Are Comics Guilty of Gingerism?

Are red haired characters unfairly treated in comic books and related media?

By Bernard O’Shea

15/07/14

Pamela Isley AKA 'Poison Ivy,' one of the many poorly represented red heads on Batman the Animated Series.

  


As a regular listener to the ‘Arkham Sessions,’ Podcast, a show that explores the psychology behind each episode of the Batman the Animated series, I enjoy co-hosts Brian Ward and psychologist Dr. Andrea Latamendi’s banter as they analyse each episode providing expert knowledge on mental health issues.

Over the course of the series an ongoing debate about the nature and use of red haired characters has arisen much to the chagrin of flame haired co-host Brian Ward. Ward has highlighted that a high percentage of red haired characters in the series are either portrayed as villains, thugs, scoundrels, or weaklings and cowardly bystanders to the main action. To be fair upon re-watching many of the episodes Brian Ward does have a point, and he raises an interesting question; Are red-haired people depicted poorly in comic books and related media?

Before exploring red haired characters in the fictional world it is important to acknowledge that being red haired in the real world means you are more likely to suffer teasing, name calling and bullying. The playground names for red heads are all too common ranging from, ginger, carrot-top ginger nut, and red to copper head, ginger-whinger to some names not appropriate for print. Red heads receive an unfair amount of public humiliation and bullying within society. In 2007, a family in Newcastle Upon-Tyne were forced to leave their home because they received sustained abuse from their neighbours because of the family’s natural red hair colour.[1] If we were to substitute the hair colour issue for ethnicity or sexuality then there would be a greater public reaction to such a tragic story.

It does beg the question as to why there is such widespread social acceptance of the condemnation of red-haired people? Perhaps the reason may lie in the history, symbolism and use of the colour red.

The colour red has many meanings it is most commonly associated with love, if we imagine Valentines Day we think of red roses and heart shaped cards and balloons. The colour denotes feelings of passion, sensuality, sexuality and seduction. Russian word for red is 'krasnyj,' which when translated means ‘beautiful,’ in English.  This association with passion dove-tails into notions of sacrifice; during the middle ages the Catholic Church used the colour red to symbolise the blood of Christ and it became associated with the power and authority of the church. Also during the French Revolution, red became synonymous with liberty and personal freedom; which was derived from the red caps worn by freed slaves in Ancient Rome.

Catholic Cardinals in the Vatican

Red is a vibrant and fiery colour which means it has lent itself to ceremony, pomp and celebration. Traditionally, royalty have used the colour red to announce their wealth and power. The ‘Red-Carpet,’ treatment is also synonymous with welcoming distinguished guests and VIP’s to important functions.

Actress 'Scarlet,' Johansson on the VIP 'Red,' carpet

The colour red also has great significance for certain cultures. Red played an important part in Chinese philosophy, it was the colour associated with fire and it represented good fortune and nobility. The colour red was also adopted by the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 and was later associated with communist countries.

Red also carries a negative association with danger, heat, destruction and evil. Red is the international colour for stops signs and lights. The highest level of terrorist attack in the United States is marked by the colour red. If you are a business owner and you have made a loss during the year your accounts can be described as ‘being in the red.’ If you get angry you are said to be ‘seeing red.’ If a person is caught in the midst of a criminal or unlawful act they are said to be caught ‘red-handed.’ If a player commits a serious foul in soccer then they are likely to be shown a ‘red card,’ and be ejected from the remainder of the game.

Zidane receives his red card during the 2006 World Cup Final.

In Roman Mythology, red is associated with the god of war, Mars.[2] In ancient Egypt, Isis the god of religious beliefs had her own prayer that reads, “Oh Isis, protect me from all things evil and red.”[3]

Unsurprisingly, in the context of Christian values, red is often associated with negative connotations. In the New Testament the Book of Revelation, the Antichrist is described as a red monster, ridden by the Whore of Babylon, who is dressed in scarlet.[4] The depiction of Satan in popular culture and art remains a red skinned devil, highlighting the long term impact of the original description and the long term belief in red as having negative connotations.

The Whore of Babylon depicted in Martin Luther's 1534 translation of the Bible.

As much as red is associated with positive aspects of culture and emotion it also represents dark elements of danger, anger and sin. This association with the colour does seem to have been recognised and utilised by comic book creators.

Red haired Jean Grey as the 'Dark Phoenix.'

In terms of main stream comics there have been a number of high profile red haired characters who have featured as villains; Norman Osborn/Green Goblin, Carnage/Cletus Kasady, Arcade from Uncanny X-Men, Medusa from the Inhumans, The Dark Phoenix/Jean Grey and Poison Ivy.



The flame haired Assasin 'Arcade,' from Marvel Comics.

 There have also been a number of female characters who have started our as villains but have alternated between hero and villain over the course of their history. The red haired Black Widow has been hero and/or villain in different storylines but what has remained consistent is her portrayal as a sexy, seductive spy.


The Black Widow from Marvel Comics

The red haired shape-shifting Mystique has always maintained an ambiguous presence in the X-Men comics.


The Shape-Shifting 'Mystique,' from the Uncanny X-Men comics.

 The Scarlet Witch began her costumed career as a villain and has been depicted in recent years as being emotionally unstable and on occasion lacking logic or reasoning.

The Scarlet Witch from Marvel Comics

It appears that when it comes to red haired females in comic books they seem to embody the sexuality and passion that the colour red represents and this is denounced in their hair colour. In respect of male characters their red hair underlines their anger and violent nature.

When you broaden the search for red haired characters in modern popular fiction you see that they embody all sorts of off beat, quirky and sometimes fiery and violent roles. For example; Ron Weasley is the insecure sidekick from the Harry Potter series, Fry is the dumb witted slacker from ‘Futurama,’ Sideshow Bob the inept evil genius from the Simpsons, Emma Pillsbury the obsessive compulsive guidance counsellor from Glee, Dexter the flame haired serial killer from the self-titled series and Syndrome the psychopathic supervillian from the ‘Incredibles.’

The Obsessive Compulsive Emma Pillsbury from 'Glee.'

In the wider comic book spectrum, the colour red is a feature of several prominent main stream villains, whether it is a characteristic of their costume, name or skin colour. e.g. The Red Hood from Batman, Red Claw from Batman: the animated series, Captain America’s arch nemesis; Red Skull, Eric the Red and Omega Red from X-Men, Iron Man foe; Crimson Dynamo and The Red Hulk and Red She Hulk.

The 'Red Skull,' villain from Captain America

Magneto from the X-Men comics provides a further example of the use of red in the characterisation of a supervillian. Magneto’s traditional costume since his first appearance in Uncanny X-Men #1, September 1963, has largely been the red and purple garb coupled with the red centurion style helmet.

Magneto by John Byrne Uncanny X-Men #111

This remained his official costume until sometime around issue #200 of Uncanny X-Men when writer Chris Claremont put him in a purple jumpsuit and cape, made him the leader of the X-Men and a more remorseful and sympathetic individual. When the character returned to his supervillian roots he returned to his classic red and purple costume. It’s an interesting example of how a character evolved and how colour was used to distinguish his movement from villain to hero.

Magneto on Trial in Uncanny X-Men #200.

Despite all the aforementioned analysis this discussion adds up to little more than speculation on my behalf. There is no conclusive evidence that red haired characters are portrayed in a negative light or that they are more frequently mistreated than any other character to feature in a comic book. There are also numerous examples of comic book heroes whose costumes are predominately feature the colour red or who themselves are red haired.

However Brian Ward’s disgruntled opinion on the portrayal of red haired characters in Batman: the animated series does highlight the interesting relationship society has with red heads and the colour red. Why are there so many mixed messages and negative connotations with the colour red?

Really, society’s relationship with the colour red is down to association and a multitude of sources that inform our views and beliefs.

Colour conveys meanings in two primary ways-natural association and psychological symbolism.[5] This association and symbolism can be both positive and negative. This is not exclusive to the colour red, for example the colour blue can be associated with clear skies and clear water but also symbolic of coldness and depression. Artist’s have always been vocal about the use of certain colours in their paintings to evoke emotions or convey a message. Henri Matisse, the painter of ‘Harmony in Red,’ once wrote; “A certain blue penetrates your soul; a certain red affects your blood pressure.”[6]

'Harmony in Red,' by Henri Matisse.

Vincent Van Gogh described his attempts to express the terrible passions of humanity by means of red and green in his painting ‘Night Café.’[7] Although experts believe red has no impact on an individual’s blood pressure over centuries of associations with certain ideas the colour red can be given heightened meaning in a painting or a work of art.


'The Night Cafe,' by Vincent Van Gogh

The fashion world teaches us that red empowers and draws attention to the wearer.[8] It is also the choice of colour for some interior designers who wish to make a certain piece of furniture become the focal point of a room. Advertisers also recognise that presenting writing in red and white is easier for the public to read than black and white text. There is also a certain myth that red cars get stopped by the police more often than any other colour of car.

Is Red the key ingredient to the world's best selling Cola?

Both these ideas may go to some length to explain why certain writers and artists either consciously or subconsciously choose red haired characters for certain roles in their stories. Perhaps writers and artists use red haired characters because they are so distinguishable on the printed page or animation cell. If the colour red attracts attention then at vital points of a story if that information is conveyed by a red head we might pay more attention to it. William Shakespeare famously utilised this trick in ‘The Merchant of Venice,’ instructing that Shylock be portrayed with a red wig,[9] and Arthur Conan Doyle used the premise of an advertisement for ‘red-haired,’ individuals as a maguffin in his Sherlock Holmes story; ‘The Adventure of the Red Headed League.’

I feel that a definite argument that red heads are unfairly treated in comic books cannot be fully substantiated. There are so many different meanings and associations with the colour red, that it is impossible to say red heads are depicted more poorly than any other minority. However, this examination does provide a possible explanation for the use of red and how it is often used to portray negative connotations in popular fiction. It does not, however, explain why society has such an aversion to people with red hair.

Some experts feel that red haired people represent one of the few remaining minorities in society that are not protected by anti-discriminatory laws. The poor treatment of people with red hair is a symptom of habitual bullies. Professor Larry Ray, a sociologist at the University of Kent, believes, “If they (bullies) are engaging in one kind of harassment they are engaging in others. They are looking for targets.”[10] In one sense, this confirms the argument that being red haired attracts attention marking flame haired individuals out as targets for bullies and those who feel it is harmless banter to ridicule an individual colleague or friend for the colour of their hair.

In any such case red haired people can take comfort in the knowledge that recent research has indicated that they carry a specific gene that helps their skin produce vitamin D, enabling them to fight off certain deliberating and fatal illnesses better than blondes or brunettes.[11] The down side from the research indicates that red heads have a lower pain threshold. The common denominator in this examination appears to be that red heads are not any worse off than other minorities, but red haired people's treatment by society rather than in comic books does highlight that the one constant in human nature is that we will always ridicule those who are different to ourselves. Perhaps Van Gogh had it right, perhaps red says more about humanity than it does about red haired people.   

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[1] Rohrer, Finlo (2007) ‘Is Gingerism as bad as racism?’ BBC Website- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6725653.stm Accessed 15.07.14 

[2]Feisner, Edith. Colour. City: King Laurence Publish, 2006. ISBN 1-85669-441-0 pg. 127

[3] Eva Heller (2009), Psychologie de la couleur - Effets et symboliques. Pg. 45

[4] King James Version, Book of Revelation, Chapter 17.

[5] Unknown (2014)’Colour Sybolism Theories,’ - http://www.colormatters.com/color-symbolism/color-symbolism-theories -Accessed 15.07.14

[6] Dunne Carrey (2013) ‘Seeing Red: Dior’s classic Rouge #9 Lipcolour Revived,’ - http://www.fastcodesign.com/3016760/seeing-red-diors-classic-rouge-9-lipcolor-revived -Accessed 15.07.14

[7] Sayre, Henry M., A World of Art, third edition, 2000, p 136. Prentice Hall

[8] Unknown (2014) ‘Colours and Mood: How what you wear affects you. -http://www.collegefashion.net/fashion-tips/colors-and-mood-how-the-colors-you-wear-affect-you/ - Accessed 15.07.14

[9] Shapiro, James (2010) ‘Shylock in Red?’ -http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2010/oct/14/shylock-red/ -Accessed 15.07.14

[10] Rohrer, Finlo (2007) ‘Is Gingerism as bad as racism?’ BBC Website- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6725653.stm Accessed 15.07.14