Red Heads Rock!

I had an interesting discussion today while on an errand with some co-workers.  Would you want your kid to be a red head, aka. a "Ginger?"
A little scientific information:
Red hair is made up of a combination of high levels of the reddish pigment pheomelanin and relatively low levels of the dark pigment eumelanin.


Being that I have red hair I think it is always assumed that if I had a kid it will without a doubt be a red head.
However, red heads are actually a genetic mutation in the MC1R protein (let the jokes commence) of a recessive gene on chromosone 16.  Only 1 to 2% of the worlds population is red headed.  And that percentage increases in certain parts of the world, with Scotland having the highest at 16%.
To have red hair both Steve and I would have to provide this recessive red head gene to our kid. SO it is very likely I will not have a red head.  If my MC1R gene is rr and Steve's is RR, no red head kids.  If Steve is Rr, then we have a higher chance of having a red head.A great example of this, and how it can skip generations. (from http://www.thetech.org/genetics/ask.php?id=245)

Now since we are so rare, remember only 1-2% of the world's population, it causes me to get very angry at famous red heads when they change their hair color to blonde or brown or whatever.  There are few red headed role models.  As kids we growing up we get ridiculed for being different, called names some not to savory. If all of the famous people out there change their hair color, they perpetuate the myth that having red hair is ugly.  Even if they just wanted a change from their regular "look."

Examples of pretty red heads:
Julianne Moore

Amy Adams
Lindsey Lohan (she really is a beautiful girl, tragic though)
Rose McGowan
Geri Haliwell (Ginger Spice)
Nicole Kidman
Alyson Hannigan

You get the idea.

Calling All Famous Red Heads! Don't change your hair color and be a representative of the Ginger Kids! (I'm sure that is copyrighted by South Park creators).  Whatevs.

Oh and to answer my original question "Would you want your kid to be a red head, aka. a 'Ginger?'"
Yes and no.  I would love to have little mini-mes with blue eyes and red hair, but I do not wish on my children the ridicule that I grew up with.  Maybe times have changed and being made of for having red hair isn't as bad, but I doubt it.  Hopefully, they will appreciate their hair color as much as I do.  (Although I do lighten mine to Strawberry Blonde like ti was when I was real little.)