Let's Send Some Love to Men With Red Hair

A post on Slate today claims that women with red hair are sexualized and men with red hair are reviled. We’re here to say LONG LIVE RED-HEADED MEN.

Amanda Hess writes:

This month, British photographer Thomas Knights—also a redhead—hopes to turn that stereotype on its head with “Red Hot,” a photo exhibition featuring “a cast of high profile and good-looking red headed males,” shot giving torrid looks in topless poses. Male redheads “are completely emasculated and desexualised in popular culture,” Knights told the Guardian. “The main thing for me is the huge polarisation between the way our society perceives ginger men and ginger women.”

It’s true that in some countries — especially the UK — they’ve got a problem with the “ginger” men. Kids bullying other kids for having red hair. Despicable. In Denmark they no longer accept sperm donations from red-haired men. But here in the Jezebel virtual HQ we are BIG FANS. Kevin McKidd of Rome and Grey’s Anatomy? Certified red fox. Snowboarder Shaun White, with those thick flaming tresses? Scorching. Eddie Redmayne sizzles and it’s right there in his name: red mane. And have you seen too-pretty-for-words high fashion model Bartek Borowiec? Lovely.

The Internet agrees! Sites like Fuck Yeah Ginger Men, the Pinterest board Hot Red Haired Men and the NSFW Ginger Snaps prove that for every man making howling wolf sounds at Jessica Rabbit and Christina Hendricks, there are women (and gay men!) burning with desire to touch the fire. Equal opportunity objectification!

So let this serve as a love letter to dudes with red hair. If they’re not treating you properly where you are, come and see us. We’ve got scarlet fever, and you are the cure. (And be sure to check out Thomas Knights’ portraits. Hot.)