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Redhead can allude to many things. Fiery, temptress, independent, rare, unique, wild, and dare I say badass? When it comes to being a badass woman, who better to teach us the ways of the rebellious than the two ultimate rebels with a cause, original badass redheads Thelma and Louise?

“Thelma & Louise” is the 1991 quintessential buddy film about a waitress (Louise) and her naïve housewife friend (Thelma) who set off for an adventure to a cabin for the weekend and whose plans quickly go awry as a pit stop at a nearby bar leads to a tipsy Thelma being sexually assaulted in the parking lot by a smooth-talking, would-be rapist and Louise stepping in with a .38 and shooting him dead. “Watch your mouth,” she says over his bleeding body.

This pinnacle event sets the film in motion as these two women prepare to evade the law. Frazzled initially, but throughout the film seeking refuge and comfort within one another and reestablishing the true meaning of friendship, the two get into more trouble along the way. Eventually though, the two cannot really run anymore which sets off the epic conclusion that the film is so remembered for. The film celebrates womanhood, independence and a friendship between two women that ultimately is a sisterhood and doing what makes you feel alive. And denim, also lots and lots of denim.

HOW TO BE A BADASS REDHEAD (EVEN IF YOU DON’T HAVE RED HAIR)

1. Bed Head Can Be Imperfectly Beautiful. Embrace it.
There is something instantly sexy about messy hair and Thelma and Louise display that time and time again throughout the film. Although usually styled to perfection, Louise begins to let her red, curly hair down after the halfway mark of the film to show a wavy coif that seems to match her inner wild child to a T. And Thelma shows that a roller set is better when you’ve just woke up from a wild night in bed.

2. Remember That You Get What You Settle For.
Louise tells Thelma at the beginning of the film that, “You get what you settle for.” It is very clear while watching this film that these two women have a very close connection with their intuition. Though Louise has Jimmy, he won’t commit and she knows when enough is enough. Thelma has Darryl, an overbearing husband who acts more like her father than her lover. Both women ultimately decide that this trip is something they both want, so they pack their bags without going out of their way to let the the men in their life know that they are leaving. There is no room for timidity. By the movie’s end, both women are done with settling.

3. Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number And Lipstick Ain’t Nothing But A Thang.
At 35 and 45 years old, well past their prime by Hollywood’s standards, Geena (Thelma) and Susan (Louise) are both beautiful women who go about their lives on the run doing more that just sitting pretty and worrying about men – one of the standout themes of this film. Both women start off looking like chic housewives and by the middle of the film, as they experience their personal transformations, Thelma and Louise trade their cat eye sunglasses and tidy hairdos protected by their colorful headscarfs for bed head, aviators and red lips to show just how badass their breed of woman is.

4. If a Guy’s Staring at You, Ask Him Pointedly, “What are you looking at?”
Seriously, who gave him permission to access that type of reward? No woman has to return a smile at a man’s sexual harassment.

5. Cry If You Have To. Tears Are Okay.
Thelma has a difficult conversation with her husband over a pay phone and although she doesn’t want to cry, she does. Louise cries when their money goes missing. There are plenty of teary moments throughout the film that keep Thelma and Louise grounded in their humanity. These women aren’t aiming to be superheroes or female versions of men. They are simply human.

6. You Should Be Sexually Awake.
Every sexually active woman deserves a really good lay that makes her point out her hickeys over a plate of scrambled eggs and coffee.

7. Be Very Secure In Your Ability As A Woman To Always Be Able To Leave.
These women are very proud and show us continuously throughout the movie that they are able to stand alone while reinventing the team Bonnie and Clyde with two Bonnies. It is evident that these women love the men they’ve left behind them, but at the same time when comes to making the best decision for themselves, they know how to walk away. There is a significant level of strength that comes with that type of choice. Especially when love is there. Jimmy gives Louise an engagement ring and holding it in her hand, she simply asks, “Why now?”

8. Make No Apologies for Your Actions.
Your actions are yours and are results of your choices, consciously made choices at that. It takes a strong woman, secure in herself to own up to mistakes but simultaneously be unapologetic about it, especially when the intent meant well. Harlan’s murder was something neither character apologized for because they knew why they did it. The ladies never really got mad after that point, they just got even. Our heroines’ behavior throughout the film isn’t always agreeable and their moral standards far from perfect, but they are not in denial about their doings either.

9. Friends ‘Til The End.
Sometimes your girlfriend is the best person to be by your side and will be the only person to have your back in the end. Thelma said she did not regret coming with Louise for the weekend, that she had never felt so awake, and in turn, that made her feel so alive. Louise killed a man for the sake of protecting her friend and to repay her, Thelma did some unsavory things to ensure Louise was protected. The two have an unbreakable bond that seemed to grow as they got into more and more trouble. By the end, the only thing important to either of them was each other so their end was very fitting. They always had each other’s backs. “Louise, no matter what happens, I’m glad I came with you.”

If you’ve never seen “Thelma & Louise” or it’s been a while since you have, gather up some girlfriends and queue up this gem. You will laugh hysterically, nod in agreement, cry, and sob like a baby at the end. What makes these women so “badass” is not the trouble that they find themselves in, but that they openly embrace their transformations and are fully awake to life.

Sheriden
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