Episode 31: An Interview With Chelsea Pumpkins | Show Notes

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Amanda’s Research:

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/aug/28/witches-evil-outcasts-feminist-heroes-pop-culture

https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-eerie-rise-of-witches-at-the-movies/

https://fnewsmagazine.com/2016/02/beyond-bubbling-cauldrons-screen-witches-of-the-1990s/

So just really quickly I want to go over the rise of the witch in 90s pop culture. Just a little something because you know if we go a full episode without doing some research, they’ll take away our microphones. 

So from what I understand, the way witches were portrayed in specifically American media in the 90s was a combination rejection of the Satanic Panic’s portrayal of all things occult being evil and ready to steal your kids and a cultural shift towards embracing feminine power.

We start the decade with The Witches and Hocus Pocus. Witches aren’t good here but they are portrayed in a comedic way as opposed to straightforward horror, and most interestingly these movies are targeted at children. Remember, the 80s were a major “think of the children!” moment where you were an absolute monster if you showed your kid something occult, and here in 1990 and 1993 respectively we have movies dripping in occult references being heavily marketed towards kids. Huge cultural shift there.

Next up in 1996 we get Sabrina the Teenage Witch and The Craft. Two sides of the high school witch coin here. Sabrina arguably being the sanitized version of the Craft’s “we are the weirdos”. Both are representations of the 90s new embracing of individuality, with The Craft leaning in to the grunge trend as well.

Then we hit 1997 with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 1998 brings us Practical Magic and Charmed. And here is where I think the real emphasis on witchcraft as a reclamation of feminine power comes from. You think of these three and the powerful witches are incredibly feminine. No warts or wrinkles, just beautiful women kicking ass.

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