In Salem, Mass., a bronze sculpture of Samantha, from the classic American TV series Bewitched, was vandalized by a homeless person, coating her upper half with red paint.
I don't condone destruction of art. But at least there's a public wash-off video, a la vintage ProperMessy / MostWam.
I'm guessing the 'Real' Witches (Wiccans) of Salem (trademark! by me, just now) were fine with the 'defacing'...seeing it as an insult (2500 'practicing witches' in Salem, according to one old survey)...not sure why the city council allowed the statue to be erected in Salem in the first place (the show was produced in Hollywood) except perhaps to broaden the commercial attraction of the town to tourists (which already over-exploits the witch theme -- even the city police cars have a witch on a broomstick featured in their emblem!*)...the weirdest thing is that every year there is a Salem Halloween parade, and the local fundy christian church has a float in it condemning 'witchcraft' ('thou shall not suffer a witch to live') that also displays a most gory/bloody crucifixion scene...by-standers cheer and jeer as it passes by...grotesquely hilarious (silly x-tians!).
*now that I look at it, the statue/sculpture is a direct rip-off of the city government's official emblem...so, that may have had something to do with it being erected.
wamajama said: [...] not sure why the city council allowed the statue to be erected in Salem in the first place (the show was produced in Hollywood) except perhaps to broaden the commercial attraction of the town to tourists (which already over-exploits the witch theme [...]
There actually were a handful of episodes shot in Salem. Due to a studio fire that damaged the set at the start of Season 7, the first 8 episodes were shot on location in Salem. This worked out well, since there were already several previous mentions of Salem earlier in the series. Plus these location episodes ended up being a little more fun and creative than the typical plots involving Darrin getting in trouble with his boss, and Samantha secretly saving the say (which was already quite over-done by the seventh season).
So I think the statue was originally put up to celebrate the town's involvement and cooperation with the show's production... In a way to say, "Hey, you know that famous Hollywood TV show? We helped make that!"
But you're right, wamajama. There's plenty of stuff that over-exploits the witch theme in that town. Ever seen their ice cream trucks? Ugh! lol
Thanks for that background -- I never knew this! It seems so wrong though, as a location to use for a sticom (given the horrific travesty of justice that the witch trials were)...but it does make sense in terms of the city emblem (which, I now realize, is probably a rip-off of the show's [animated] opening).
No, I have not seen the ice cream trucks! (flavor: 'witch's brew'?)
Love you, too
