“Sartre said hell is other people. He was my first crush.”
—the girl with the signature plaits, black dress and deadpan look
Click, click.
The world is BEWITCHED by Wednesday Addams.
Social media is BEWITCHED by Wednesday Addams. There are tiktok trends dancing around her with even Lady Gaga flinging her arms to the Goo Goo Muck. The WHOLE WIDE WORLD wants to be Wednesday Addams—WHY?
Addams Family Background Info
Here’s the history, the Addams Family was concocted by Charles Adams, an American cartoonist, debuting in a series of comic strips for the New Yorker in 1938. Despite the numerous adaptations of this cartoon, most are only familiar with the 1990’s version starring Christina Ricci as Wednesday…until now. Flash-forward to 2022, Netflix’s Wednesday was a hit, usurping Stranger Things’ number one spot as the most watched English language show with over a billion watched hours.
Not only is Wednesday from Wednesday a fashion and cultural icon with an unapologetic attitude, most significantly—like the unforgotten 1990’s version—she’s not the typical heroine and…she’s not like other girls—
—Or is she?
We’re in the era where the word femininity is not gilded with pink glitter and fragile feathers anymore, however the girl with the signature plaits, black dress and deadpan look stands out like none other.
Contrary to the titular pick-me girl, for example Katie from Mean Girls because of how she doesn’t bother with fashion and doesn’t bat an eyelash to be pretty but just is, Wednesday takes a different stab at the word, pick-me girl. (I’m not calling Wednesday a pick-me girl because though she’s not like other girls, she’s also not like other other girls for she isn’t being different to highlight her superiority. In Wednesday, she is less macabre in comparison with previous adaptations and her being at the Nevermore Academy actually makes her more “normal” as she stands out less.)
“Use the words ‘little’ and ‘girl’ to address me again and I can’t guarantee your safety.”
The root incentive underlying pick-me actions is a want of attention. Despite how Wednesday inevitably attracts attention inside and outside of the screen, her actions are genuine and aligned with her true character. For example with her pet scorpion and obsession with murders (she’s probably listening to true-crime podcasts on her new phone right now).
Living in the modern world, especially in the digital age where our lives are so exposed, is like living with someone else’s eyes at the back of your head with a mind of its own that thinks it can read yours. It is so difficult to be fully living your life for you—unshackled from likes and followings, others’ gazes and external validation. But Wednesday never gives a flipping piranha about what others think about her. Which is an inconceivable thing to do as humans relying on one another and living together in a society. In another universe where your quick queen quips and your undiluted self interest is accepted—wouldn’t you already be Wednesday Addams? This is why Wednesday is such a satisfying form of escapism against the social constructs—or chains—of our reality. But more importantly, Wednesday is the unapologetic queen we all need to tell us that you, me, him, her, them—us—that no-one is obligated to prove themselves, their interests and choices. Full stop.
Obsessed? No. Inspired? Yes.
Wednesday Addams on the Power of Confidence
One of the most beloved scenes is unsurprisingly the dance scene. How do you make a weird and awkward dance to the Goo Goo Muck cool? Confidence. This is proof to anyone that anything paired with confidence is powerful. Wednesday is rebellious, independent and confident with the scary ability of being able to verbally peel the flesh off of people’s bones. Strong female characters like Wednesday Addams are inspiring. Which is especially influential for a young female demographic who most likely have struggled with confidence in some avenue of life because as girls, we’re told to be “agreeable” and as a generation we’re told to be “acceptable”, “normal” and “successful”.
Similarly Dissimilar
Honestly, at heart, we are all pick-me people because as humans, we yearn for validation, we want to be picked, we want to be accepted and so just embrace that desire for acceptance—it’s natural—and allow it to stand as a foundation for growth and connection. Which is why, despite the strong theme of estrangement in Wednesday, this Wednesday eventually grows to become more accepting of human connection. Cliché? Yes, but it represents a more positive mindset toward relationships. Which is how Wednesday Addams became more relatable through becoming more “normal”.
Wednesday Addams is like an era in one’s life. An era where you do not feel understood, yet you still cling strong to your own unique identity by not caring a flipping piranha about the opinions of others. An era where you feel dissimilar but in a similar way to others in the same phase—similarly dissimilar. So just smile and…
“Listen… people like me and you, we’re different. We’re original thinkers, intrepid outliers in this vast cesspool of adolescence. We don’t need inane rites of passage to validate who we are.”
Clap, Clap.
