Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost: Hex Girls

Paganism, witchcraft, and Wicca as portrayed on TV, movies, and popular culture. Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, Charmed, Practical Magic, etc. If you know of a good show or movie, you can recommend it here or discuss it with others.
Post Reply
RoseRed92

Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost: Hex Girls

Post by RoseRed92 »

In this movie, Velma's favorite band, the Hex Girls, make their debute. If you are an avid Scooby-goober, you will know that the main singer, Thorn, is a Wiccan which plays into the plot a bit.

How do you feel about how they pitted Wiccans against Witches in this movie? Do you think it helps to separate wiccans from the negative connotations that come with the term "witch", or do you think that it's all two sides of the same coin and should be presented as such?
User avatar
Heartsong
Posts: 1342
Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2013 2:07 pm
Gender: Female
Location: South Carolina

Re: Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost: Hex Girls

Post by Heartsong »

While I guess some leniency can be granted since it's a kid's movie, but honestly...I thought it was dreadful. The entire film was absolutely, horrifyingly terrible, but especially their portrayal of Wiccans AND witches. The fact that they distinguished the two was the only good thing to come out of it (because I don't think that they are mutually inclusive; a Wiccan isn't necessarily a witch and vice versa), but they really couldn't have picked a more hollywood cliched way to go about it. I mean with the spell book and inherited "witchy" powers and spells that are just off-the-rocker weird. But, that's how it the script was supposed to go; as flashy and by-the-movie-trope-book as possible in order to fit the classic wicked witch mold. I felt that there was no point to even making the distinctions between Wiccans and witches, because, in the end, it made no impact on the conclusion of the film. It had no lasting effect on its audiences' minds in separating the term 'witch' from its negative associations, because the bad guy was in fact, a witch, and Thorn was emphatically portrayed as NOT being a witch.

So, in sum, no, I wasn't pleased with their portrayal in the slightest, but to be entirely fair, I'm not sure that anything done in a kid's film concerning witchcraft could please me. There'll always be something that they get wrong, lol.
Dance like the Maiden
Laugh like the Mother
Think like the Crone
User avatar
Kassandra
Posts: 3193
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2009 11:42 pm
Gender: Female
Location: Terra, Sol III, Milky Way Galaxy
Contact:

Re: Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost: Hex Girls

Post by Kassandra »

Heartsong wrote:a kid's film concerning witchcraft
Here's a big part of the problem. Wouldn't we have a problem with a mass media kid's film concerning, say, Islam? Muslims in this country would have a FIT. Christians in this country would likewise have a fit about a kids film featuring "Jesus" doing a bunch of crazy things he didn't do nor teach, just made-up stuff for entertainment. These portrayals would be perceived as blasphemous to many because Islam and Christianity are cherished spiritual paths to people, and they rightfully expect them to be respected as such.

Well, witchcraft, too, is a spiritual path. Obviously I don't have a problem with it, but what I do have a big problem with is how kids are being indoctrinated about this spiritual path as "entertainment," and that that indoctrination itself is portrayed with extreme inaccuracy, as Heartsong eloquently pointed out. This would not be OK if it were an inaccurate portrayal of any other spiritual path or religion. This whole thing is just wrong.

Why is Hollywood producing "kids films concerning witchcraft" in the first place?


Great questions, Rosered92. Thanks for starting this discussion thread. :wink:




.
RoseRed92

Re: Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost: Hex Girls

Post by RoseRed92 »

*shrug* I have heard some people argue that you can be Wiccan and not a witch, and vice versa. I don't understand the difference as of yet.
User avatar
Echo_of_shadows
Posts: 1349
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2012 12:07 pm
Gender: Female
Location: Mushroom Valley
Contact:

Re: Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost: Hex Girls

Post by Echo_of_shadows »

I like that movie, it's one of my favorite Scooby-Doo movies. I know it's wrong and inaccurate, but I watch it for Scooby. :) My feeling is that I'm never going to have what Hollywood has, be it those snappy, flashy powers, or a skeletal figure coupled with exaggerated assets, so why give a big hoot? If Hollywood had to be 100% honest 100% of the time, it would probably collapse.
RoseRed92 wrote:*shrug* I have heard some people argue that you can be Wiccan and not a witch, and vice versa. I don't understand the difference as of yet.
There's saying: "All Wiccans are witches, but not all witches are Wiccan."
That might clear up your confusion, or it might not. Almost everybody has a different answer as to what each is, and it can be confusing. I'm still confused! I know I'm a witch, but I don't know if consider myself Wiccan. I spent a few years thinking that I wasn't based on what I considered that definition of Wicca to be. Now I'm not sure. :| Books, they can change your mind.
Ravenstar
Posts: 123
Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2014 7:28 pm
Gender: Female
Location: S. Ca.

Re: Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost: Hex Girls

Post by Ravenstar »

Depending on who you ask the answers vary about Wicca and Witch. I have heard that witches don't accept Wicca ways of the threefold and some other ones I forget. I love the music in Scooby Doo., I didn't like the Wicca against witches. On another forum someone said that they felt drawn to Wicca and that's how they converted. Wow I wish I had a cool story like that. Blessings. :flyingwitch:
User avatar
Feather&Stone
Posts: 51
Joined: Fri Sep 04, 2015 10:22 am

Re: Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost: Hex Girls

Post by Feather&Stone »

RoseRed92 wrote:In this movie, Velma's favorite band, the Hex Girls, make their debute. If you are an avid Scooby-goober, you will know that the main singer, Thorn, is a Wiccan which plays into the plot a bit.

How do you feel about how they pitted Wiccans against Witches in this movie? Do you think it helps to separate wiccans from the negative connotations that come with the term "witch", or do you think that it's all two sides of the same coin and should be presented as such?
This is the movie that got me started!! I was 7, and already very much on an undefined path, but oddly enough the Hex Girls resonated in such a way that I haven't looked back. That said, I do think the pitting of witches against Wiccans was both uneducated and damaging to practices already often condemned by the media & general public. I think they just picked two terms and decided to fly with them.
Post Reply

Return to “Witchcraft and Wicca in the Media”