History Main / RedHeadedStepchild

* There's also the myth([[OrIsIt ?]]) that red hair is the mark of [[CainAndAbel Cain]], which serves to very visibly brand redheads as [[InTheBlood his descendants]]. Like redheads didn't already have [[AcceptableEthnicTargets enough problems]]. Although that does pose the question of whether or not all of a redheads' ancestors who ''didn't'' [[FridgeLogic have red hair happened to be of Cain's lineage]], and, if they aren't, [[WallBanger how the hell that works]]. Perhaps [[DidntThinkThisThrough all redheads are actually adopted]].

See also WickedStepmother, HilariouslyAbusiveChildhood.

In America, women dye their hair red to attract men. In Britain, red-haired people dye their hair to avoid bullying.

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* In ''{{Saiyuki}}'', Gojyo is his family's literal RedHeadedStepchild, raised by his stepmother who hated the color red because it reminded her of him, and thus of her husband's affair. The red hair and eyes are proof that he's a [[HalfHumanHybrid half-breed]]; these are considered an abomination, and extremely unlucky.
* Asuka from ''NeonGenesisEvangelion''. She's even a real stepchild.
* [[spoiler:Claire Stanfield]] from ''{{Baccano}}!'', pictured above, is a literal redheaded stepchild of the Gandor Family. Mind you, the other three [[TheMafia aren't exactly on the straight path]] either, but they are at least not [[AxCrazy batshit]] [[HeroicSociopath frickin' insane]].
* Kyo Sohma from FruitsBasket could probably qualify as this ''and'' a RedheadedHero -- and is certainly unwanted by his (biological) father.
* Yoko Nakajima of TheTwelveKingdoms is literally redheaded, which in Japan truly makes her stand out; other people think she dyes it, and her mother nags her to dye it black. [[spoiler: She's also literally a stepchild: an unborn child of the Twelve Kingdoms who was implanted in a human woman through some bizarre AppliedPhlebotinum.]]
* In the anime version of ElfenLied, all diclonius have pink hair (only Lucy/Nyu did in the manga). Nobody else does, including the parents of them, so red hair must be some kind of diclonius trait.

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* There's also the myth([[OrIsIt ?]]) that red hair is the mark of [[CainAndAbel Cain]], which serves to very visibly [[InTheBlood brand redheads as his descendants]]. Like redheads [[AcceptableEthnicTargets didn't already have enough problems]]. Although that does beg the question of [[FridgeLogic whether or not all of the current redheads' ancestors who]] ''[[FridgeLogic didn't]]'' [[FridgeLogic have red hair happen to be of Cain's lineage]], and, if they aren't, [[WallBanger how the hell that works]]. Perhaps [[DidntThinkThisThrough all redheads are actually adopted]].
** Technically, since Adam and Eve only had the two kids, wouldn't everyone on the planet be either of Cain's lineage... or, y'know... inhuman?
*** [[DidNotDoTheResearch Only the two kids?]] [[TheBible You might want to recheck the source material:]] [[hottip:Genesis 4[=:=]25, 5[=:=]3-5: Adam lay with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, "God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him." . . . When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth. After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Adam lived 930 years, and then he died.]]
*** Of course, later in Genesis, everyone except Noah, his wife, his three sons, and their wives gets wiped out by the Flood so unless either Noah or his wife was a descendant of Cain, that lineage is gone.
**** According to Jewish lore, Noah's wife (and thus all humanity) was, indeed, a descendant of Cain's.
* Oh, this explains a British PSA about bullying I saw once.

* I moved to Spain at the age of six, but there are plenty of ex-pats in my school who point out the (apparently) hilarious fact that I am a Ginger Geordie. And I get sunburn really easy.

* I moved to Spain at the age of six, but there are plenty of ex/pat's in my school who point out the (apparently) hilarious fact that I am a Ginger Geordie. And I get sunburn really easy.

** Not that this really counts, since everybody loves them (including their [[strike: step]]father).

* The movie ''Radio Flyer'' has a literal red-headed stepchild who is routinely beaten until he and his older brother concoct a way for him to escape.

** The Elizabeth in the "Kids" sketch is II, the one we have now. (I believe Elizabeth I was actually a blonde in a red wig, though.)

** The Elizabeth in the KitH sketch is II, the one we have now. (I believe Elizabeth I was actually a blonde in a red wig, though.)

* There's also the myth([[OrIsIt ?]]) that red hair is the mark of [[CainAndAbel Cain]], which serves to very visibly [[InTheBlood brand redheads as his descendants]]. Thanks, [[JerkassGod God]]. Like redheads [[AcceptableEthnicTargets didn't already have enough problems]]. Although that does beg the question of [[FridgeLogic whether or not all of the current redheads' ancestors who]] ''[[FridgeLogic didn't]]'' [[FridgeLogic have red hair happen to be of Cain's lineage]], and, if they aren't, [[WallBanger how the hell that works]]. Perhaps [[DidntThinkThisThrough all redheads are actually adopted]].

The expression is from mixed Italian-Irish families in the late 19th century. The red-haired stepchildren [[EvilRedheads would be seen as evil]]. Also, red hair would underscore that the child is not related to the stepparent, as seen by the physical difference.

* Jason Todd went from being the metaphorical Redheaded Stepchild of the Batfamily to the LITERAL one, because GrantMorrison decided to screw with continuity for no particular reason again.
** Jason actually was a red-head pre-crisis (but, like in the Morrison version, Bruce made him dye it black), so its more Morrison bringing back an old piece of continuity for the sake of thematic consistency.
*** Bruce didn't ''make'' him dye it black. He did it himself, once Dick handed him the Robin costume. (Meanwhile, his original hair color was more brown than red.)

* M.I.A's new video "Born Free" is about the horrible treatment redheads get, taken to the extremes. It opens with a SWAT team raiding an apartment to capture one redheaded young man and [[ItGotWorse goes downward from there.]]

** Not that this really counts, since everybody loves them (including their <strike>step</strike>father).

* The movie ''RadioFlyer'' has a literal red-headed stepchild who is routinely beaten until he and his older brother concoct a way for him to escape.

* The movie ''Radio Flyer'' has a literal red-headed stepchild who is routinely beaten until he and his older brother concoct a way for him to escape.

* The character Phineas, from {{Phineas and Ferb}}, and his sister Candace, are literally redheaded step children. However, this fact has never been mentioned on the show.