Gingers Do Have Souls

By Birgitte Notoe Nesje

“Gingers do have souls” is a catchphrase that comes from a video uploaded on YouTube, by the user CopperCab where he emotionally goes on and on about being picked on and bullied in school because of his red hair color. The origin of the phrase comes from the Southpark episode “Ginger kids” where the fictional character Eric Cartman gives a class presentation on the subject “ginger kids” and the made-up disease “gingervitis”. The episode aired in 2005. In 2010 CopperCab uploaded his video on YouTube where he express his feelings about discrimination toward redheads. I believe that the video became popular easily because it is funny. This is what people on the Internet find entertaining. It is funny because of the way the video is filmed and the message CopperCab is giving. 

The video “Ginger do have souls” was viewed over 3.1 million times within the first month; also over 600 responses were made. Google Insights shows that the popularity was highest in April 2010 and that it has been sinking since. Both CopperCab`s video and the Southpark episode resulted in the Facebook group “Kick a Ginger day, are you going to do it?” – with over 20.000 members at the highest. The group does not longer exist on Facebook, but several Anti-kick-a-Ginger groups still remains. It has been made several parodies and remixes of the video it self, even a parental apology by the YouTube user CopperMomandDad was uploaded as a response to the video. In 2011, a year after his debut CopperCab uploaded a video where he is apologizing for slavery. The video was filmed in the same spot as the first. Later on, in 2011 CopperCabs YouTube account was hacked. Videos on how to use a condom and even a update from the hacker himself was uploaded.