Sabrina the Teenage Witch: The Perfect Role Model

...Well, almost. I think Pojansky and Vande Berg do a fair job of explaining how Melissa Joan Hart's character in "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" as well as her two aunts provide girls with a positive role model. Sabrina is obviously different than most of her classmates because she is, obviously, a witch, and is raised by her two aunts. She shatters many gender stereotypes - for example, she loves math and science and is rarely ever passive or submissive. She is smart, independent, confident, and goes through what all adolescent girls go through as they mature into their teenage and young adult years.

Sabrina and her aunts, Hilda and Zelda, use their magical talents/powers (for the most part, with integrity) to achieve their goals. The three make the most out of their unique lives and living situations. Although girls watching "Sabrina" do not have the same magical powers as its characters, they will understand that they, too, can thrive on being different and use their unique differences to their advantage while gaining independence and confidence.

Although "Sabrina" may seem like it was a great "girl-power" program for tweens in the 90s to watch, it isn't perfect. There are very few characters of color that appear on the show, perhaps showing that only white, middle-class girls can be powerful and independent. The authors also point out that although Sabrina does possess these qualities of freedom, she often still gives into gender and relationship norms (such as appearing feminine to please her boyfriend, Harvey).

I think that the authors are taking "Sabrina" a little too seriously. True - if the producers of "Sabrina" sought out to make it a feminist text, then it could be seen as a bit contradictory. However, if Sabrina revolted against every norm and did not maintain some societal (mostly gender-based) standards, she would not have related to as many girls and the show probably would not have been as big of a success as it was.

Through the Linen Closet, Back to My Childhood

Firstly, this article was a real treat. Not only was I able to transport myself back to a time when sitting in front of my grandparents' TV watching TGIF was the best part of going to their house, but I was reminded of the reasons why I loved Sabrina so much as a kid. She's strong and independent, at the time I thought her to be the coolest and trendiest character on television, she had two quirky and put-together aunts, and of course, the witty banter that always took place between Sabrina and Salem. Melissa Joan Hart ended up being one of those actresses that you followed everywhere: Clarissa Explains It All, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and oh hey--remember when her wedding was televised and my best friend and I treated it as if it were the royal wedding?

Sabrina was great, undoubtedly, and this article ascertains that further; but one thing that I can't get past in reading this article is that it seems as if the main component of Sabrina's (and her aunts') confidence, independence, and strong will is based in the fact that she/they is/are in fact magical. Frequently, she gets what she wants and that is due mostly to her strong character; she constantly one-ups Libby, but for the most part is Libby not trying to steal Harvey from her or reveal to the world that Sabrina is a "freak"? The show is centered upon a world that quite frankly does not exist, yet it somehow connotes the message of defying gender roles and empowering young women.

On page 15, a list of TV shows and movies are listed; those that really stood out to me were the ones that I remember as being the most popular, obviously. They were: Sabrina, Buffy, The Secret World of Alex Mack, Clarissa Explains It All, Sister, Sister, Daria, Harriet the Spy, Matilda, and the rerelease of The Wizard of Oz. Out of these nine productions, five have clear connections to the supernatural. Sabrina as a witch, Buffy as a vampire slayer, Alex Mack as some chick that was tainted by some weird gunk that gave her magical powers, Matilda as the most adorable witch around, and Dorothy as being whisked away into a land of Munchkins and Wicked Witches of the East and West. These characters are intended to set good examples for young women, but the worlds in which they live are simply fantasies it seems. Why must these shows be centered around the supernatural if they are to depict women as strong and intelligent and as independent of the good graces of men? Perhaps this will attract more attention? Obviously Sabrina wouldn't have been an interesting show if it weren't for the hysterical mishaps that occur on behalf of her magic, but it leads one to wonder...why were these shows so successful? Did they truly convey messages of self-empowerment to young girls? Or did we really only notice the magic? Just some food for thought...