The Real Reason Cheryl Blossom’s Signature Color Is Red in Riverdale
Madelaine Petsch knows how to wear the F out of red.
“Skipping and snacking and smiling through the wood,
Naive Little Red failed to hide beneath her hood.
With a terrifying monster lurking on the loose,
Little Red lay oblivious, vulnerable as a goose.
Her fashion, her beauty, her sass and her charm,
Seemed no match for the suave devil of the farm.
In the end she was saved, regurgitated out,
Heading back on her long, wood-tangled route.”
This iconic poem crafted by yours truly (shout out to the one creative writing class I took in college) is a short retelling of Cheryl Blossom—wait, I mean Little Red Riding Hood. Sorry about that! The two are so similar that it often trips me up. Don’t believe me? Get ready for a mind-blowing revelation.
In a recent interview with Glamour, Madelaine Petsch, who plays Cheryl on the CW’s Riverdale, explained that her character’s signature color, red, is representative of her perfectionist mindset and expectations. “Last season I feel like Cheryl was almost forced to be ‘put together’ all the time,” Petsch told Glamour, “and when she had a hair out of place — or she was wearing white, instead of red — you knew something was about to go down. That was because she was so controlled by her parents that they always wanted her to be perfect. I imagined they hired her a hair and makeup team, kind of thing.”
The explanation is understandable, as the color red is often used as a symbol of determination, desire and power (Cheryl is a powerful, rich woman who is determined to fill the desires and expectations of her parents). Unfortunately, it’s not the real reason she is often dawned in fabulous red attire, or so I’ve convinced myself. The real reason is that Petsch’s character is created with inspiration from our favorite folk tale, Little Red Riding Hood.
The obvious tell of this is when Cheryl literally headed on her way wearing a red cloak. But the reasoning for my claim goes far beyond this. Hold onto your baskets, readers, cause this is one trail you’ve never been on.
The basis of Little Red Riding Hood, no matter the version being told, is of a young girl wandering the woods with a killer quietly stalking her every move. Sound familiar? Riverdale’s plot stems from Cheryl and her brother Jason’s excursion into the woods (shout out to Sondheim) and onto Sweetwater River. It is then that her brother supposedly goes missing and is eventually found to be murdered. The killer is, as you guessed it, on the loose.
The killer in Little Red Riding Hood is the big, bad wolf. He is sneaky and smart, following her every mood without being seen. He stops once to ask her where she is going and to figure out exactly what he needs to know: where to find his prey. A wolf is often used to represent loyalty and guardianship. This symbolic meaning is very fitting as in Riverdale, Cheryl’s father, Clifford, is her version of the big, bad wolf. As a father, he is always watching over her and guiding her every step. Because of this relationship, she is loyal to him, trusting him while Jason’s murder investigation goes on. In the end, however, the truth is revealed that Clifford is the murdered, killing the love of Cheryl’s life, much like the wolf kills Little Red’s love, her grandmother.
Upon her father’s suicide, Cheryl is heartbroken and shocked at discovering the truth behind her beloved brother’s death. She heads out to Sweetwater River, which is, at this time of year, frozen over, pounding on the ice to break it so that she will be engulfed by the icy vortex beneath. Though her friends try and stop her, she falls through the ice, almost dying.
That is, until she is rescued by Archie and dragged out of the river, gasping for her life, much like the way Little Red is saved.
In some versions of the tale, after being eaten whole by the wolf, a woodcutter comes to Little Red and her grandmother’s rescue. He cuts open the wolf’s stomach, letting Little Red free before the beast’s digestive system took its turn on her.
Yes, the two stories have their differences. But, at their basis lies a plot line that is eerie similar. Both Little Red and Cheryl Blossom encounter their problems in the woods. They are stalked and looked over by a terrifying, powerful beast who is eventually killed. And when they both are almost dead themselves, they are saved by a strong man.
If you’re caught up with Season Two, you’ve probably noticed that the Little Red theme hasn’t been shown too much. In fact, Cheryl, in general, hasn’t had much screen time this season, which we find very interesting and, frankly, annoying. Sure, she pops in and out for some occasional drama, but we miss having her as a plot focus point. Hopefully, as the season goes on, we’ll get more and more of her fabulous fashion and fierce ways.
The use of red in Cheryl’s extensive wardrobe most likely has a lot of meanings. At its core, however, her bright red threads relate right back to her character’s inspiration: Little Red Riding Hood. Now that that’s settled, I’d love to see a modern day version of Little Red Riding Hood inspired by Cheryl Blossom — sass, petty antics and all. Riverdale writers, get on it.
