There is one supernatural “creature” that is always a woman: A witch.
The term witch often has a negative connotation. An old, nasty woman; a green hag covered in warts; the cranky old lady down the street with 30 cats.
So why is it then that modern depictions of witches are the exact opposite?
They are young, attractive, powerful and in control of their own fate. Becoming a witch is becoming synonymous with being a “strong female character.” Instead of this archetype, here are some complex, interesting witches providing a TV show with a leading lady.Let’s start off with the most recent, American Horror Story: Coven. A show so jam-packed with fierce lady talent it’s hard to focus on anything else. In fact, in a series of reviews at A.V. Club, that is the main point brought up in the season finale review. While the author claims the season wasn’t particularly strong, it’s partly because there were too many great women that the show tried to do too much. From Lange’s powerful Fiona to Madison and the other girls, may we always remain on the coven’s good side. Those witches will mess you up.
Another powerful witch? Hermione Granger. It is very clear that Harry and Ron would have been dead by the end of the first book if it weren’t for Hermione. She’s clever, hardworking and a good friend. It would be a little surprising if Emma Watson’s feminism speech wasn’t inspired by portraying such a stable witch for approximately a decade.
Taking it back in time a little bit to the ever classic series Charmed. There’s a reason that show is one of the longest running TV shows about women.
They were three sisters (well, only three at a time anyway) that battled warlocks and all sorts of evil. At the end of the day, they were a family. It doesn’t hurt that they looked fantastic doing so. Rarely did they need a man to save them. Sure, Leo healed them, but he didn’t stop the danger. Even though it’s been 15 years, it’s important to remember just how much power the power of three had over their own lives.Lastly is Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Sure, Sabrina was never perfect. She made mistakes, needed guidance from her witch aunts and was sometimes a bad person. It can be argued that that is the whole point. She’s a young girl who also happens to have extraordinary abilities. A TV show that’s main point was that a young girl can have amazing power. It’s only a shame she had to be a witch for that to be true.
Witches are seriously awesome. If there’s one thing that being a witch is all about, it’s independence. There is a reason why women accused of witches used to be murdered.
(Feature Photo via We Heart It)