Red hair is a beacon in a sea of mediocrity–extract 1
Red hair is a beacon in a sea of mediocrity–extract 1
Rosemary Goring writing in The Herald
Literary editor/columnist
Sunday 1 July 2012
Paragraph(i): When you think of how many talented redheads we've had, from Mary, Queen of Scots to Ewan McGregor, it's anyone's guess where the stigma comes from. Some, apparently, used to think it was a sign of immorality, as if devilish flames were licking around the person's head. Personally, I love it: whether it's a Tilda Swinton burnt orange, or a Robert Redford strawberry blonde, all reds are beautiful. Sadly, though, not everyone would agree. And perhaps because women have been more easily able to disguise their natural shade, it's men who continue to bear the brunt of an entrenched prejudice which, under the term "gingerism", is deemed by some to be as serious a form of discrimination as racism. Just last year, one of the biggest sperm banks in the world said it would no longer take donations from redheads because demand was so low. As the company's director commented, only in Ireland were such donors actively sought. Elsewhere, brown was by far the preferred colour.
Qa. Using your own words, give two reasons why the writer believes criticism of redheads is unjustified. (2)
Qb. What is the meaning of ‘stigma’? How did the context help you work this out? (2)
Qc. What does the expression ‘entrenched prejudice’ suggest about the public’s view of male redheads? (2)
Qd. Explain in your own words what the writer means by ‘gingerism’. (2)
Paragraph(ii): So, even though chemists' shelves abound in russet hair-dyes, the fear of red lives on. Admittedly there was a flurry of interest in redheaded men when the American thriller Homeland was aired this spring with Damien Lewis in the main role. A glance at Lewis's career, however, shows that he's made a living playing sinister characters, as if his coppery thatch was a convenient shorthand for viewers. Benedict Cumberbatch, meanwhile, toned himself down to a dull brown to play Sherlock Holmes, and Michael C Hall, from Dexter and Six Feet Under, is boringly mousy in both series when in reality he could effortlessly hide himself in a field of pumpkins.
Qe. Using your own words, exp-lain why the writer believes ‘the fear of red lives on’. (2)
Qf. Explain in your own words why a ‘coppery thatch was a convenient shorthand for viewers’ in the selection of Damien Lewis for this particular role. (2)
Paragraph(iii): I simply don't understand why anyone would camouflage themselves as brunette or black or even blonde when they could stand out like a lighted match, a flaring beacon in a sea of mediocrity. I just hope Merida's crimson curls mean redheads finally get the respect they deserve. Otherwise, they will surely soon be dyed out of existence.
Qg. What does the expression ‘a flaring beacon in a sea of mediocrity’ suggest about the writer’s view of red-haired people?
Qh. In your own words, suggest what the writer means by claiming that redheads will ‘soon be dyed out of existence’ (1)
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