The Darkest of Days

Hiba Bilal, Staff
February 20, 2023

When someone asks another person who is the creepiest family, the Addams family is the first to come to mind. There are eerie comedies and television shows about the fictional Addams family. These characters have been very popular since the 1930s when the Addams Family originally made its debut in a newspaper comic by Charles Addams. He was inspired to create these characters based on where he used to live. 

Some people may think that Charles Addams lived a horrific childhood, but he actually lived a wonderful life. He felt that illustrating would be the job for him, so he started remembering where he lived, which was near graveyards. He created characters like a mother, Morticia Addams, a father, Gomez Addams, and their children, Pugsley and Wednesday, who are all featured in the Addams Family. The family passes by many cheerful surroundings, and they’re said to cause a gloomy, unsettling feeling as they walk by. The Addams Family is renowned for, “Their bizarre appearances, Halloween theme, and famed photographs,” according to collider.com. Also, the Addams Family is even characterized as a “Mysterious and spooky family” in their theme song.

The fictitious Wednesday Addams has gained popularity recently on social media and other platforms. She is a character and member of the Addams Family. The character has been portrayed by various actresses; for example, Lisa Loring was the “original” Wednesday Addams, and the newest actress portraying the role is Jenna Ortega. Wednesday is a gothic, unsettling figure who shows up in various television programs and movies as either a little girl (about age 6) or a teenager. The character is typically portrayed as someone who wants to experience the world from her perspective, understanding what it’s like to live independently, and discovering what it is to be “normal.” 

Some films and television shows have depicted Wednesday’s desires, such as the 2019 animated film The Addams Family. She is often a reserved, introverted character who is incredibly intelligent and occasionally quite silent. Wednesday is portrayed as the type of character who never smiles unless something spooky and eerie happens.

Since the premiere of Jenna Ortega’s show on Wednesday, people have been comparing the performances of Christina Ricci and Jenna Ortega. Both are renowned for their spooky interpretations of the role. Additionally, there has been a discussion on which plot is better. The real question is: who portrayed the character better? Jenna Ortega is quickly gaining notoriety for her, “Ghost blinking,” in which she portrayed the part of Wednesday without blinking once, and for an improvised scene in which she danced in an unusual, yet eerie manner. 

Because of the popularity of The Addams Family, Christina Ricci became well-known for her role as Wednesday Addams. Recently, she has gained notoriety for her role as Ms. Thornhill in the show Wednesday. This serves as a reminder and reference for fans, as well as getting viewers more excited about the show by combining the new and old Wednesdays. No matter who performs the roles, the characters will spook everyone with their uncanny appearances and mannerisms.

(Above) “If you hear me screaming bloody murder. There’s a good chance I’m enjoying myself.” Over the past few weeks, Jenna Ortega’s show Wednesday has become quite admired. Viewers have been attempting to recreate Wednesday Addams’ appearance on social media. Due to the show’s dance to the song, “Bloody Mary,” it gained popularity. People are already anticipating season two and making theories about what it will be about, and Jenna Ortega is also receiving praise for how well she performed in the show. Photo courtesy of TV Insider. (Photo courtesy of TV Insider.)
(Above) “I’m a homicidal maniac, they look just like everyone else.” The Addams Family, which was released in 1991, starred Christina Ricci as Wednesday Addams. This became Christina Ricci’s favorite role, and she was only 10 years old when she first played this character. A couple of facts about this 1991 movie, according to m.imdb.com, are that in one of the scenes, Wednesday Addams is sleeping in a “Dead” position, and Christina Ricci improvised this herself. Another fun fact is that “In order to gain Morticia’s figure, Anjelica Huston wore a metal corset.” Before Jenna Ortega’s show debuted, Christina Ricci’s portrayal of Wednesday Addams was often associated with the character. She represented the millennial generation’s, Wednesday Addams. Photo courtesy of Yahoo Finance. (Photo courtesy of Yahoo Finance.)