What's Behind the Burst of Fascination With Mad, Bad Witches?

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/culture/witches-and-popular-culture




Why does the witch strikes fear into the hearts of men? Because, like the scientist who controls nuclear energy, she might use her magic for good or for evil. With the right rituals at the right moment, the hidden powers of the world are hers to command. Its boundaries are broken.

The 21st century, which has unleashed terrible and unpredictable forces on so many, from 9/11 to the 2008 financial meltdown and catastrophic storms, has sparked a renewed attraction to magic. When institutions fail and life seems cruel and uncertain, witches always return. The vampire is a faddish figure who comes and goes in the night; the witch is primal and eternal.

Lately the witch is pushing the vampire off cultural center stage. She's back — with a vengeance.

Girl power

Like many little girls, I desperately wanted to be a witch. I made fantastic messes in the kitchen, played dress-up and pestered my dad to buy me paperbacks like Ruth Chew’s tales of misfits and unpredictable objects, and my all-time favorite, Wallace Hildick’s The Active-Enzyme Lemon-Freshened Junior High School Witch, the story of a schoolgirl who stumbles upon a book of spells.

[trumad]

1. American Horror is a blast this season.

And of course Jessica Lange is killing it.

[Baclava]

15. this was a jumbled up episode, although I have high hopes for Madison's corpse in the doll workshop

Why did Cordelia's beau just shoot his girlfriend in the head and was it him that splashed acid on her face?

Would rat poison tuna salad even kill Zoe's zombie boyfriend?

so many questions

[Blue_In_AK]

17. I just watched this for the first time last night.

I don't know all the back stories, but Jessica Lange is deliciously evil.

[LWolf]

2. The recent

versions of "witch" entertainment seem to pander to the worst propaganda, portraying "witches" as somehow evil, dark, dangerous.

If witches are going to make a cultural comeback, it would be nice to leave the male/christian dominated propaganda driven by fear and hatred of powerful women behind.

[redqueen]

20. +1

[seveneyes]

3. Sex

Boil off the facade and that is all you have left.

[displacedtexan]

4. Because sparkly vampires are boring, and

zombie makeup techniques are easy to do at home now.

Seriously, as you get older you'll see that the horror biz has cycles of popularity for each of its scary franchises.

[polly7]

5. K&R. This was a good read, xchrom. nt.

[LibertyLover]

6. Because real witches

aren't mad or bad. We are a pretty boring bunch actually. So, popular culture tries to make us out what we aren't.

[Egalitarian Thug]

10. Yes, but you also commit the ultimate

sin ( ) of being neither subservient nor afraid.

So, you all must be killed. God says so.

[Mojorabbit]

24. +100 nt

[HappyMe]

7. Maybe people are sick of those non-vampire vampires.

The popularity of The Walking Dead shows that people are still obsessed with zombies. Any horror type stuff has been 'in' for awhile now.

[Orrex]

8. You had me at "gingerbread house"

[xchrom]

11. Yeah, but you're easy. Nt

[Orrex]

13. LOL!

[NuclearDem]

9. Because she turned me into a newt.

[Aerows]

12. This is my favorite witch :D

[AngryAmish]

14. Witchcraft, and fear thereof, is part of the human condition.

People believe in all sorts of crazy religious beliefs. The belief in the supernatural appears to be a feature of our brains. For example, the problem of witchcraft is endemic in Africa. Not to say witches or warlocks actually exist but many, many people believe that they do. What the hell, Christians believe crazy things (devouring the flesh of god). But thinking that someone can cast a spell on you means that this person has tremendous power over you - which is a terrible thing.

Would it be best if we could wave our hands and make people not believe in the supernatural? Of course. The poor deluded bastards who believe this shit need some sense. THat said, in a free society, we can't make people stop doing crazy things.

[KittyWampus]

16. It's a shame the writers/producers gather material from the "mud"

Quote from the article:

"In the hands of an astute observer, supernaturalia like witchcraft provide a language for critiquing modern life. They draw upon the rivers of cultural memory where past horrors are buried deep in the mud, but not forgotten, and certainly not redeemed."

Why not create a story based on people who draw upon the light beams that shine through humanity's collective consciousness?

Such a rarity. The few tv shows I recall are Kung Fu, Northern Exposure and most recently the first season of Touch.

Someone up thread mentioned sex… and the obsession with darkness and violence are surely veils for a sexuality based on power inequalities.

It'd be refreshing to see a tv show based on a more balanced paradigm.

[Aerows]

18. Witch speaks all

[snooper2]

19. Witches are like SOOOOOO 1980's LOL

She should check the costumes that show up tonight and do a re-write-

I guess she doesn't watch Monster High or Backyardigans

[ellie]

21. I would love to be a witch,

complete with magic powers.

[xchrom]

22. when i was a boy -- all i ever wanted to be for halloween was a witch.

i will point out i was raised on grimms fairy tales -- the old stories.

but i loved the witches.

i think it's like being in the theatre -- who's the really interesting, compelling character? the bad guy.

do you want to be lady macbeth or julliet.

[Baclava]

25. I am a witch and I have a magic touch

but that's not what I tell all the girls

[Aerows]

23. Oh, and some of them are sexy

Just thought I'd throw that out there