Projected villains are always depicted as the opposite of a culture’s ideals

Evidence

To a great extent, the precise traits involved are idiosyncratic, but certain undesired traits appear with great frequency in any group of people (Newman, Caldwell, & Griffin, 2000). More generally, it is reasonable to assume that through a complex interaction of historical, ecological, and psychological variables (Cohen, 2001), members of a particular culture will both value and despise certain social and psychological characteristics more than others. Thus, particular traits will be especially likely to be candidates for projection. … A related observation was made by Allport (1954/1979), who noted that people always “paint the villain in the same way – as opposite to the cultural ideal” (p. 387). — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 2364 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Cultures project despised traits onto villains precisely because those traits invert their ideals — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice: Fifty Years…, 2364; Ego-alien aggression shows up in story villains the subject disowns — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 545; Muslim villain stereotypes persist despite negligible statistical basis — Sophia Rose Arjana, Muslims in the Western Imagination, 38

Broader Connections

• Cultures project despised traits onto villains precisely because those traits invert their ideals #expands (0.95) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 2364