Warning: This article contains minor spoilers for the Netflix show “Wednesday.”

Wednesday Addams, the iconic daughter in the Addams Family, notoriously known for her morbidity, confidence and iconic braids, marches to the beat of her own drum. In doing so, she has inspired decades of teenagers to follow in her footsteps. She recently stars in the new hit Netflix show, “Wednesday,” where viewers get to learn the ins and outs of her character. 

When Wednesday Addams was first introduced to the world in 1940, she already had features and tendencies that set her apart. Her pupils were fully black with no whites in her eyes and she was instantly viewed as an anxious and sad character, something that was rarely exhibited at the time.

As the 1991 film, “The Addams Family,” delved into Wednesday Addams’ character, viewers became accustomed to her apathetic and morbid personality. While morbidity runs through Addams’ family blood, her family never asks her to change or hide her eccentricities and dark passions. Wednesday Addams is unapologetically herself and is allowed to be expressive. 

At the time of the movie’s release, adolescent girls were mostly portrayed as envious, insecure individuals in hit movies like “Heathers” and “Pretty in Pink.” Wednesday Addams’ character directly combatted this stereotype. Wednesday Addams never felt the need to succumb to stereotypes. Her confidence was undeniable and caused her to instantly appeal to a modern generation of teenagers. 

In the new Netflix show, “Wednesday,” viewers get to witness another side of the timeless character. Millions of people have watched the show since it came to Netflix on Nov. 23, 2022. The record-breaking amount of views provides Wednesday Addams with the opportunity to reach even more people. 

Wednesday Addams has never been interested in things the media portrays teenage girls to focus on: boys, belonging and social status. None of this changes as she begins to learn the ways of her new school, Nevermore. Nevermore is a school for outcasts, but Wednesday Addams doesn’t even fit into any of the outcast cliques, nor does she want to.

Confident as ever, Wednesday Addams makes decisions that cause her to stand out. In episode four, “Woe What a Night,” Wednesday Addams walks to the middle of the dance floor and bursts out into unusual dance moves. Many viewers express the embarrassment this would cause them to feel, but she feels no embarrassment, only enjoyment. Regardless of what her peers think, Wednesday Addams has no interest in fitting the mold of the “normal” teenage girl and doesn’t care if this makes her a pariah. We get to watch Wednesday Addams as she embraces the “embarrassing” and “weird” and encourages viewers to do the same. 

With her gothic appearance, deadpan face, Kubrick stare and monotonous voice, Wednesday Addams is vastly different from the people around her. She enjoys these differences and has never viewed them as a bad thing, if anything, she has viewed them as an asset. 

Wednesday Addams has never been asked by her family to do anything that compromises who she is, nor has she ever asked anyone else to change who they are. Even if she was told to change, it’s highly doubtful that she would. She is content with who she is and encourages others around her to find a similar contentment within themselves. 

Though she has played many prominent roles in the iconic “Addams Family” for nearly a century, Wednesday Addams has remained true to herself and encouraged people to embrace the differences that make them who they are.