Samantha Stevens statue in Salem Mass. Appropriate?

[Disney1fan2002]

I live extremely close to Salem, and what most of you don't understand is that is how that town makes its money. Witch tourism. There are museums where you can learn the truth of what happened here, and there are lots of 'fun' witch related things to do.

If any of you can ever get to Salem in Halloween season make sure you do. You would understand Salem a whole lot better and not see it as such a bold political statement.

Salem is about witches period. Fiction and non-fiction.

If the statue was going in a museum, I would have no problem with it. She was a witch after all, even if she were a fictional witch. So, if you say that Salem has fun with fictional witches, then she will fit right in with THAT part os Salem's witch history. I probably would not even have a problem with it if the show Bewitched was set in Salem, MA. But it wasn't. Samatha Stevens was on TV for how many years? She had nothing to do with Salem, Ma.

 

[Lady Cluck]

Yep, I'm sure it was meant to be harmless and amusing, but the someone is just not using their brain. I feel this is just another example of the "Dumbing Down of America". It's as if they are saying that no one will know about the witch trials if we don't put up a representative statue in this place, that everyone will recognize as a witch.

discussion about the PBS series, "Secrets of the Dead II" — Witches Curse

Linnda R. Caporael's article from Science Magazine

 

[orangeblossom]

I think it's ridiculous.

 

[Skywalker]

Wouldn't this be akin to someone going into a musuem that had all the history of Nazi Germany, and the POW camps, and they find a statue of Colonal Klink? Or Sgt. Schwartz? Would you be OK with that?

LOL, I think it is a great comparison. I have been to Salem, and yes there is lots of tacky witch stuff there as well as the serious history. But Samantha Stevens? What the...? Is there not more to culture than TV??????

 

[SeaSpray]

When I moved to MA 8 years ago, I wanted to go to every one of the typical tourist type places; Plymouth Rock, Cape Cod, cranberry bogs, Boston, whale watches, Salem, and other historical and fun places.

We finally got to Salem a few years ago and it was so different from what I had expected. Salem is a BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL quaint sailing town, with a gorgeous harbor area. Yes, there are the "witch museums" which for the most part simply explain the history behind the witch trials. It's like going to any other historical town and going to their local history museums.

However, we happened to be there in October and I had not realized that there was a Halloween festival going on at the same time. THAT part of the whole experience was quite bizarre, actually. Very much in contrast to the physical attributes of the town itself.

Personally, it seems a shame that this beautiful little town has this witch label attached to it, because many of the things I saw, the "modern" witches, really have little to do with the original historic town itself. But I guess once an area gets a reputation for something, it's hard to live it down.

It was so evident that there's a quiet, quaint, historical city, sharply contrasted by the garish neon signs of the modern day palm readers and the like.

Fortunately Massachusetts has MANY of these quaint beautiful little towns, so I won't have to go back to Salem to experience the feeling of the town itself.

(If you live in Salem please don't take what I said personally; these are just one person's observations).

As for the Bewitched statue, I don't see its place being in Salem. Then again, if not Salem, then where else? LOL I didn't know there was a Bewitched movie coming out. Maybe they should make the statue be something temporary, and not permanent.

 

[JennyMominRI]

I live extremely close to Salem, and what most of you don't understand is that is how that town makes its money. Witch tourism. There are museums where you can learn the truth of what happened here, and there are lots of 'fun' witch related things to do.

If any of you can ever get to Salem in Halloween season make sure you do. You would understand Salem a whole lot better and not see it as such a bold political statement.

Salem is about witches period. Fiction and non-fiction.

This describes my feelings about Salem and I lived one city over in Peabody..In fact,I don't know if it's still there but there used to be a Salem sign with a picture of a witch on a broomstick..Salem was always full of hokey withcraft type things. I'm not calling actual witchcraft hokey,I'm just stating that Salem has always gone in for the samantha,Sabrina type ,storybook witchcraft.It brings in the tourists .

 

[DisDuck]

I will have to ask my daughter her thoughts on this subject as she was 'hanged' for being a witch (Sarah Good in The Crucible).

 

[Metro West]

I don't think it's appropriate at all.

Agreed!