August 18th, 2011
02:39 PM ET
Witches not happy with 'True Blood' portrayalHBO series “True Blood” has traditionally focused on vampires, but in the current season, witches are at the center of the supernatural drama. And according to Reuters, real-life witches are upset about the way their brethren are being portrayed on the show. In the fourth season, Wiccan leader and medium Marnie Stonebrook (Fiona Shaw) allows herself to be possessed by vengeful, dead witch Antonia. This is a big no-no, say Wicca practitioners. Marnie is reckless with her powers, and makes witchcraft look “too easy,” they say. Christopher Penczak, co-founder and president of New Hampshire’s Temple of Witchcraft, a religious nonprofit organization that teaches witchcraft worldwide, told Reuters he is worried about the damage Marnie's character could do to the reputation of witches everywhere.
Witches don’t just ask for spirits to enter them indiscriminately, as Marnie does, he says, and they're also not supposed to raise the dead. (This character is quite the rule-breaker, is she not?) But there are some witches who aren't bothered by the fictional series. "Most witches have a good enough sense of humor," says Missouri witch priestess Ellen Dugan, a fan of the show. Sadly, we won't be hearing reaction from vampires, shapeshifters or werewolves about Alan Ball's sultry show. ...At least, we hope not.
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i respect the fact that people may get offened by these types of things in tv shows. but this has been going on for ages and as a person you have 2 learn 2 laugh at televised stereotypes. if we let every little thing bother us that's not healthy.
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you guys realize that the bible is just as real as true blood right? dont talk crap about someones religion just because you have a different one
I am an initiated Wiccan and I enjoy the show. So does our coven. Of course, in the "Sookie Stackhouse" Novels, Wicca is displayed much more "down to earth" than on TV and the books mention the "more religious aspect" and the difference between Witchcraft and Wicca, without putting the energetic work down (and they show a lot of humor too). But still: for me it is okay because it is a fictional show and I dont expect it to be realistic. I dont understand how one can take it so seriously or drift of into a fantasy world. Sure, I am cautious and curious if Alan Ball will also put more positive aspects of witchcraft on display then he did so far, but I personally dont think it will damage modern witches reputation, as most of our folks are very humorous. The article itself though shows some cynicism that would have not been necessary as Wicca deserves the same respect than any other religion, tradition or believe system. And magic works in mysterious ways...
Gimme a break. In related news, Smurfs worldwide are rather unhappy about how they were portrayed in there movie also.
Hey, what do you mean I'm not real?
THIS IS NO FANTASY-DO NOT BE MISLED-
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO CAN PUT SPELLS ON YOU.
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO CAN GIVE YOU ITEMS AND YOU CAN HEAR VOICES
OF DEAD LOVED ONES OR YOU WILL BE ATTACKED AT NIGHT IN YOU SLEEP.
LISTEN, THEY EVEN HAVE HERBS THEY GIVE TO MEN AND CAUSE THEM TO LOVE THEM
WHEN DEEP DOWN THEY LOVE SOMEONE ELSE.....THIS IS NO JOKE....
You watch too much tv.
@xjdavid... David you are wrong... I am married to a witch – Samantha... she is a good witch and when she wiggles her nose she can do magic. My mother in law though – now Endora is one hell of a witch, always meddling!!
It's a T.V. show......Really people...It doesn't say Base on a true story at the beginning or end... So facts don't need to be right...Plus it's all fantasy... Time to grow up and get with the times people....lol...
FACT: PARENTS PLEASE DO NO LET YOUR CHILDREN WATCH THESE KINDS
THE WITCHES HAVE COME IN THE OPEN....THIS IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN
SAYING FOR THE PASS YEAR....THEY ARE REAL...AND SOME CAN
PUT SPELLS ON YOU....THERE POWER COMES FROM THE WICKED
DEMONS.....THIS IS REAL.....
Are they aware that the show is a work of fiction? Real people getting bent about "pretend" is as ridiculous as someone being upset that his orange juice doesn't taste like apples.
remember. smokie says only you can prevent forest fires.
It's just TV and if anyone who watches ANYTHING on TV then it should be clear that it is all for Entertainment. Most shows do not portray people or groups as they should; they sensationalize and fictionalize aspects to bring in viewers. I love, love, love True Blood and I like the story line with the witches, it’s ENTERTAINING!
Everyone needs to get a grip and get over it!
You can all call yourselves whatever you want and believe whatever you want to believe that you are. Just because crazies drink blood, does not make them a vampire. Just because you go to your dentist and have them put in teeth like the vampires you see in movies, does not make you a vampire. And werewolf? I'd like to smoke whatever it is your smoking.
This is very funny. Yes, there are Wiccans, yes it is a religion, yes we sometimes refer to ourselves as witches. Most of us like to stay under the radar because of narrow minded folks who spew hate regarding anything different from themselves. I find it funny when other members of the Wiccan faith get so upset about hollywood portrayals. It's hollywood, get over it. Harry Potter was a great series of books and the movies were quite entertaining. I have not seen this particular show, but I was a big Buffy and Angel fan back in the day, but again, it was entertainment. BUT spells DO work, as does the power of positive thinking and prayer. Wicca is more about natural science as spirituality than anything else.
Fine, except...spells do NOT work. Please tell me a spell that worked. Please.
No such thing.
Thank you, for putting it so clearly !
I'm cornholio, I need tp for my banghole.
The Wiccan religion is more or less a means of worshipping nature – which IMHO makes slightly more sense than worshipping a personified diety in the sky but...to each his own. However, anyone who practices it and believes themselves capable of performing magic is either a fool or they are selling something. This article says "real-life witches" – there is no such thing. At least not by the popular definition of a witch – i.e. a woman who can perform magic. Most "witches" subscribe to a life filled with holistic remedies, their own form of meditation, and giving thanks to Mother Nature. That basically describes the majority of the witches on True Blood – they are not real "supes". And the real supes on True Blood – are just that. Supernaturals. And they do not exist in real life so it's kind of funny that any real living person would be offended on their behalf. Even still, Christopher Penczak can chill out. We've all seen the Wizard of Oz and therefore "know" that there are good witches and bad witches. Geesh.
Lol @Zombies
Sorry to burst the haters bubbles. I am Wiccan, and yes we do call ourselves witches. It's meaning is sorcerer(ess), and refers to one who practices Wicca. We believe in a male and female diety, a God and a Goddess. We do not fly on brooms, raise the dead, or put hexes on people. We have a love of nature and people in general, as we are all gifts from the divine. We do not worship the devil, as we do not believe one exists – that is a Christian invention. "Casting a spell" means saying a prayer. We focus on the energy of the thought behind the prayer and send it out to the universe to become manifest if it is appropriate to do so. Sorry to stomp on the hollywood stereotypes, it's really a lot more boring than they make it out to be. But it is a legitimate religion, and one I am proud to practice. Do some research on it some time, you might learn something.
hi joe
i aggree that "witchcraft" is very unlike what is portrayed in hollywood, etc–as everything else is. its not realistic. however wiccan means "wise" and is derived from the old term wittan. the wise of the king
also, witchcraft can be an extremely surreal and and seemingly unrealistic practice–depending on the type.
witchcraft can be a heck of a lot more amazing than that which is portrayed by many. again, theres different branches and systems of witchcraft, some which are EXTREMELY weird and dangerous, just for annotation.
yet again, real mages and communicators dont care much about others perspectives and wish not to "spill" any information that will lead to more misinterpretation. the avg IQ is not very high, you know. not very high at all. we dont intermingle
Joe, you say you're a witch and then list all the ways that you're NOT a witch. Just because you call yourself a witch doesn't mean you're a witch. There are a such thing as Wiccans, but if they don't fly, cast spells, and make potions then in what way are they witches? How is your nature worship any different from druidism?
Witches are absolutely real. If you are a nonbeliever go visit New Orleans. The world is far more mystical than you might believe.
I supppose anything seems possible when one drinks enough......
aaargh,......uuuuurggg.....we is real also's....sick of portrayel in movies and TV......zombies not out to eat everyone.....brains...braaaaaains......mmmmm yummmy......pardon me ignore that part......zombies are civilized beings, we eat...I mean teach your children at school, we are doctors, lawyers, members of a horde infecting your city and eating loved ones.......scratch that last part. People need to have more brains......braaaaaaaaaaain........braaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaains....yummy delicious brains....yes people need more brains so we have more to eat.......aaarrrgh.....uuuurrrrrrrgh.......
HAHA!! funny...
I love Zombies!!! Hahahaha
OMG, it would be so hot if Christne O'Donnel were in this show wearing barely anything at all!!
Everyone is always upset about something. It's a tv show..let it go. Don't be another whining group of people...we have enough on this planet already.
im a fairy we are also real. i have a friend n her name is thinkerbell her outfit is green and mine is pink we fly around the dark forest at night glowing and lighting up the night like happy fairies when i poo it also comes out w a glow n its pink 2
IT IS PRETEND! I don't freak out everytime there is a 'Rich Jew" portrayed on TV (I am broke as a joke) !!!
AGREED!!! LoL
Many of us in the Pagan community just shake our heads and sigh at Hollywood's portrayal of us. The portrayals tend to be even more outlandish than the accusations made during the Burning Times of so many innocents. After reading the posts back and forth, again, I just shake my head and sigh. Truth is, there are many forms of Neo Paganism, Shamanism, and Witchcraft. Wicca is just one of them. As long as we aren't portrayed as Devil worshiping, soul stealing, zombie creating, out to take over the world and otherworld, child eating cretans – I take it as a step forward. There always has been and always will be ignorance and misundertanding between folks. Fear of the unknown breeds isolation and violence against innocents. If you want to know what it's all about, educate yourself.
As long as Hollywood promotes the stereotypes, we will never gain acceptance as a mainstream religion. People are too lazy to learn the truth.
The Hollywood witch and the Wiccan are obviously two completely different things. It seems to me the most obvious thing to do is for Wiccans to simply distance themselves from the term "witch." It is the sharing of this term between the two groups that causes the confusion. Just stick to the terms Wicca and Wiccan instead of witchcraft and witch and it would clear up a lot of the confusion IMO.
I don't really understand what the whole fuss is about.But I do agree that Christine O'Donnell should throw in her own two cents about how the witches are being protrayed in True Blood.I doubt she'd even want to talk about this seeing as she's ashamed of her own magical heritage and has not yet fully embraced her true destiny.
Wow!! I didn't expect to laugh so hard when I decided to see what this was all about. I'm sure glad I did. Funny comments. @Fix In TX: I saw that show also. They also had the man that they call the tree trunk man (something like that), the tallest girl and a lot of weird things that some people have.
@ Malleus ~ I agree Amuck Amuck Amuck! For ppl who think werewolves exist on earth there is a werewolf syndrome that causes hair to be grow excessively over all or part of the body. There is a guy in Mexico who has been featured on many medical shows and comes to work in American circus' some of his family have it to varying degrees but it is GENETICS not something he choose. There is no cure. Sure he has tried shaving but it comes back within about 6 hours, so why bother?
My Wiccan friends are really annoyed at how Harry Potter gives a false impression of flying around on broomsticks, and how the Asterix might encourage people to fall into cauldrons of magic potion when they're babies, like Obelix did, so they could be super-strong for ever. My Christian friends are really annoyed at how they're portrayed on the Simpsons because they don't really speak like Ned Flanders, not to mention 7th Heaven and a host of other programs! They're also a bit miffed about the priest in 4 Weddings and a Funeral being such a nerd and the impression given by Chariots of Fire that Christians aren't allowed to play soccer on a Sunday!
Yeah, and my Muslim friends are real p-ssed at how they're portrayed by Gadhafi and Assad!
My single celled friends and I look forward to the reunification of our kind. This is just Darwinism in reverse.
@ Vip ~ If you don't know what goes on at the closed door meetings of these "witches" you know then how do you know they are not playing Playland or Chutes-n-Ladders? We all know the books for True Blood And Harry Potter were works of fiction as well as Hocus Pocus, Charmed, The Craft, Bewitched, etc. Do you understand fiction = NOT TRUE? Your witch friends behind closed doors = not true. Churches open their doors until service time. We have anthropologic proof of Jesus' times. Scientists can explain TV and nuclear engineering not WICCANS!!! GET A GRIP OR A PSYCH EVAL!!!
Charmed was based on the true story of 3 modern Wiccans. Many of us protested its release. Our secrets must not be revealed.
What secrets? We have no secrets. At least we shouldn't if you are practicing properly.
Although you may wish to pretend witchcraft and magic doesnt exist, it enfluences your lives on a daily basis. Every day the wiccan science effects your life. Most of todays technology is based on the science o Wicca. From nuclear engineering to the innermost workings of the television, magic is at work. Ask any Nobel winning scientist how a television works or how anything works. They dont know. No one actually knows. It is in fact the magic of Wiccan science that causes the tv to display an image. Let the unbelievers live in the darkness of ignorance. They are happy there.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!!! "Hello? Willow? Hi it's me the planet Earth, please come back, your mother is worried about you."
ROFL Willow. Nutball.
VIP is proof that Trolls exist...stop feeding him.
the main reason I watch the show is for the vampires.... enough of this witchcraft crap already!!
Wow!!! Look at this ish! I love True Blood and happen to kno its fictional but theres really people that think theyre witches and vamps !!!!!! LOL I THOUGHT THIS ONE GIRL WAS ON CRACK WHEN SHE SAID SHE BECAME A WITCH WHEN SHE READ TO RIDE A SILVER BROOMSTICK!!! Some people Eh!
Omg! I'm so upset that your FICTIONAL show is misrepresenting my group! Seriously? Go find something worth whining about.
so if trueblood is all wrong did Disney get it right with Holloweentown? Or how about An American Werewolf in London, that was like totally true right?
My only complaint is that they took the story so far afield from the books as to make it unrecognizable.
i agree with you 100%
Oh, come on. You don't hear the vampires and shifters complaining about their portrayal on True Blood. Those witches...
Are you f'n kidding me? Its a flipping tv show. How the hell could you possibly get upset because of how witches are being portrayed? If you do study this religion for real then I would assume that you go against the grain of what society thinks...so how the hell could you possibly try to stop how someone wants to write THEIR show...get over it.
what i want to know, is why are they fussing over the show? Have they not read the books that the show is actually based off of?? Its a whole heck of a lot better in the books, and they make witches pretty evil.. and kill a lot of them.
I know there really are trolls though. And snookie sure does seem like an oooompa looompa. Plus if there are no witches then how do you explain Sarah Jessica Parker?
I'm not sure SJP is a witch. She may have some centaur in here, though.
She's a horse, to clear things up. Centaur is definitely a solid guess... but surprisingly enough she's all horse.
you may want to watch "Hocus Pocus" SJP is an awesome witch
Amuck Amuck Amuck Amuck!
MalleusMaleficarum one of the best lines when shes jumping around, love that scene. I used to use that line when I was babysitting a bunch of wild brats or trying to incite some parents young kids to go crazy LOL.
HEY ! Us Smurfs are real too !
Vip is even dummer than me. Im the abonible snowman.
there is so such thing as witches, just like there is no such thing as vampires. those who practice the wiccan 'religion' are fools.
Just like believing in Jesus makes a person a fool...
Laurie Cabot is the head witch of Salem, Mass. Her store has the coolest things. She has been profiled on Discovery and the History channel. There are covens all over the world. These people are out there. Flying is a stretch though.
No, she means a REAL Witch. What are you trying to do? Pull the wool over our eyes and make us believe that they aren't witches and warlocks out there? Hun, I have met a real witch. FOUR of them actually. I have read about them, I have seen them, I have spoken to/with them.
Dude, you are not gonna convince the public that there are no witches. Get over it.
No, Vip they are NOT real witches. An herb garden and a prayer to some ancient-folklore goddess or tree or rabbit or whatever does not make an old hippy women a witch. And you are not going to convince anyone there is. So YOU get over it. Freak.
Get a clue, David. Haven't you seen Harry Potter, for chrissakes? What do you think, that's all just MADE UP for FUN?
Witches exist. They do they do they do!
Go ahead and ask a witch to cast a spell for something, and they all will give you the same answer:
"It doesn't work like that"
They might as well just shorten it to: "It doesn't work"
WARLOCKS??? Dude, seriously. You've been watching too much Bewitched.
'Warlock" is a term of insult in the Wiccan religion. Seriously, come out of your momma's basement and face the world. It is much better than fiction.
Good lord people. I am Wiccan, and yes we do call ourselves witches. It's meaning is sorcerer(ess), and refers to one who practices Wicca. We believe in a male and female diety, a God and a Goddess. We do not fly on brooms, raise the dead, or put hexes on people. We have a love of nature and people in general, as we are all gifts from the divine. We do not worship the devil, as we do not believe one exists – that is a Christian invention. "Casting a spell" means saying a prayer. We focus on the energy of the thought behind the prayer and send it out to the universe to become manifest if it is appropriate to do so. Sorry to stomp on the hollywood stereotypes, it's really a lot more boring than they make it out to be. But it is a legitimate religion, and one I am proud to practice.
Ok 1st off Antonia picked Marnie, Marnie didn't even know what was going on when she was 1st getting possesed. 2nd the only dead thing they brought back was a little bird and that didn't last once it flew out of the circle, the vamps were already walking and talking way before Antonia came back, she only controls them kinda like when the vamps glamour the humans. For goodness sake its a TV show, I don't hear these witches complaining how they were portrayed in "The Covenant" "Charmed" "The Craft" "The Witches of Eastwick" or "Hocus Pocus" LOL
Actually they DID protest about those portrayals, too. At least the Wiccans I know did.
Funny thing about The Craft, the lead girl (Fairuza Balk) of the Coven is actually Wiccan and had a lot to do with writing the script.
Flippin morons! IT'S A TV SHOW!
Yep. I'm gonna start protesting the making of King of Queens cause it makes white men seem like fat, lazy, incompetent slobs!
shushhhhh.... you KNOW that its a REALITY show
shushhhhh.... you KNOW that its a REALITY show!!!! Seriously some Witches can cast spells and work black magic. So why be bent out of shape they did not say ALL they said the ones in BOnton LA ..
This show is of course, ridiculous, but Fiona Shaw has been a lot of fun to watch as Marnie. The only thing more ridiculous than a show about witches, werewolves, and vampires are people who think they're real-life witches, werewolves, and vampires.
I wonder if real-life Smurfs were put-off by the way they were portrayed in the Smurf movie?
There ARE real life Witches, Werewolves and Vampires. Just because you do not believe in them does not mean that they do not exist.
No, Vip, there are not. And just because you believe there are does not mean they do exist. There may be a few disturbed individuals who believe themselves to be witches, vampires, or werewolves, though.
Actually, yes, there are. Go talk to a Wiccan or to someone who has the vampirism or werewolf disease. Better yet, go talk to people who drink blood. Believe it or not, they are called vampires.
Point: Don't make a statement you know nothing about.
Vip, you are out of your mind. Or you have a vivid imagination. There may be some lunies who drink blood, but that does not make them vampires. And there may be some hairy folks, but they are most certainly not werewolves.
There are blue people too. That don't make them smurfs.
@ Beavis- Go justify your stupidity elsewhere.
@ David- Believe what you want, but I know better and hopefully, one day, you will be shown the truth. Are you sure your name is David and not Thomas?
No, my name is not Thomas. And you are crazy. I would love to meet one of your "witches." LOVE it. Will she hex me? Will she steal me away to Santa's Village at the North Pole on a broomstick, or do real witches ride unicorns?
No, unicorns (to my knowledge) do not exist and she, rather THEY would not put a hex on you. That's not how they work or live. They are generally nice people, to tell you the truth. They have their rules and they live by them, just like any other person does. What they do behind closed doors, I don't know exactly because I am not one.
I have this peice of advise for you though: don't dismiss something or insult someone just because you do not know or you refuse to open your eyes and see the truth. Witches and Warlocks are real. Unicorns (to my knowledge) are not.
And I have this advice for you: 1) Get help. Don't be afraid to ask for a counselor's help when you need it. 2) Don't be so gullible. Just because someone says they're a witch does not mean they are. There's no such thing as magic. Someone can pray to Isis or whoever and mix some weeds around with incense with a Latin "incantation," but it's just a person with an inflated sense of self-importance and an overactive imagination, NOT a witch no matter what they call themselves.
I'm going to start calling myself Jack Frost. Although, I can't make it snow because us Jack Frosts aren't REALLY like that.
Vip=Christine O'Donnell? Is that you Christine? Why did you walk off Piers Morgan's show?
actually Vip unicorns are the one thing you bring up that actually does exist, remember that goat with the mutan horns that fused into one horn, TaaDaa Unicorn, sooo pretty.
Haha, seriously – people actually believe in witches and warlocks? lol – Most people actually believe they're good drivers too – that doesn't mean they are – point being – we believe what we want to believe and truth is in the eye of the beholder.
They may call themselves witches, but that does not make them the same as witches from the fantasy settings. They may burn candles and keep a jar of spider legs, but guess what.. (SPOILER ALERT) Spells do not work.
And wow, now Wiccans are taking credit for the innate workings of nature? Show me the Wiccan (witch) spell that creates gravity. How about the spell that created the moon, or causes the earth to orbit the sun as it does. And while you're at it, how did you people create the universe?
The dispute of whether or not witches are real is a strange thing to touch on here. In the modern sense of the word, the wiccans call themselves witches. It's not magic like sorcery, as much as herbal remedies and religious rites. I think the fact that they called themselves wiccans in the show is why modern day witches are angry.
I am fairly certain people do not expect to be able to raise the dead or fly into the air.
Yes, Wicca is a modern religion. No, they don't do/act/believe as portrayed in modern entertainment.
@VIP. Seriously? True Werewolves? Actual Vampires? Quoth a modern genius: " I mean, if I went around sayin' I was an empereror just because some moistened bint had lobbed a scimitar at me they'd put me away! "
xjdavid, you're my hero.
I hope next season they touch on Bigfoot.
Seriously – this whole exchange is a perfect example of why I visit CNN.com for my morning laughs.
The stories can be funny, but they have nothing on the posts! An entire email exchange about the existence of witches, werewolves, vampires (mummies and the holy ghost – oops, Jimmy Buffet entered my subconscious for sec there . . . moving on)?? This is better than peopleofwalmart.com!!!
Thanks for entertaining me!
There are Witches. Like there are Catholics, and There are Muslims, and there are Atheists. It's just a religion. Only in media they're shown to have super powers that make them nearly omnipotent, unless they get too close to water.
I believe in Warlocks, just as I believe in Hells Angels and Mongols........
Vip, you're right. Those things not existing is why they don't exist...
Christine O'Donnell must have a comment on this subject. Firsty?
Ya and asking for God to give you good fortune and health is a prayer am I right? Wiccans ask their goddess AND god to grant them same thing, the only difference is they call it spells. They do the SAME exact thing Christians do, ask for forgiveness and good health and volunteer to help others because they believe in the good karma and bad karma Christians do. Main difference is the naming is different.
And has for the show, Most people know that its a fictional show, and its all good fun. No they aren't suppose to raise the dead or anything like that. But Again its a movie and a book and its all fiction. I think I'd be more worried about Christine O'Donnell more than Fiona Shaw, who by the way is doing an amazing job on the show