Lets face it, Bewitched is the runner up in the Reactionary Fantasy race, following closely behind I Dream Of Jeanie. And while Samatha never had to call her husband "master" over and over it still is unnerving to see a bright intelligent woman tip-toe around her husband because he doesn't like her magical heritage.
Unfortunate Implications abound ranging from racism to misogyny. Darrin whoever he is gets creepier and creepier every time I watch. He constantly threatens Samantha and later on Tabitha whenever they use witchcraft and tries to isolate them from her side of the family because he disapproves of their lifestyle. He also tries to keep her away from his business meetings because he is ashamed of her.
Is he really that insecure in his manhood that he has to make sure his wife is totally powerless? And how many times could have something be simply resolved by magic if he had just let her in the first place? All this get filtered through Alternate Character Interpretation s in my head and results in me cheering for Samatha's family who seem to be hell bent on saving her from an abusive and suffocating relationship. He father once actually pointed this out What The Hell Hero style and suddenly became my favorite character.
I know it was a very different time and everything but this show makes me sick to my stomach when I watch it. We may not have come very far in terms of gender equality but personally I am so grateful to be born a generation or two after this sort of TV was made.
Imagine if a Dursley married a Weasley.
Lets face it, Bewitched is the runner up in the Reactionary Fantasy race, following closely behind I Dream Of Jeanie. And while Samatha never had to call her husband "master" over and over it still is unnerving to see a bright intelligent woman tip-toe around her husband because he doesn't like her magical heritage.
Unfortunate Implications abound ranging from racism to misogyny. Darrin whoever he is gets creepier and creepier every time I watch. He constantly threatens Samantha and later on Tabitha whenever they use witchcraft and tries to isolate them from her side of the family because he disapproves of their lifestyle. He also tries to keep her away from his business meetings because he is ashamed of her.
Is he really that insecure in his manhood that he has to make sure his wife is totally powerless? And how many times could have something be simply resolved by magic if he had just let her in the first place? All this get filtered through Alternate Character Interpretation s in my head and results in me cheering for Samatha's family who seem to be hell bent on saving her from an abusive and suffocating relationship. He father once actually pointed this out What The Hell Hero style and suddenly became my favorite character.
I know it was a very different time and everything but this show makes me sick to my stomach when I watch it. We may not have come very far in terms of gender equality but personally I am so grateful to be born a generation or two after this sort of TV was made.