The Next Endangered Species: Redheads?

(originally published Sept. 5, 2009 in the Sonoma State STAR)

As a natural redhead, I am now an endangered species. Like pandas or polar bears whose time on earth is sadly limited, my genes also rest in the mercy of time's hands.

As if nicknames like "Carrot-top," "Ginger," "Matchstick," or-my favorite high school tease-just plain "Red" weren't enough for us to contend with our entire lives, now we redheads must face the pressure of looming extinction.

When my aunt sent me a copy of an article in Smithsonian Magazine about the possible imminent disappearance of redheads from our planet, I became concerned and somewhat puzzled. Why are we vanishing? And does anyone seem to care?

Many scientists, philosophers and authors have made predictions for our world's future, but the tragic fate of redheads is rarely discussed. Certainly much more disconcerting situations are taking place in the world right now that deserve our greater attention, but I still find it shocking that new studies predict redheads will be obsolete by the end of this century. All I can picture is some sad archaeologist a thousand years from now uncovering artifacts of Raggedy-Ann dolls and pondering their unthinkable hair color.

Check out the entire article at The Sonona State STAR!

To discover why redheads are fading away, we must first look at the origins of this rare trait. The gene for red hair began as a mutated gene on chromosome 16 which is also often responsible for the fact that many redheads deal with freckles and a higher risk of skin cancer.

Various newspapers and television programs have reported that blondes are next to go. No more blonde jokes? What is the world coming to? So, brunettes, you are in it for the long run. Congratulations.

Still, you may ask, so what's the big deal? What makes red heads so special? Well, let's throw out the old misconceptions that we are fiery, hot-tempered or sex-crazed-though some redheads may enjoy living up to these stereotypes.

And no, we are not all Irish or Scottish. My redheaded roots come from northern Italy, and other origins are prevalent in countries ranging from the Netherlands to England to Morocco. What makes us unique is a minute existence in the world today. Only four percent of the world's population now has red hair.

Even though some redheads like actress Lindsay Lohan enjoy giving us a bad name, our American culture would not be complete without the genius redheads of our time like Lucille Ball or Ron Howard. It is sad to think that on-screen families like the Partridge Family or the Weaselys in Harry Potter will ultimately cease to model reality and exist only in fairy tales one day.

Amusingly enough-even for a redhead like myself-there is now a Facebook group sporting over 2,000 members which is dedicated to an organization called Humans Against Redhead Extinction, or HARE. Worried members of HARE include proud redheads, as well as people who call themselves "dye-hard" supporters of the hair color.

The HARE page displays a post by the Courier-Mail, an Australian-based newspaper, which claims that "global intermingling…has reduced the chances of redheads meeting and producing little redheads of their own…if the gingers really want to save themselves they should move to Scotland" where more inhabitants carry the dominant gene for red hair.

One HARE member claims, "I don't know about you other redheads but I ain't goin' out without a fight!"

People are serious about this.

However, what fans of red hair should know is that many of the statistics are not scientifically proven. In fact, some scientists claim that redheads will not be extinct by the turn of the century.

As University of Rochester Medical Center's David Pearce explains in the Rochester Democrat, "I think someone may want to check their calculator. [The red hair gene] will dilute out and become rare, but there are a variety of other factors that can change hair color that are not really understood well right now."

Still, poking fun of redhead extinction has its selling points. Now YouTube has fallen for the "extinction scare," with a sarcastic video from GreenLadyProductions "sponsored" by HARE. The four minute commercial-style video, with an acoustic version of "Arms of an Angel" playing in the background, is a sarcastic parody of Sarah McLachlan's spot on the well-known SPCA commercial.

So, with all of these myths buzzing around the media, it becomes difficult to sort through the facts. Instead, I began observing the world of redheads around me.

What I realized is that things are just about the same as when I was a kid; I still stand out like a sore thumb.

I am one of only two redheads at my work. Out of all of my classes this semester, I remain as the only natural redhead. So here's my mission: find a nice, handsome redhead to marry and hope our children are graced with the "ginger" gene. Maybe if we're lucky we shall help the dwindling population.

Next time you see a redhead walking down the street or have lunch with a redheaded friend, avoid any quips like, "How does it feel to be endangered?" or "I hope you survive the next ice age!"

Instead, break the news to them lightly. Take the time to thank them for their uniqueness in the world, for persevering through these dark and lonely times at which they stand on the brink of extinction.

And if you, my reader, are a redhead-whether you're a shade of strawberry blonde, auburn, copper, or crimson-it is time to stand up for your hair color. Don't be ashamed of it any longer.

Remember the words of the timeless redhead Little Orphan Annie: "The sun will come out tomorrow." Let's just hope all that sunshine doesn't give us any more freckles.