Sunday, April 20, 2008

The Decline of Witches in TV and Film


Through the 90's, film and television's depictions of witches transformed a great deal of well worn perceptions. No longer were witches green-skinned, hair-moled, pointy-hated hags, but sexy, vibrant, young women. As Professor Aloi's essay makes clear, The Craft and several other popular texts created role models for young teenage girls. In many ways, the power fantasies inherent in superheroes for teenage males thrived in relation to witchcraft and teen girls. Giving a sense of empowerment to a demographic whose voice can many times be largely ignored, the witchcraft explosion served as a welcome tool in teenage development. Wiccan practice for many teens influenced by such texts as The Craft, or Charmed was probably in many cases a form of rebellion. It was stronger rebellion for girls growing up in conservative regions of the country. As stated by Christian writer, Steve Wohlberg, Witchcraft had gone mainstream (this is this guy's site http://www.whitehorsemedia.com/articles/details.cfm?art=20). Kids growing up in the nineties undoubtedly felt a close bond with their television witch counterparts, as evidenced by the intense fanbase of shows like Buffy and the ilk.


But now, for the most part, depictions of witches has all but dried up. As a generation grew up and went to college, a new set filled the highschools and the demographics. The shows changed from following the adventures of the overly burdened Buffy and Willow, to the exploits of rich and shallow teens of The O.C. Shows like The Hills and My Super Sweet Sixteen have marked a change in programming aimed at teenage girls. Could a change in values over a scant few years be the reason the witches are currently absent from television and film of late? I'm not really sure, and to be honest, this blog entry is more of "outloud thinking" than anything else.


The metaphor for female empowerment and witchcraft is strong indeed, and the media tapped into it to target a particular demgraphic. It seems like now, teenage girls have flocked less to the strong female role models of Willow and Tara and fed into the cell-phoniness of celebrities like Paris Hilton and the stars of The Hills. From witches to bitches, I guess. With the Harry Potter's books all wrapped up, and the last of the movies on the way, the popularity of wiccan and witchcraft may have waned, which is a shame, considering the fact that, despite Christian outcrying of occult depictions, these media works have had overall a positive impact on the teens that have connected to them.

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