

Picking the blue-eyed guy was a bad move. It turns out, eye color is an amazing indicator of how much alcohol a person can drink before it affects them.

A study of thousands of white men (all of them prisoners) found that for some reason, those with light eye colors like blue, green, gray or hazel, can handle more alcohol than men with dark eyes. And a totally different study of almost 2,000 women found that the same held true for them.

Even more interesting is the fact that this result was predicted before the study. Because apparently brown-eyed folks are more sensitive to medication and other stimuli, and that sensitivity is what prompts them to stop when they've had enough. Blue-eyed people, on the other hand, require more alcohol to get buzzed, so they develop a greater tolerance for the stuff. And according to the study, the blue-eyed people are also more likely to be alcohol abusers.

As for what eye color has to do with alcohol tolerance, scientists are still on the fence. One theory is that the amount of melanin in the eyes is directly related to the amount of melanin insulating neurons in the central nervous system, and that more melanin somehow translates to quicker nerve transmissions. In any case, you might want to think again before challenging someone with baby blues to a drinking contest.

So, there is an "upside" to the redheaded "feel more pain/pain medication not as effective" thing.

On the other hand, that combination makes for some miserable hang-overs.

So, if you are a blue-eyed redhead, your mutant superpowers are "feel more pain" and "drink heavily."

Evil-doers beware!

Well, it seemed like a funny idea, until people took it seriously.

Never underestimate the ability of human beings to act like jerks when they are give a little social approval and can be anonymous, but we knew that from the internet in the first place.

So, across Canada, it seems that young teenage students decided that it would be fun to play "kick a 'ginger' day."



The reality is that labelling someone a "ginger" or some other term means that they are different, the "other", less than deserving of full respect.  It also permits the majority to build a group identity by identifying as not being that kind of person. 

When I was that age, I got the nickname of albino and the associated disrespect.  My solution was picking out one offender and threatening to beat the shit out of them.

Problem solved.

The boys cast stones at the frogs in jest, but the frogs die in earnest.

 - Bion (as quoted in Plutarch)

On the other hand Update:  Apart from the capacity of people to be idiots, South Park is just plain funny.

I also liked this redhead's response to "Kick a Ginger" Day, i.e., "We're psychotic, we're easily angered and we're unlucky for others....bring it on." 

I also take very seriously her call for an SPF 100 suntan lotion.