Redheads seek emoji representation in smart phone icons

So what’s wrong with redheads? That’s the question being posed by a website, Ginger Parrot, which is now petitioning for a redhead emoji to be included in the emoji family of digital icons that appear to signal happiness, sadness, surprise or distress on social media communications.

Emojis. Image by Intel Free Press / CC BY-SA 2.0

Among the world’s most famous redheads are Australian actress, Nicole Kidman, singer Ed Sheeran, British royal, Prince Harry, and recent Oscar winning American actress, Julianne Moore.

Prince Harry, one of the world’s most easily recognisable redheads. Image by DVIDSHUB / CC BY 2.0

The discontent follows Apple’s recently released new bunch of emojis that excluded the ginger tops. TheJournal.ie reported that since the petition was launched on TheChange.org website a fortnight ago, more than 5,000 signatures have been received.

The website emphasised that notwithstanding recent efforts to promote the racial and sexual ‘diversification’ of Apple’s emoji, red-heads were the stand-out group excluded in 300 new symbols.

They ask why the ginger grouping always appears to miss out, claiming it wouldn’t take much to include the section in the overall mix. Redheads makes up under 2% of the earth’s population but stressed the website that translates as “138 million iPhones waiting to happen.”