Buzz
While creating intriguing characters with distinct personalities sounds rewarding, it’s undeniably a difficult task. This likely explains why so many writers and creators stick with what has worked in the past. After all, if a method has succeeded countless times, who’s going to question when the 100th variation appears?
But these familiar clichés must have had a starting point, right? They didn’t just spontaneously appear, fully formed on a blank page. Whether it was a piece of life that fit perfectly into a narrative or an entirely new concept born from one person’s imagination, the origins of these often-repeated tropes are truly fascinating.
10. Rabbits and Their Carrots
It’s almost impossible to imagine rabbits as anything other than adorable, carrot-loving creatures. You see it in ads, cartoons, cute Halloween costumes, and a myriad of YouTube videos. Despite the fact that rabbits aren’t supposed to consume many carrots (or anything overly starchy), the cliché persists. After all, if Bugs Bunny made it iconic, why wouldn’t it work for the rabbit in your story?
As it turns out, the carrot-rabbit duo only became famous because Bugs Bunny created it. This iconic pairing wasn’t established until 1940’s “A Wild Hare,” when Bugs was first shown munching on a carrot. The reason for this was that, in addition to physical comedy, Looney Tunes cartoons thrived on parody and satire. When Bugs casually chewed on a carrot, he was mimicking a famous scene from Clark Gable’s 1934 film It Happened One Night, where Gable was doing the same thing.
Audiences back then understood the joke, but over time, the reference to Clark Gable has been forgotten (a real shame!) and people have taken it literally, creating the inseparable link between rabbits and carrots in the minds of many.
9. The Dumb Blonde
While many people believe that Marilyn Monroe’s portrayal of clueless blondes inspired every ditsy blonde stereotype since, the true origin of this trope dates back nearly 200 years. Mademoiselle Rosalie Duthe, a blonde French debutante, was well-known in Paris for being beautiful, wealthy, and not exactly sharp. She would take forever to answer even simple questions—not out of shyness, but because it genuinely took her that long to think of an answer.
In 1775, a playwright named Landrin created a one-act play featuring a blonde woman who was clearly modeled after Duthe, and she was depicted as mentally vacant. The play became an enormous success, much to Duthe’s embarrassment. She even offered to kiss any poet who would write something nice about her, but no one took her up on the offer. The play ultimately sparked over 230 years (and counting) of characters with blonde hair and equally dull minds.
8. Doughnut-Addicted Cops
The image of the overweight police officer, doughnut in hand with a gun in the other, dates back to the 1950s, when police cruisers were introduced. Officers, once accustomed to walking their beats at all hours of the night, were now patrolling the streets in vehicles, keeping watch over the town throughout the night.
Being awake at odd hours for long stretches can be exhausting. Enter doughnut shops, which were often the only places open at night, as they prepared for the early morning rush of customers. Officers would stop by during the middle of the night to grab a cup of coffee and a sugary snack to keep their energy up. The sight of doughnut shops at 4:00 AM, mostly filled with cops, was too amusing to ignore, and the tradition of portraying every heroic officer as the top customer at their local doughnut shop was born.
7. Ghosts Saying ‘Boo’
The seemingly random phrase ‘boo’ that ghosts say actually dates back more than 275 years. In 1738, a polemic called 'Scotch Presbyterian Eloquence Display’d' was published, which included this verse: “said the Bairn, I will not believe in God, for God is a Boo; but I will believe in Christ, for he is sweet, Daddy, and he is good. Now you may by this see Sirs, that God without Christ is a Boo. Boo is a Word that’s used in the North of Scotland to frighten crying Children.”
There is no clear explanation as to why the Scots chose ‘boo’ as the perfect word to frighten children, or why they used it specifically for crying kids. However, 'boo' quickly became the go-to word for spooking someone. So when ghost stories began circulating about a century later, it was only natural for ghosts to start shouting 'boo.' And the tradition has continued ever since (especially at Chicago Cubs games).
6. Sugar, Spice, And Everything Nice
This, along with the infamous ‘snips, snails, and puppy dog tails,’ is one of the silliest explanations ever created for our mischievous children. But where did this come from? Well, much like ghosts and ‘boo,’ the answer lies in literature—in this case, poetry. In 1820, British poet Robert Southy penned a piece called ‘What Folks Are Made Of.’ Over the course of 13 verses, Southy explains what makes up everything from babies to sailors to old folks. The verses about boys and girls were the second and third in the poem, but they became the most popular, repeating endlessly while the others faded into obscurity.
On a related note: While little girls may be made of sugar, spice, and everything nice today, Southy reminds us that by the time they reach old age, they’ll be composed of ‘Reels and jeels and old spinning wheels.’ So, ladies, something to look forward to!
5. Dalmatians In The Firehouse
Much like the relationship between cops and doughnuts, this stereotype once had a real-world basis. In the days before fire engines, firefighters would race to burning buildings in horse-drawn carriages. The problem with using horses, however, was that thieves could easily steal them.
To address this issue, firemen began bringing dalmatians along for the ride after it was noticed that dalmatians and horses got along surprisingly well. These protective dogs would sleep next to the horses and bark loudly and incessantly if a stranger came too close. Eventually, the dogs began to accompany the horses and firemen on every trip, both on the job and at the firehouse.
Once firehouses adopted engines and the horses were retired, dalmatians were no longer needed for work. However, the image of the dog stuck in people’s minds, and dalmatians became forever associated with firehouses. These dogs are now a staple in almost every depiction of a firehouse, and firefighters in parades are practically required to bring a few along. It just wouldn’t feel right without them.
4. Mice Chowing On Cheese
Rabbits are known for their fondness for carrots, but mice, at least in popular culture, are said to crave cheese even more. Surprisingly, real mice don’t have much of a taste for cheese, which is why peanut butter is the preferred bait for traps.
If the cheese myth isn’t true, how did it come about? The answer lies in the absence of refrigerators in the 1500s. In those days, food preservation methods were very different. Meat hung from hooks, bread was bought fresh every day, and pantry storage was minimal.
Cheese was one of the few foods stored in the pantry, so when a mouse was looking for something to nibble on, it would typically encounter cheese. While mice don’t naturally love cheese, they’ll settle for it when nothing else is available. This frequent association led to the widespread misconception that cheese was their favorite treat.
3. The Overweight Opera Singer
Though many opera performers defy this image, the typical portrayal in media often shows opera singers as large, booming vocalists with thighs that echo the powerful bass drums accompanying their every aria.
So, why has pop culture come to link opera with obesity? The answer seems to lie with one character and a single song in a particular opera. Richard Wagner’s *Der Ring des Nibelungen* features a Valkyrie named Brunhilde, who finishes the performance with a 20-minute solo. Though Brunhilde is depicted as slim in paintings, most of the actresses who portrayed her were somewhat larger—not obese, but certainly fuller-figured.
The success of *Nibelungen*, coupled with Brunhilde’s iconic aria, cemented her as a symbol of opera for many. This, along with a tendency to exaggerate and caricature, led to the popular image of the obese, arrogant opera singer, often depicted as a Viking and always singing more than necessary. The phrase 'it ain’t over till the fat lady sings' originally referred to Brunhilde, the 'fat lady' whose aria signified the end of a very long show.
2. Prisoners In Black-And-White Stripes
Although modern prisoners typically wear orange jumpsuits, the iconic black-and-white striped uniform still reigns supreme in cartoons, costumes, toys, games, and even Elvis’ wardrobe. But were these stripes ever actually popular, or were they just a creation of professionals who thought they looked interesting?
It turns out the stripes were real. In the 1820s, John Cray, the warden of Auburn Prison in Cayuga County, New York, introduced the striped uniforms as a measure to prevent escapes. The idea was that any escaping prisoner would be so conspicuous in these distinctive clothes that passersby would easily recognize them and help catch them.
The uniforms were phased out in 1904, as the state deemed them a 'badge of shame.' However, their presence never completely vanished; they captivated writers and cartoonists, who kept using them in their works, reinforcing their symbolic association. As a result, some prisons have even started to reintroduce them. In essence, life inspired art, which in turn inspired life once again.
1. The Matador Waving A Red Cape
You probably already know that bulls are colorblind, and that it's the cape's continuous movement that irritates the bull. That cape can actually be any color at all—so why is it red?
As it turns out, red is not the only color bulls encounter. Throughout most of the fight, the matador uses a cape known as a capote, which can be seen in shades like magenta, blue, and gold. It's only at the fight's conclusion, when the bull is nearing death, that the red cape (called a muleta) makes its appearance. The reason for the switch is clear: The bull is about to be killed, and the red cape serves to conceal the blood and gore. After all, the audience who paid for the brutal spectacle doesn’t want to be disgusted by the gruesome details.
Since the bull's death is the main focus of the event, the red cape attracts much more attention than the others. This is why fictional depictions of bullfighters always show them wielding red capes—because bulls must hate red, right? Well, sort of.
