Why do movies always portray redheads as the adversaries?

Question

Aside from the Weasely's in Harry Potter stories, redheads are cast as mean or villainous characters. Just off the top of my head: the bully from Everybody Hates Chris, Titan from Megamind, Syndrome from The Incredibles, the EPA officer from Ghostbusters, Malachai from Children Of The Corn, I could go on and I am sure once you start noticing it, if you haven't already, you'll see it over and over. Oh, and those are all males. When it's a female she's probably a prostitute or some other denigrated figure that would just as likely as push you off a cliff. It's tiresome and it's time Hollywood dug another well, the old one just gives water that smells bad.

Answer 1

I'm a redhead, and I absolutely disagree! There are many redheaded males and females playing good people, and they generally have a great sense of humor, rather wry at times. It's definitely not true about them being adversaries.



Check out the movies of these people: Katharine Hepburn, Van Johnson, Darren McGavin, Greer Garson, Rhonda Fleming, Julianne Moore, Carol Burnett, Bette Midler, Diane Lane (who stayed redheaded for most films after "The Outsiders" in which she was a nice girl), Debi Mazar, Sara Rue, Debra Messing, Bryce Dallas Howard, Kirsten Dunst (as Mary Jane), David Caruso, Ginger Rogers (sometimes), Seth Green, Lindsay Lohan (prior to her major troubles), Nicole Kidman (before she went blondish), Kyle Schmid, Rita Hayworth, Arlene Dahl, Danny Kaye, Red Skelton, Alicia Witt, Laura Prepon (before she went blonde), Molly Ringwald (John Hughes' leading lady in those teen comedies), Gillian Anderson, Marcia Cross, Amy Adams, Isla Fisher, Lucille Ball(!), Maureen O'Hara, Alyson Hannagan, Eric Stoltz, Ron(nie) Howard, Bill(y) Mumy, Clara Bow, Kevin McKid, Gates McFadden ("Star Trek"'s lady doctor), Judy Garland (in a number of movies), Christina Hendricks, Roz Kelly.

(I'm sure more will come to mind.)



Some of these have played some unsavory, baddish roles, but the majority of those roles falls into the good side.



Some examples:

1) The Wizard of Oz ~ Redhead Billie Burke portrays Glinda the Good Witch.

2) The Fifth Element ~ Leeloo is pivotal in saving Earth!

3) The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel has blazing red tresses! See? There's even a redhaired Disney princess!

4) Annie ~ stars a redhaired orphan girl; based on the long-running "Little Annie Rooney" comic strip

5) Elizabeth I ~ There have been many movies and miniseries focusing on this auburn-haired monarch.

6) Seven Brides for Seven Brothers ~ stars seven handsome, redheaded men, the Pontipee brothers

7) Life With Father ~ a familyful of redheads (an absolutely delightful movie filled with great characters!)

Answer 2

Linda Smith said it was obvious that Jesus wasn't English, none of the pictures of him show him wearing socks with his sandels. Avenue Q has a bit in the middle of "Everyones a little bit racist" where a black character says Jesus was black, a caucasian replies he was white, and a Jewish character says "Jesus was Jewish" at which point everyone else laughs. The movies portray him as a white man (mainly) because in the past its been white people who've produced and directed the films. I'd like to see a film by the director who's just done the Bob Dylan film, where Dylans played by several people including Cate Blanchett. But can anyone imagine the uproar of someone casting, as an example, Joan Rivers as the risen Christ? (This post alone will probably get me hate mail from people who believe you should love their neighbour (as long as they're the same colour, creed, and religion.)) You only have to look at Life of Brian to see that people don't see beyond the end of their noses when they believe in religion.

Answer 3

Look up albino portrayals in film and you'll stop whining

Answer 4

Because gingers don't have souls