Witch Willows WanderingsSpreading Religious Tolerance through TLC
January 29th 2007 15:45
For those of you out there that are interested in learning more about Pagans, specifically Wiccans…or would like your children to see religious diversity, then tune into TLC (The Learning Channel) on February 19th or 20th at 10 P.M. Okay, so those with smaller children probably wouldn’t allow them to stay up to watch it, but you can record it or Tivo it for them. My hat off, so far, to TLC for their new show named “My Unique Family”. In this new series they follow “unique” families around for around 200 hours of footage and then edit it into an hour show.
On February 19th and 20th they will be showing a Pagan/Wiccan family and subtitle the show “The Witches Next Door”. They followed the Hovey’s around for about 200 hours during October and Halloween time. The family consists of a mother, father and 2 children (11 and 8). They taped them going to “church”, at home, and even going out for ice cream. Yes, even Pagans eat ice cream, not our own children. They show them celebrating Samhain with their congregation and Alana (the 8 year old) meditating. Kendra, the mother is a High Priestess of Duxbury’s First Church of Wicca and boasts a very “unique” picture for the news article that was run in the Patriot Ledger online.
I just hope this show doesn’t do the same thing the one show about switching wives or mothers did….and show Wiccans to be a little off their rocker, to say the least. I would like to see one of these TV shows actually follow a regular everyday Pagan family that you wouldn’t know they were Pagan if you were talking to them face to face. Because believe it or not, there are a lot of us out there that have children and are married, but are not a high priest or priestess or wear a pentagram around our neck that is the size of a silver dollar for shear shock value. There are many of us that live normal everyday lives and look like the person next door or the person that sits in the cubicle next to you at work. You would never know if we are Christian, Pagan, Hindu, or Jew because we don’t openly profess our beliefs to people only to see the look on their faces. Yes, there are many that do this, but it is not only Pagans…but Christians and others as well. But, I guess if they did an hour long show on a “normal” family that was Pagan, it wouldn’t be considered “good TV”.
Blessed Be
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Comment by youranter
youranter
Opinions
opinionatedranter
Tales From The Green Lantern
I don't think you have to worry about it turning out like Let's Swap Mommies or Big Brother. Those shows are network TV drek as far as I'm concerned. If TLC is anything like A&E or some of the reality shows I've seen on PBS, I'm sure they will show an honest view of Pagans.
Comment by Francis
Passionate Apathy
Still, I hope it works out... though those who most need to have their stereotypes of various religions challenged might not be the ones most likely to check out TLC.
Comment by Raine Childe
As far as this TV show, I can't wait to see it. After the recent fiasco of The Tyra Banks Show, where she invited several Witches to come on her show, obviously, only to ridicule and torment them -- we really need to see Pagans in a better light. The overwhelming majority of us are are not the evil-doing, baby-snatching, hex-casting tyrants that some believe us to be (I say MAJORITY because, unfortunately, there are evil-doers in every religion, path, practice and walk of life.) Finally, something on cable worth watching!
Comment by CelestialAxis
Comment by CelestialAxis
Comment by Miss Faith
The Truth about non-Christian Religions
Who Pee'd in My Cauldron?
Comment by youranter
youranter
Opinions
opinionatedranter
Tales From The Green Lantern
Comment by Miss Faith
The Truth about non-Christian Religions
Who Pee'd in My Cauldron?
I'm actually hoping there will be more stuff like this going on. Paganism seems to be making its way into the mainstream of TV, but unfortunately not all of it is for good. Maybe if this goes well it will push some other shows or "specials" as well. Fingers are crossed....wait...why are my fingers crossed????
I am a sleep deprived college student / mother / wife / keeper of the peace on the home front / blogger / fibromyalgia sufferer. The FMS kicks my butt with my memory at times. So forgive me if I tend to repeat sometimes. Sorry about repeating sometimes. My bad if I get repetitive sometimes.
Comment by Raine Childe
I could not take her seriously.
Comment by Raine Childe
Comment by Miss Faith
The Truth about non-Christian Religions
Who Pee'd in My Cauldron?
As for the way she was dressed...she did mention at the beginnning why she dresses like that. Honestly I don't see what's wrong with it, even if it isn't "normal"...but who says the chrtistians own the right to dress in that way if they are clergy? I have been to pagan functions and seen the high priestess dress completely "odd". Of course, if you take a step back and look at it, how much more odd can you get when catholics look like they are wearing various colored dresses and funny hats (at times)?
I think what she is doing is great and the show was 200% more positive than any other show that has had a "witch" on it....EX: wife swap. I didn't like how the kids were dying for her attention and she was mainly focusing on her parishoners, BUT keep in mind that they followed them for 200 hours and there was lots of editing done to get all of it into only an hour.
Personally, I think any time a Wiccan or Pagn is on TV like this, it can only be positive....except when they pull out the "crazies". But Rev. Kendra did in fact give a lot of positive info about Wicca, and they also showed how much her neighbor and various people in the town actually like the family and have warmed up to the idea of Wicca.