Witches, derided for centuries as evil and haggard crones, have been declared
to be hip and groovy by a British scholar.
Positive images of witchcraft portrayed in hit TV shows like Buffy the Vampire
Slayer and Sabrina the Teenage Witch have transformed the popularity of the
occult figures, says Rachel Moseley of Warwick University.
Witches are now seen by young females as alluring symbols of "girl
power" with more glamour than rap artists, she says in her study entitled
"Glamorous Witchcraft".
By way of example, Moseley cites Sabrina, the film character who is introduced
to her powers following her 16th birthday and then embraces a lifestyle of
make-up, glitter and clothes.
Moseley, who lectures on film and television studies, says Sabrina offers a
fantasy of teenage female power, as her magic gives her a way of negotiating
the emotional teen world of cliques and romances.
"The teenage witch genre articulates a new image of femininity, and
associations with power and 'girly' magic," Moseley says.
"Historically, witches have been outcasts," she adds, "and much
of this unease clearly stems from a fear of female force."