Being Ginger – looking for love in all the right places

Being Ginger – looking for love in all the right places
interview by Chantal de Paus
photography Chantal de Paus & Lou McLoughlin
Scott P. Harris is a man on a mission: to find that mythical woman with a special preference
for redheaded men.
Born in 1980 in San Fransisco, Scott grew up the youngest of three siblings in an era during
which bullying wasn't high on anyone's agenda. During his childhood, Scott lived in several
different places before ending up in Austin at the University of Texas, where he got his
Bachelor's degree in Film. After working in the TV and Film industry for a few years, Scott
moved to Scotland in 2009. Here, he got his Master's degree at the University of Edinburgh.
As a part of his graduation, the documentary Being Ginger was conceived. Teaming up with
friends and fellow students Lou MCLoughlan and Ben Mckinstrie, Scott has been working on
his film ever since, dreaming to turn his graduation project into a full-length film. Being
Ginger started out as one man's quest to find a woman who prefers gingers. It has since
grown into something people from all walks of life can recognize themselves in.
A short version of this moving piece of art was shown at the Redhead Days kick-off party on
August 31, 2012. After the screening, Scott kindly agreed to do an interview about the film,
growing up being a redhead and his experiences at the Redhead Days.
How did you come up with the
idea of Being Ginger; what
inspired you to make this film?
I wanted to make a film about my
hair for a long time. Because
weird things just happen on a
regular basis. People will say the
strangest things to you when
you're ginger. A woman came up
to me in a bar one day and first
she called me ginger. She went
away and she came back five
minutes later, and she was drunk,
drunk enough that no matter
what she said, it was going to be
the truth. She came back and said
“I'm so sorry I said you were
ginger.” I said, “It’s okay, I am
ginger, it isn’t an insult.” Then
she said, “I have two little ones at home. They're both ginger…. but I still love them.” That she'd
even think to say 'but', just little things like that. Or someone would stop me in the street and tell
me that I was quite sexy... for a ginger. What does that mean, for a ginger? I don't understand
why that's even a thing. So there were all these little things but I didn't have a story, and a film
needs a story, and journey of some kind.
And then I realized that my whole life, friends of mine have told me they have this friend who
loves men with red hair. I would then ask if she's available and she'd be married and I would ask
if she married a redhead. And they'd say “no she didn't, but she really, really loves redheaded
men”. And I'm thinking she can't love them that much or she'd marry one. But it was also always
this friend they would talk about. I never actually met this mythical woman who had a specific
thing for redheaded men.
Which made me wonder if I could find one. So that was the start. That was the idea and then the
first day we were filming in the park, I just wanted to do interviews, to collect different things
that people would say. And the very first person that I stopped to talk to was this one girl in the
film and everything just happened. None of it was planned, it was just completely random that
this girl walked into the frame and the film just goes off as it does. I want to be careful not to
say too much about what happens. I think of it all as fun little adventure.
In the sneak preview, you seemed to have to force yourself to walk up to people. Is
there a reason for that and do you speak to some people easier than to others?
Well, I have self-confidence issues. I'm not going to pretend that I don't. Talking to strangers is
very hard. It's a little bit easier with the camera because it's an excuse. Like with the girl. When
she walks by, I would never have just stopped that girl. If a pretty girl walked by, I wouldn't just
'”hey, excuse me...” but because I have the camera, the camera is the reason to do it, which
helped. But I do have self-confidence issues and I think a lot of people do. It's hard to talk to a
random person, it's really hard.
I don't want to try and explain everything in the film. But there are bits about my history with
having been bullied and I was bullied to an extreme. And that's something that leaves a mark. I
think there's a connection and working through one issue deals with the other. Like I said, my
history of having been bullied is quite intense. And growing up, people would say “just get over
it”. And it was never really acknowledged as having been bad. That was really hard for me as a
kid. Because what I was going through was really awful. And the thing that helps me the most,
even now as an adult, is when I do share the story, when people say “wow, that's really bad”. It's
just this acknowledgment of “okay, that was a real thing that you went through and it was awful
and you shouldn't have gone through that. Someone should have done something for you”. But
bullying is not something that's understood. I think it's getting better now, but certainly in the
eighties, no-one did anything, at all. And I think there's definitely a connection there between the
bullying, my hair, and my self-confidence issues.
I can speak for hours about bullying. But I think there's power in talking about it. I don't want to
be ashamed of it. And I've had one or two experiences where someone came up to me and
thanked me for making the film and for talking about it, because they related and understood
what I was talking about. And it made them feel better to know that they weren't alone. And to
me that's very important. And it's very powerful for me, just as a person, to have someone say
that to me. That's the greatest feeling in the world.
I did find it easy here [at the Redhead Days], speaking to people who also had their own stories.
There are a lot of similar stories that we all have. A different shade of the same thing, a variation
of the same experience. There is a connection that we have. And I think it's very powerful to
know you aren’t alone.
Aside from having been bullied, how do you experience being a redhead? Are you
happy with your red hair now?
Now I love it. When I was little, I denied that my hair was red. I was 5, 6, 7 years old and people
would say “I love your red hair”. I'd say “my hair's not red, it's blue”. That's just the way that I
was when I was that age. I hated it and swore that I would dye my hair as soon as I could. My
parents wouldn't let me when I was a child, but I swore that I would dye my hair. I was going to
dye it black. And now...
I think it started [to change] in high school. when you reach that point at adolescence where kids
start doing things to rebel. They start doing things to be different and to stand out. Whether it's
tattooing or earrings or dying your hair or just rebelling in general. I think it's about kids trying to
be different, because they want to stick out. And I didn't need to do any of that to be different, I
was already unique. I think that was an important stage in my development, realizing that I was
already unique.
I wouldn't change now. Somebody asked me yesterday “if you had a genie who'd give you one
wish, would you wish you had a different hair color?” But I can't conceive being anything else. If I
wasn't a redhead, I wouldn't be who I am. I can't imagine it, so I'm now very comfortable with it
and the film is a lot of just me having fun with it.
How did you learn about the
Redhead Days and would you
have come if it weren't for
Being Ginger?
I think I heard about it a few years
ago. And last year at the end of the
summer, I saw something about it,
like a week before it started and
where wasn't enough time to
organize everything. So I decided
last year that I wanted to come and
I'd love to be able to take the film
and show it to redheads and see
what they think. If I wasn't making
the film, I don't think I would have
come. I would have wanted to
come, and I want to come back
now that I've been here. But honestly, also my financial situation being what it is, I couldn't
afford a vacation. I haven't had a vacation in three years. So yeah, I came for the film.
I don't like saying this because I don't want you to think that I'm not happy to be here, because
it's been amazing. And I'll definitely be back. And I hope to run into the same people next year
and the year after that. I met a lot of really cool people. And I've been amazed about the people
who come over just for this weekend. Like people from America or Israel or Australia and it's not
that they just happened to be in the area. They bought a ticket to come for the weekend, to the
Netherlands, just for this. And then they're going back. That's cool.
How was the response to the screening of Being Ginger? Do you get recognized a lot
and what's that like?
I think it was very positive. It's hard for me to gage, because I was so nervous in the moment.
But everyone has come up to me and told me how much they liked it. And that everyone wants to
see the longer, finished film. So I think it's been very positive. And everyone who didn't see it and
has heard about it, has come up to me and said they really want to see it. And I've been giving
out my stickers to people all over the place.
One of the things that I really liked, someone who saw it said: it wasn't like the same old
documentary that you see on TV. That it had a different feel. This was more.... I can't remember
how they described it, but they like the style that I went with. TV documentaries, at least in the
UK, usually have a voice-over and they give away they whole story at the beginning and there's a
presenter who leads you through on certain things. And this is just sort of me on this adventure.
So yeah, I think it's been very positive.
A lot of people have asked to have their picture taken with me. A couple of people have told me
that I am the celebrity of the festival, which is an interesting experience. I have a new
appreciation for what it's like for real celebrities. A lot of people who've seen the film feel like they
know me a little. And they are happy to come talk to me, which is cool. Because the ice is broken
already. And I love that people will come up and talk to me. So yeah, I do feel a little like... I
don't want to get an ego about it or something. It's like the lowest level possible of celebrity, but
yeah, just a little bit. It's been a lot of fun.
How do you like the event so far? Have you participated in any of the activities yet?
I did 'ginger qi gong', the yoga-type tai chi thing. A few of the photographers have asked me to
stop by their booths. I wanted to get my photograph done by the mermaid people. I met them
on Friday night and they kept asking me over and over to stop by, so I’m going to try to do that.
There was a long queue before and I couldn't wait two hours and I didn't want to jump in front of
a bunch of little girls and make them cry. And I really want to get the I Collect Gingers
photograph done. I'm staying at the same hotel as Anthea. I'm looking forward to that.
I did the pub crawl last night. That was a blast! Did the photograph, was in the crowd with
everybody else. I wanted to go to one of the talks but I'm just so tired right now from talking to
so many people. Walking around with the camera, the camera is quite heavy to hold up.
Did you get the footage
you were hoping for and
did you get more out of
the event than just
footage?
We filmed a lot. I haven't
seen the footage yet. I hope
that I have what I need. But
I'm sure that I'll have enough
to end the film with here.
I'm very excited to show
what I think I have. I'm very
excited for people to see
what happened and I'm
excited to show what this
event is like to more people.
And I hope that it can get
more people to come here in
the future. Because this does feel like something that we need.
One of the things that really struck me, was seeing the little kids. When they came onto the Grote
Markt yesterday, everyone stopped to take their picture and everybody wanted to see them and
talk to them. And a lot of the kids looked very shy and uncomfortable and one of the girls I saw
was crying. And it really reminded me of when I was their age. And over the course of the day,
they seemed to open up and be warmer and be more comfortable. And that was very powerful for
me. So I think it could be good for other people.
Has it been good for you as well, has the event done something for you personally?
I've noticed some subtle changes. I used to say that I would never date a redhead. Ever. I didn't
want to pass the gene on and have redheaded kids. But I've met some cute red headed girls
(grins) and several that I thought were very, very pretty. And you know, I think I could handle
jokes if I was walking down the street holding one of those girls' hand... that'd be a small price to
pay. So yeah, maybe I'm more open to the idea of dating a ginger.
I think that for me personally, that I'm upset with myself. For still letting the bullying affect me.
And because I identify it with my hair, it made me a bit anti-ginger. So I think coming here is a
big step in dealing with that.
I'm being more accepting of myself and feeling comfortable in just hanging out with some of the
guys that I've met with this weekend, who were just so warm and friendly and happy and
exuberant. It's just infectious.
So any happy endings?
Well (laughs) the film isn't finished yet. Whether it is or not, I wouldn't want to give away the
ending of the film. I want people to see it for themselves and not know what's coming. I have to
be careful with spoilers.
But I mean, it's a documentary. It's not a fictional film. I could write what I think would be an
excellent fictional end to the film. I could get one of the redheaded girls here to pretend to walk
down the street holding my hand. There goes Scott, happily ever after with a redheaded girl. And
that would be a nice, sweet ending. But I don't want to fake it. I want whatever happens to be
real and authentic and I've still got another day to go.
Just out of curiosity: do people criticize you for using the word ginger? There seems to
be some debate about whether or not it's okay to use that word.
How do I word this? There was a gentleman who came up to me today and he didn't like that I
was using the word ginger. Because he thought I was creating a subset. There's redheads, but
then there's gingers, like one group within redheads. And I didn't think that was the way it was
thought of. At least not in Scotland, ginger is the word for redhead. A redhead is a ginger. In
America, it wasn't a popular word until South Park did their episode about it. And most of the
Americans I meet actually believe that South Park invented the word. And I usually have to
explain: no that's the word they used in the UK for years. I use it because words have power. And
I think if I use it, that takes some of the power away.
The thing that I find interesting is the joke, the ginger joke. It's simply calling someone ginger.
That gets people to laugh, at least in the UK and Scotland. If someone just says: look at the
ginger, people just laugh. There's no punchline to that joke though, which is something I find
strange. A joke needs a punchline.
But yeah, that one person
thought I shouldn't be
using ginger but it's just a
word and I'd rather use it
and take the venom out of
it than someone call me it
in a derogatory way. The
word that I don't like is
the Australian word
'ranga'. You're comparing
a human being to an ape,
to an orangutan. Ranga
sounds quite harsh and I
don't like the sound of
that. I do like the other
Australian word, bluey. I
like that because I like the
color blue. I usually wear
blue, I hope next year
blue is the color for the
shoot...
I love the Tim Minchin song Prejudice where he says only a ginger can call another ginger ginger.
Because it's our word. I think that's a brilliant song. It's easier for gingers to call each other
ginger than other people calling us that. But I think it's a funny word. I think it's funny that
became the word. Why ginger? A ginger root is sort of brown and yellow. It's not orange or red.
Someone told me it's because there's a biscuit that you get in the UK, a ginger nut biscuit, that is
sort of this dark orange shade. That it came from that. I just think it's a funny sounding word. I
was always called carrot top and fire crotch and I hated that. Nicknames can be harsh. Because
they take away your humanity. You cease to be a person and you become a thing. And there are
definitely stereotypes in the media that are perpetuated.
Stereotypes, such as?
Well, people keep talking about Ron Weasley. And I love Harry Potter, don't get me wrong. I read
all the books and I saw all the films, I love Harry Potter. But, that character, Ron Weasley's
function within that story, he is the loser friend. He's not very good at magic, isn't any good with
girls, not very smart, poor, hand-me-down clothes, hand-me-down everything. And he's the polar
opposite of Draco Malfoy who's blond, rich, successful with girls, good at magic.
But Ron's value is that he's a good friend and so that makes it okay. But he's still a stereotypical
redhead. He's not cool. Ron is completely superfluous, he's completely unnecessary to the story.
Ron does virtually nothing in the entire seven books, except for comic relief.
And the stereotype of redheaded women is fiery, passionate, strong, very sexual and alluring. The
redheaded character Ginny is fiery tempered. You have to be careful when she casts a spell
because she can really cast a spell. Her brother can't do anything but she's apparently amazing at
magic and all the boys fancy her. It's the polar opposite. She's the stereotypical redheaded girl
and he's the stereotypical redheaded boy.
I'm not saying that women have it easier than men. I'm not a woman so I don't know what it's
like to be a woman. But there's clearly a difference in the stereotypes. And I think if you asked
random people on the street: what's the first words to come to mind when you think of a
redheaded woman? It'll be fiery, passionate, sultry. Of a redheaded man, it'll be nerd, geek, loser.
Is there anything you want to get off your chest?
I want to say the film is more than just about my hair. I want to make a film that's more
universally appealing. I think that everybody has things about themselves that they are selfconscious about.
I know a girl who's 6'1” and she thinks she's too tall. She's afraid to talk to men because she's
tall. And she thinks that no man, unless he's 6'5”, will have any interest in her. And she's a very
beautiful girl but she just thinks she's too tall, and so she's got a problem about it. I know
someone who's extremely thin. She doesn't have an eating disorder, but she's so thin that people
think she does. And she's very self-conscious about it and she just can't gain weight. I have a
friend who is extremely young looking. She's 22 but she looks like she's 15. She has the face of a
15 year-old. She can't make herself look the actual age that she is and she is very self-conscious
about that, so there are all these different things that people are self-conscious about.
For me, it's my hair. I can't make a film about being
black, I can't make a film about being gay or any of
the things that we traditionally think of as being
different from the norm in society, except for the one
thing that I have, which is my hair. So that's what I'm
making the film about, but I hope it's more than that.
A lot of it has to do with modern dating and the
insecurities that we all have when you meet someone
you like. You know, 'do I send them a message, what
do I say, what does this mean, oh they said this'. It's
a very universal thing and it's a very big part of the
film. And everyone's looking for love. Everyone's
looking for companionship and happiness and to feel
comfortable, the same things that I'm looking for. So
I don't want it to be in a pigeonhole that this is a film
for redheads. Although... it's convenient. There are a
lot of redheaded jokes in it that redheads I know will
appreciate and relate to. But yeah, I hope it's more
than that.
www.beingginger.co.uk
www.redheadday.com
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