History Main / RedHeadedStepchild

* [[http://animaltracks.today.com/_news/2011/09/16/7792779-owner-of-a-lonely-heart-albino-seal-left-to-fend-for-himself An albino seal pup]] was abandoned by its mother because of its unusual coloring, which gave it ginger-colored fur. Luckily, there's a happy ending: it was rescued and taken back to a dolphinarium.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUhLIjlTNSk&feature=related Also parodied]] in ''Series/TheCatherineTateShow''. (Creator/CatherineTate is a redhead.)

* The titular protagonist of ''VisualNovel/{{Cinders}}'' gains points for being both a re-imagining of ''Literature/{{Cinderella}} and a literal red-headed stepdaughter. Her nickname was specifically given to her because of the color of her hair.

* In ''{{Webcomic/WildeLife}},'' [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent Cliff]] is a literal example: he's a ginger (and some of the other wolves make cracks about that) and has a strained relationship with his stepfather. He's really close to his mother and brother, though. (His brother is adopted and black, incidentally, so it's not like ''Cliff'' is the one who stands out in this family.)

* As shown above, Annie from ''ComicStrip/LittleOrphanAnnie'' suffered mockery for her curly red hair. The SettingUpdate film ''Film/{{Annie 2014}}'' {{race lift}}s Annie into being a little back girl with curly hair for a similar effect in modern culture.

* This is inverted in the ''{{Discworld}}'' fics of Creator/AAPessimal. The Dmith-Rhodes family has, over the years, unconsciously selected for red hair. Red hair and freckles have therefore become the family's dominant gene. Every so often, a family member might marrry somebody without red hair. But red is still dominant. Johanna Smith-Rhodes-Maaijande, the daughter of a red-blonde mother and a blonde father, has hair which is mainly blonde with a hint of red - the classic strawberry-blonde look. And no freckles. This makes her stand out in the wider family.[[note]]This also causes further headaches to the traditional enemy of White Howondaland, who realise the latest Smith-Rhodes Assassin has combat skills as good as her two aunts - but lacks their red hair and therefore cannot be called ''The Red Death''. the Zulu Empire is stuck on a name for her. ''The Pink Death'' is held not to cut it in terms of gravitas. And the person who suggested ''The Raspberry Ripple Death'' has been dealt with for not taking it seriously. Young Johanna exploits this uncertainty by deliberately adding stylish pink-dyed streaks to her hair, just to make the point.[[/note]] Her cousin Ruth Smith-Rhodes-Stibbons is the younger sister of two striking redheads who take after their mother. but Ruth takes her look from her father, wizard Ponder Stibbons. She is therefore slight and has her father's very dark brown, almost black, hair. People do not immediately register she is the daughter of respected Assassin Johanna Smith-Rhodes. Ruth herself wonders why she is so physically unalike to her two sisters and wishes she had their red hair...

* The titular protagonist of ''VisualNovel/Cinders'' gains points for being both a re-imagining of ''Literature/{{Cinderella}} and a literal red-headed stepdaughter. Her nickname was specifically given to her because of the color of her hair.

* WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy:

* So Red hair only happens if both your parents have a gene. A family with the gene can go generations without red hair occurring due to no one having babies with someone who also has the genes. Now imagine you're back when this stuff wasn't known, and you or your wife has a child with red hair, despite neither you or your wife having red hair, and she swears to god on her life she did not cheat on you. What do you assume has happened? Probably that the child's a demon or has been replaced with a [[ChangelingTale fairy]].

* Besides being plot important, ''Literature/ThePrisonerOfZenda'' has a good explanation for the prejudice. The hero has fiery red hair, the result of an affair between one of the traditionally red-headed kings of {{Ruritania}} and a female member of his traditionally dark-haired family. Thus, his appearance is a [[HeroicBastard reminder of illegitimacy]].

* Apparently averted in ''{{Webcomic/Wildelife}}''. Though Cliff is literally a red headed step-child, his mother at least is very loving. We have yet to see his step-dad, though.

* There's also the myth 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, how the hell that works. Perhaps [[DidntThinkThisThrough all redheads are actually adopted]].

** According to Cartman, ginger children do not have souls and are likened to the undead. The parents of three ginger children act terrified when the boys talk to them about it and imply they may be [[ChangelingTale changelings]]. Kyle, though, is a RedHeadedHero. (Cartman calls him a "[[Franchise/{{Blade}} Daywalker]]," on the grounds that his hair makes him "half-ginger.")

* [[RedHeadedHero Will Vandom]] averts this in the original ComicBook/{{WITCH}} comics when her mother marries her history professor, Dean Collins. Will was ecstatic when the engagement was announced and she and Dean get along fairly well as it's her biological mother she actually fights with while her real father [[spoiler: tried to blackmail his ex-wife--while also trying to use Will against her.]]

* Kyo Sohma from ''Manga/FruitsBasket'' could probably qualify as this ''and'' a RedheadedHero -- and is certainly unwanted by his (biological) father.

* ''[[Film/CheaperByTheDozen Cheaper by the Dozen]]'' has Mark, the redhead with glasses who got his nickname, FedEx, because his siblings tease him by saying the Fed-Ex truck dropped him off.

See also WickedStepmother, HilariouslyAbusiveChildhood. Contrast RedheadedBully. If the redhead is made fun of for more than just her hair color it falls under RedheadsAreUncool.

* Averted and then inverted in [[http://phobs.deviantart.com/gallery/ Phobs's]] Mongol comics. [[UsefulNotes/GenghisKhan Temujin]] is red-haired with dark-haired brothers, which goes unremarked upon. Three of his sons are also depicted as redheads, while Jochi, the only one whose paternity is in question, has dark hair.

* In ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', [[spoiler:the titular character's mother, Kushina Uzumaki]] went through this as a child (red hair is later revealed to be symbolic of her clan). She grew to hate her hair color until her future husband complimented it.

* In ''Manga/{{Saiyuki}}'', Gojyo is his family's literal version, 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.

* Apparently averted in ''Webcomic/Wildelife''. Though Cliff is literally a red headed step-child, his mother at least is very loving. We have yet to see his step-dad, though.

* ''WebOriginal/DragonBallAbridged'': Cell refers to Android 16 (who is actually a redhead) as the red-headed stepchild of their little "family", as unlike their "siblings" 17 and 18, 16 wasn't activated in the original BadFuture (which Cell comes from), is purely mechanical (unlike 17 and 18 (cyborgs) or Cell ([[OrganicTechnology biomechanical]])), and wasn't intended to be absorbed by Cell like 17 and 18 were.

* As shown above, Annie from ''ComicBook/LittleOrphanAnnie'' suffered mockery for her curly red hair. The SettingUpdate film ''Film/{{Annie 2014}}'' [[RaceLift race lifts]] Annie into being a little Black girl with curly hair for a similar effect in modern culture.

* ''[[Film/CheaperByTheDozen Cheaper by the Dozen]]'' has Fed-Ex, the redhead with glasses who got his nickname because his siblings tease him by saying the Fed-Ex truck dropped him off.

* ''WebOriginal/DragonBallAbridged: Cell refers to Android 16 (who is actually a redhead) as the red-headed stepchild of their little "family", as unlike their "siblings" 17 and 18, 16 wasn't activated in the original BadFuture (which Cell comes from), is purely mechanical (unlike 17 and 18 (cyborgs) or Cell ([[OrganicTechnology biomechanical]])), and wasn't intended to be absorbed by Cell like 17 and 18 were.

* ''[[WebOriginal/DragonBallAbridged]]: Cell refers to Android 16 (who is actually a redhead) as the red-headed stepchild of their little "family", as unlike their "siblings" 17 and 18, 16 wasn't activated in the original BadFuture (which Cell comes from), is purely mechanical (unlike 17 and 18 (cyborgs) or Cell ([[OrganicTechnology biomechanical]])), and wasn't intended by Gero
to be absorbed by Cell like 17 and 18 were.

** In ''VideoGame/{{Fallout2}}'', the same dialogue is present as a random enemy taunt.

** In "VideoGame/{{Fallout2}}", the same dialogue is present as a random enemy taunt.