Why are Aliens Green?
If this question means "Why are space aliens typically pictured as green?" there are probably three reasons. These reasons are guesswork, but they are somewhat educated guesses. No one has ever seen creatures from outer space. At this point in earth's history they are imaginary. Green is a really, really alien color for skin. So in early space fantasies and science fiction stories, one way to make them appear extremely different from us was to imagine them as having a completely nonhuman color. Also the association with creatures that are green--reptiles and amphibians--adds to the alienness. If you stick to nonhuman colors for skin, you can stay completely away from any racial associations or symbolism, in much the same way that Sesame Street has a lot of blue guys and other toy colors for people. Once "little green men" became a cliche for Martians, the cliche kept repeating itself. In cartoons, all you have to do is show little green guys with some kind of weird things around their heads or faces, and the audience knows you mean space aliens. It's an easy kind of shorthand for humorous purposes.
If this question means "Why are space aliens typically pictured as green?" there are probably three reasons. These reasons are guesswork, but they are somewhat educated guesses. No one has ever seen creatures from outer space. At this point in earth's history they are imaginary. Green is a really, really alien color for skin. So in early space fantasies and science fiction stories, one way to make them appear extremely different from us was to imagine them as having a completely nonhuman color. Also the association with creatures that are green--reptiles and amphibians--adds to the alienness. If you stick to nonhuman colors for skin, you can stay completely away from any racial associations or symbolism, in much the same way that Sesame Street has a lot of blue guys and other toy colors for people. Once "little green men" became a cliche for Martians, the cliche kept repeating itself. In cartoons, all you have to do is show little green guys with some kind of weird things around their heads or faces, and the audience knows you mean space aliens. It's an easy kind of shorthand for humorous purposes.
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