"And now, Doctor, we've done our work, so it's time we had some play. A sandwich and a cup of coffee, and then off to violin-land, where all is sweetness and delicacy and harmony, and there are no red-headed clients to vex us with their conundrums."
-- The Red-Headed League (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes)
There is no such thing as a Red-Headed League, no League of Extraordinary Redheads, or if there is such a club in existence, I haven't received my invitation yet. Being a natural redhead, however, does come with a certain set of shared experiences that range from 'no big deal' to truly bizarre.
For example, after being told as children that we should never speak to strangers, why did several strangers try and stop us in malls and grocery stores to tell us about so-and-so in their family who used to have red hair? Why are all the iconic, cherished redheaded celebrities of Hollywood past and present actually natural blondes and brunettes? Why does everyone assume that The Little Mermaid is a redhead's favorite Disney movie?
I want to explore the world of the natural redhead. For this, I'll be recording a series of podcasts, each show focusing on a different aspect of redheaded culture. One show may center around the representation of redheads in media, while another may involve interviews with other natural redheads about what it's like to grow up as the carrot top, fire crotch, or ketchup head of the class. I know I have several stories about weird encounters that would never have happened if not for my red hair.
I plan to research not only parts of redhead history that I don't know, including an interesting study that found most outlaws in the American West were redheaded men, but also to research the art of the podcast. I have written many a research paper in my time as a student, and I've had a chance to grow in other areas in media, but audio work has always intrigued me (I love the NPR podcasts) and it's something I've never done. I'd like to merge my English minor writing skills with my Mass Comm major media talents.
By hosting the podcasts on WordPress and writing an introduction for each show, I can hopefully produce a fun, personal senior project.
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