The Witch Trope, Explained

[@trinaq]

"Only bad witches are ugly." As a child, that line made me wonder WHY evil witches were typecast as unattractive, while the heroes were nearly always pretty and gorgeous. It could be kind of an iffy message to teach to impressionable kids, that beauty automatically makes a person" good."🤔

[@rgng]

Also always white and blond

[@sea_of_love]

THIS

[@MrPoopatron54]

Yesssssssssss

[@itzelgc4637]

But then the Evil Queen is super glamorous. And confusion intensifies

[@MyPotatoAim]

Doesn’t The VVitch have attractive witches? It’s been awhile since I’ve seen the movie

[@sugasweet1239]

Don’t forget about Disney’s Twitches with Tia and Tamera Mowry which flipped the witch trope completely on it’s head. Two beautiful mixed raced witches born of a black mother and white father sent to save the world of Coventry twice by defeating “the darkness”. Each with their own identity that highlights the amazing balance and power achieved by being an individual yet part of a team. Pretty impressive now that I’m old enough to realize it

[@user-insight]

yeah I wish they were mentioned

[@unicornsprinkles8964]

Yeah it didn’t flip the trope on it’s head though, that’s was done decades before

[@editaquadidi]

Ir is a great movie!!

[@indiamarie2952]

Love those movies so much just watched them today 💛💛

[@corina.grindeanu]

I LOVED THAT MOVIE SO MUCH, THIS MAKES ME HAPPY

[@DaemonKrown]

For many years, the term "witch" was kinda an insult to a woman, while "wizard" was a compliment to males. It was never about the magic, it was about the stereotype all along

[@SD-zz4ov]

since when is wizard a compliment

[@djervalevy9784]

You're completely wrong, but anything to further the feminist agenda.

[@DaemonKrown]

@@SD-zz4ov maybe not wizard per se

[@romanr.301]

@@SD-zz4ov - Wizard is commonly used in an informal way to say someone is extremely gifted or talented in a specific area. If someone's good with math, someone might say "this person's a math wiz"; if they're good in their job at finance, one might say "he's a financial wizard. You can literally look up the definition of wizard and it will often show a footnote saying that it is also informally used to describe someone as "talented" or "skilled."

[@emiliana1767]

I felt that way also! I loved the scene in harry potter where he is told hes a wizard, but initially disliked hermione being called a witch. In germany we actually have two terms - hexe describes typically a bad witch and zauberin would be a female wizard. So there is in fact a difference! I dont understand why there is no term like "wizardress"

[@tripsplat]

I'm really interested in the "witches want to harm children" angle, especially since a lot of women who were persecuted for witchcraft were midwives and women with medical knowledge specifically pertaining to pregnancy and birth - and a lot of their literature that was burnt or destroyed is thought to have been informational on those subjects. An inherent distrust of women who control their bodies and sexuality, and choose not to reproduce, plus the demonization and persecution of women who have and share knowledge of the common "female" body and reproduction...? Sounds pretty familiar.

[@eduardopantoja9115]

So a female doctor or female lawyer

[@halloweenheathen4394]

Well, for some reason people tend to forget that the witch trials wouldn’t have even happened if it weren’t for the group of women that decided to lie about every other female they didn’t like. Seems like not much has changed since then 🤷‍♂️

[@agii4619]

I mean it's easier to accuse midwife that she did something bad when in a family a child was born dead or disfigured or didn't born at all. Midwifes were accused of witchery if a family failed to get pregnant because no one would ever accuse man of infertility and for a woman it's also easier to accuse a midwife instead of think that she's infertile because that could cost her life.

[@tripsplat]

@@agii4619 I get that! Often times with history like this, there are a lot of overlapping factors. Midwives had power via their medical knowledge, and religious leaders and priests who wanted to take it away from them would have benefitted from spreading and supporting the kinds of rumors about midwives that you listed. I think the two go hand-in-hand. :^)

[@tripsplat]

Just an extra note - PhilosophyTube’s video “Gender, Witchcraft, and Marxism” also touches heavily on this, and I can’t believe I forgot to mention it earlier!

[@alicenolfi2095]

“Never put your faith in a Prince. When you require a miracle, trust in a Witch.” - Catherynne M. Valante

[@RuthlessTides]

I usually do put my faith in fellow witches. But it also depends on how fresh the prince is

[@sweetprincess787]

One day i was in one of my lecture in college and my professor (an anti-feminist) was like: "Have you noticed now everyone claims to be a witch or has a witch friend? Anyone knows why that is?" And I said: "A high school teacher of mine told us some people today are reclaiming the term witch to refer to what it truly was: Women who posses knowledge." And he was dead silenced and changed topic

[@theotter7021]

@Manophere. com the society is patriarcal, dude, and women are the ones most often mistreated. And it is a fact that most women accused of witchcraft during history were the victims, even if there were some few people who were truly evil and stuff. The take is just trying to explain why witches were portrayed as villains on media for such a long time and how this fear of witches originated.

[@mishasaji2365]

@Manophere. com dude I see u everywhere trolling like this? R u that bored with ur life to go out of ur way to show ur outdated mentality.

[@SD-zz4ov]

and then everyone clapped.

[@Hanbl-ip1tn]

Brilliant! Mad me smile 😊

[@theotter7021]

@Manophere. com mba'epiko amigo. Alright, you definitely don't live in this world, so if you ever find a way yo show us that wonderful society where women rule that you seem to live in, please let us know. I really want to see something like that before I die. Have a nice day.

[@sofisofi8141]

The take, the best thing that happened in history of internet.

[@AxxLAfriku]

Don't talk to me! I am famous! Don't dislike my good good GOOD videos! Don't talk to me, dear sofi

[@djervalevy9784]

Not really, but okay.

[@trinaq]

Amen, they're definitely my favourite analysis channel out there! 😁♥️

[@sofisofi8141]

@@AxxLAfriku 😄😄😄😄

[@djervalevy9784]

@@trinaq Why?

[@iellaterreur7865]

Witches are everything society doesn't want for women. I love some of the more modern takes on the witch tho.

[@karupe9982]

@Manophere. com don't know who this Queen is but there are so many things in life that can influence. This is a feminist essay, anyone that has really done harm such a killing children to bath herself might have had a mental illness. It is still very very sad so...

[@availanila]

@@karupe9982 ignore him, he's a troll that think men suffer -most- in this cruel -matriarchal- world of ours.

[@Danceofthesugarplumfairy]

@Manophere. com are you talking about Elizabeth Bathory?

[@romanr.301]

@Manophere. com Well she was a serial killer, a noblewoman, and there is no reliable evidence to prove that she bathed in her victims' blood so she could be youthful. Also, any proof that she dabbled in the dark arts, you know, like what witches are claimed to have done? This example doesn't fit the moniker of "witch" by any appreciable standard.

[@chiefpurrfect8389]

@Manophere. com 1. Why should they mention Elizabeth Bathory? She was a historical figure, The Take does media breakdowns lol what is even the correlation here? 2. I'm no history expert, but as far as I'm aware we still don't have enough evidence to confirm whether the Blood Countess *actually* included blood baths among her ~other~ hobbies, or this was no more than a rumor believed in by people deriving from their superstitious beliefs about witches. It's *likely* that she surrounded herself with people who practiced witchcraft but in and of itself that doesn't prove anything. Not to make her sound better than she was- by literally all accounts left to us she was an awful person- I'm just saying our sources aren't exactly the most reliable either.

[@bbrbbr-on2gd]

That comparison of MeToo and how they're being called witch hunts actually blew my mind. This was a great topic to end the month on.

[@kiriki4558]

@Ooohbopbopboppadoohwah but they aré minimal. And isn't wrong to accuse a víctims of lying just for speaking out? Like, everyone seems to never consider that a Man who says that he were falsely accused could be lying to clean himself and get simpathy.

[@theman9048]

This was good but I think they could have went deeper. Not mentioning Christianity and the religious impact on western culture is a big miss in terms of how witches are seen.

[@clockworkvox9210]

I guess they figured the length of the vide was already long enough but I’d love to see them go into that

[@nattalieii125]

I was also expecting to hear the more religious take. Hopefully one day.

[@reviewsbyjacob9350]

Check out In Praise of Shadows' channel, they've got a whole series on how Witches are portrayed in different forms of media.

[@stitchedwithcolor]

@@nattalieii125 Agreed. The video consistently sidesteps the fact that "witch" is not only a fantasy term but also a religious one, as well as the fact that fears of deviation from religious and social norms, especially when it comes to BIPOC folx, play such a powerful role in early persecutions as well as modern portrayals. And while the pagan revival is a very recent phenomenon, i don't think it can be ignored. The take means well, but i think this video goes down for me as another example of them letting their concern for mainstream white feminism narrow their vision away from other kinds of oppression.

[@aniokay]

Yep. And the lack of female presence in the bible and all male dominance. No wonder the patriarchy persisted for so long...

[@catchyenxon]

I think one very aspect is missing in the video: Why is it good when witches become more adapted members of society? Why can't witches be portrayed as women who don't like children, like to spend their time with strange rituals and be a little different? Why are witches just okay when they do things that are considered "good", like behaving motherly and honest, help others and don't go against the norm?

[@edensylvester13]

because it literally is good to help others and be honest and caring ?

[@Whimsy3692]

Maybe it's because living in the woods isn't exactly comfortable and warm, and it could be a message that other people want to show kindness to this quirky lady by offering her... oh... idk... a house. But that's just me.

[@vivvy_0]

@@edensylvester13 why do we have be the kind of good you want?

[@edensylvester13]

@@vivvy_0 oh boy

[@Ratchet2431]

@@vivvy_0 It's not the king of good of humanity?

[@Lexi-wi4it]

As a Gen Z person who was raised primarily with the good "reclaiming" type of witches, I honestly never thought of the word "witch" being inherently bad. I just saw the word as meaning a woman with magical powers, and I saw it as a good thing. I grew up specifically with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charmed (the old version not the new one), Maleficent, Wicked, Once Upon a Time, etc. So I've seen the other, older movies about witches being negative, yes, but to me when I think of "witch" I think of Pheobe from Charmed and Willow from Buffy the Vampire slayer, not the wicked witch of the west from The Wizard of Oz. So yeah, this whole reclaiming thing is working, and I love it!

[@cramerfloro5936]

I like how you include Maleficent, since the role of the Witch doesn't just relate to a woman who knows witchcraft, but to any (magically) powerful woman, as in italian fairytales, what would be a witch in Grimm, are often ogresses or even fairies. Even in german fairytales, there’s sometimes a nixie instead of a witch

[@ktb4963]

What I like about the teen witches and more modern interpretations is that they aren't categorized as inherently good or evil. They can sometimes use their abilities to cause others harm, but that doesn't automatically classify them as wholly bad. It allows these characters to have a lot more depth.

[@emilymatthews2990]

I like to think Willow paved the way for that. She was strong but also flawed as after losing the love of her life(Tara) she got addicted to black magic and then decided to take recovery from magic addiction into her own hands.

[@DaddyOfTheSugarVariety]

When I was younger I wanted witch/wiccan powers. I grew out of such beliefs, but I still enjoy the fantasy of it all. I keep my spell books on display all year round.

[@forestgrump4723]

I have a watch theme to my kitchen. My sugar bowl is a ceramic pumpkin made of leaves. My cookware is all orange. I have two cookbooks on display, both of which mention kitchen wichcraft in the title. And I have a score of other witchy things. One of my favourites is a little sign that says "eat, drink, and be witchy"

[@DaddyOfTheSugarVariety]

@@forestgrump4723 I love it!

[@andromedaspark2241]

I tried to grow out of it, but later in adulthood realized trying to undo ones dreams (whether realistic or fantastic) is futile. Go on, embrace what you love.

[@waffles658]

You can still practice witchcraft and feel a connectivity and power of the things around you, but do not hold onto hollywood-esque ideas of magik. You may not be able to lift objects into the sky but you can certainly do smaller things that create a domino effect in the way you want things to be

[@DaddyOfTheSugarVariety]

@@waffles658 It's a nice fantasy, but seems silly now that I no longer believe in supernatural things.

[@BarrocoTarot]

I liked Witches of East end" But I guess nobody does😭😭😭

[@dianehutchinson9257]

I did too, was disappointed when it got cancelled

[@Sina-aka-potatosupreme]

Me three. What a shame it got canceled. 😞

[@QueenSelene88]

Me fourth! It was great!

[@abenamensah8053]

Sameew

[@olayo53]

I have the book series saved on my Amazon but I haven't bought the yet

[@lorrainezea7988]

"The collective feminine consciousness became so threatening that it's now a Halloween decoration." - Aja Volkman

[@pigpjs]

For the movie, "The Witch", I always interpreted the phenomenon the family suffered to be that of the Devil's doing. One of the supposed ways the Devil or a demon is supposed to get you to sign away your soul is through oppression. Making your life so miserable you eventually say yes. Had the family been loving and strong they would have rallied around each other and been able to survive. Instead, the father's weakness which cast them from the town's safety is what opened them up to the Devil. Eventually leading to their daughter saying yes and signing away her soul.

[@caleb282]

I think it's interesting that in some of the earliest depictions of the hansel and gretel was actually of a neglectful mother that kept trying to lead them into the woods, then it was alluded to the reader that the mother WAS the witch, once again showing the childless, child hating witch trope (I simplified the story, it's alot more complex but there's just so much)

[@jasonmack2569]

I believe this also the case in some of the first tellings of Snow White

[@flawedfairytales9808]

@@jasonmack2569 Yeah I always thought the evil mother made the ending of Snow White more interesting. It made me question whether Snow White defeats the evil or is hinited to repeat the cycle since in most Snow White versions she kills or approves a brutal act of violence to distroy her own mother. Red hot iron shoes exc......

[@maddyjoh8488]

The Hansel and Gretel story goes back even further than the Grimm's version, & in a French version of the tale called Le Petit Poucet it's the father who insists on abandoning the children & the witch was a male ogre. I'm unaware of the version you mention but I would be interested to read it! Also, on the KZbin channel Monstrum they suggest that the abandonment of children might have been influenced from the massive famines throughout Europe. Think of GOT when Old Nan said mothers would sooner smother their babes rather than see them starve or when that when farmer & his daughter were found to have slit their throats rather than starve to death. So perhaps not neglect, but some fracked up compassion. I do think that the Grimm's gender swap of which parent is the cruel one & powerful well of witch (Gingerbread house? Talk about privilege, right?) but still wants more does perpetuate negative female perceptions & the witch trope.

[@caleb282]

@@maddyjoh8488 it's such an interesting story with so so so many versions, I've heard of the French origin but I've never actually read the French one

[@waffles658]

This seems to be a very common thing when it comes to making the villain an evil sorceress. The same happened with Morgan le Fay from Arthurian legend, or Morgana from BBC’s Merlin. She was a benevolent, powerful healer in the original stories turned an evil villain.

[@carloseduardosantannadasil3501]

I was reading Bram Stoker's Drácula and I realized that the vampire women reflect the same fear of the feminine sexuality and the corruption of the women's suposed "purity" as the witch does. I think it would be interesting if you guys did a video about it as well. Great content!!

[@mzytryck]

Yes, and note how, in the case of Lucy (often portrayed as very flirtatious/outright promiscuous in adaptations), the restoration of the proper order involves her husband symbolically reasserting his sexual dominance by driving a phallic wooden stake into her. However, to be fair to Stoker, when Dracula bites Mina (in a scene that has distinct rape parallels) she is absolutely treated as an innocent who has gone through a horrific experience through no fault of her own, with no victim-blaming in sight, and she continues to be a useful and proactive member of the team. Stoker may have been scared/disgusted by female sexuality, but he seemed to have been ahead of his time in some other ways.

[@carloseduardosantannadasil3501]

@@mzytryck Wow, never realized that simbolism. It makes a lot of sense. But, yeah, you're right when It comes to Mina. At least Stoker did that, I guess Great talking to you!

[@vanesalodico7798]

I forgot about " Morgana le fay", i loved that character in legends and the show because she is evil and beautiful but not overly sexualized. And in some tales they made her an empathetic character.

[@denise8723]

an icon

[@waffles658]

Theres an article where it states that Morgan le Fay was actually not evil in the original stories but after the control of catholic Christianity, she was re written to be an evil seductress or a power seeking witch. I tried to link it but for some reason .youtube takes it down. But it’s called “Morgan le fay: how Arthurian legend turned a powerful woman from healer to villain” I think you would enjoy the read!

[@waffles658]

Written by “the conversation “

[@Giles29]

In earlier versions of the story, what we think of as "Morgana Le Fay" actually started out as two characters - Morgana Le Fay who is kind of a female counterpart to Merlin and not terribly evil though not always helpful either, and Morgause, who is not a witch but hates her half-brother King Arthur for what his father did to her father and mother (which was pretty dirty but not Arthur's fault).The two characters get conflated in later tellings of the story and her evil gets ramped up a lot.

[@sandybravo1626]

"witches are knowledgeable, sexual in their femininity when young, and hate children" me: I'm a witch with no magic I guess.

[@squidwardtentacles7144]

Mood 🤪

[@iwasbornunderwater]

Same 😂

[@remuslazar2033]

A witch with a B

[@waffles658]

Literally 😭 like what about the building block of witchraft which is the CRAFT and the connectivity with Mother Nature

[@86Egirl]

One thing I noticed about the witch is that she is an example of women being seen at either one extreme or the other of either being sweet like an innocent Angel or wicked like a witch

[@wickedwonderland9831]

A bit like the Madonna-Whore complex, I think

[@kittykittybangbang9367]

Why can't we have an anti-hero witch?

[@Whatsinaname_]

I've been waiting for this one. Thank you, The Take.

[@trinaq]

Likewise, I love how they've released a Halloween Themed video, and congratulations on finally getting your Witch analysis! 🧙‍♀️💜

[@sassyblondewriter8239]

Do they really hate witches or do they just hate women with power?

[@Pinkranger87]

They hate the woman with unchecked power

[@comradekenobi6908]

@@Pinkranger87 *UNLIMITED POWER* - Palpatine

[@theoneeyedartist3253]

Seems many modern 'witches' who claim the term was used to make women look bad seem to forget. Many men were also accused of being witches and killed for it during witch trials. One of them, during the Salem trials knew if he confessed to being a witch they would take all his land. So, he chose to die by their torture instead of confess, so his sons would still inherit his land.

[@emilymatthews2990]

Both.

[@malgorzataj6356]

Witches do not have "a power" . Everything they have is from the demons

[@starbell1566]

Good video, but a little disappointed in how often "The Witches" by Roald Dahl was referenced yet failed to note how his antisemitism greatly influenced the depiction of witches in his book. In fact a lot of antisemitism goes into the witch stereotype overall.

[@Quackervoltz]

Oh shit I never noticed

[@yothiga]

Wow, I never thought about similarity because the aesthetic is not close. But my country (Thailand) used to have the same accusation to some woman who lives alone and said she uses dark magic and got side effect from it. They will call her "ปอบ - Porb". "Porb" will have special power and they will eat fresh meat so the first victim of Porb will be villager's livestock. Just 4-5 years ago, someone went to a news station because her village accused her of being Porb and the chief village try to push her out of the village. She believes they try to force her to sell her land since someone tried to contact her to buy the land before the whole thing began. The process is quite easy. First, you throw the chicken body into woman home or splash a bit of blood outside of the house, then they start spreading the rumour, and since in the village everyone already someone relative, the target can be punished easily.

[@romanr.301]

Goes to show that it is indeed often the most socially vulnerable and disempowered that get scapegoated and vilified.

[@ziggystatdust6008]

This also happens in my country (Ghana) sadly, and most of the victims are old women who live alone. Unfortunately, they recieve worse treatments than yours. They are usually either stoned, lynched, dumped in "witch camps", or kicked out of their homes and villages. Recently, an old woman was lynched in the Northern parts of my country because she was falsely accused of being a witch. The unfortunate consequences of lack of education, poverty, and religious dogmatism and paranoia

[@yothiga]

@@charlesbourgoigne2130 She contacts the police first but I think they can't do much. Since it's nothing physical (yet), just no one wants to talk to her or sell something to her anymore. I think after the news blow up they held some ritual to cash the bad juju around the village when the polish guard the house to keep everyone safe. I don't see the update after that.

[@kittykittybangbang9367]

@@yothiga Wow and all I've heard is that Thailand is great for transgender women, but now I'm not sure of Thailand is great for cisgender woman? No hate tho.

[@elizabethrenee889]

Bonnie Bennett deserved a mention. Her character on the Vampire Diaries was so layered and grounded.

[@sept4799]

Great video! I wish you had included a bit on the witches of Greco-Roman mythology, like Circe who turned sailors who tried to rape the nymphs on her island to pigs, and Medea who helped Jason in his quests only to be betrayed by him

[@IsomerSoma]

Medeas reaction was a bit ... excessive.

[@DaryaCarmilla]

@Manophere. com incel alert?

[@yiwoon_cr8s]

@@IsomerSoma excessive is really an understatement

[@Ai-yahUdingus]

It’s be interesting to see your take on the recent trend in East Asian web novels and comics where the main character gets transported to a story world as the female villain. Essential the female villain is the mean girl and does mean things, but when our protagonist takes over the body of the villainess the narrative changes and we the reader is led to empathize with her.

[@chiefpurrfect8389]

Ooh yeah I've noticed that too, that'd be so interesting! There seems to be a fascination with female characters in positions of power (seeing a lot of empresses and countesses lately) going dark for varying reasons and doing evil shit until our protagonist gets yeeted into her body. I think it's interesting that their motive for redeeming the villainess is most often self-preservation- the plot tends to revolve around turning a new leaf and atoning for the villainess' sins in order to prevent violence done to her body. The protagonist is often already familiar with a version of the story in which the villainess gets her comeuppance before they get isekai-ed into it, so they are using their knowledge to prevent getting killed- often enough by the hand of a lover/loved one for "going Dark Phoenix" yikes. Interestingly, the original villainess loses all agency and is less of a character and more of an event that conveniently set obstacles for our protagonist to overcome when they steal her body and identity. She just... conveniently fades into oblivion so that our protagonist can live out their adventure and we aren't supposed to think about it too hard. I... still don't know exactly what my feelings are towards this genre tbh. It just sounds like a redemption arc with lots of extra, unnecessary steps and a bit of isekai sprinkled on top for commercial reasons. I honestly get second-hand impostor syndrome from it lol. Especially when it comes to the relationships- where one character thinks they are the same villainess who just had a change of heart, when they are a different person entirely pretending to be the villainess. It feels especially icky in romantic relationships or when the villainess and a character had a pre-established relationship gone sour due to her villainy, but then that character is like "you've finally come back to me (ಥ﹏ಥ)" and every time I'm like "no, she really hasn't ( ͜。 ͡ʖ ͜。)". It just feels like all such stories I've read intent to tell this escapist fantasy with a redemption arc in focus and aren't particularly interested in getting into the ramifications of that isekai switcheroo- acknowledging the villainess as her own person and how it affects her, how waking up as an entirely different person affects our protagonist's psychology and how all of that affects their relationships. I'll happily take recommendations that prove me wrong but it kinda feels like despite the interesting premise and elements none of them wants to explore them in depth- if you've read one you've read them all. I think the appeal of it is this conveniently cherry-picky "devious hot femme fatale waifu BUT we don't do moral ambiguity here so keep it sympathetic" aesthetic. Interestingly, a lot of these characters are physically competent or have powerful magic powers and are a lot more likely to be more open about their sexuality, have their own reverse harem at their disposal etc. That way you get to enjoy the witch aesthetic (in its archetypal sense) but waait, your moral compass doesn't have to get challenged when you root for her because see, this female character is everything you like about the witch- beautiful, sensual, powerful- except the witch herself. Literally. The witch is dead, long live the good girl who took her body.

[@onepiecegotmeinlove691]

@@chiefpurrfect8389 hey can you recommend me some of those stories. I know just one of them and it’s an anime. The one I’m talking about it’s about called "My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!

[@mariebunn45]

@prak look it up yourself.

[@chiefpurrfect8389]

@@onepiecegotmeinlove691 Yeah, I haven't seen it but I know what it's about. If I'm to namedrop a series I've recently read I'd go with the manhwa "I've Become The Villainous Empress Of A Novel". It's pretty self-explanatory and it hits all the bits I mentioned- the isekai switcheroo, the empress was into debauchery, had a personal harem, she was murdered by one her closest allies who was in love with her etc. A manhua by the name "Mu You Zhi" also comes to mind for having lots of similar elements (beautiful art too).

[@onepiecegotmeinlove691]

@@chiefpurrfect8389 hey thanks, I will probably read it later. I do recommend to watch the anime I said before. It does contains some of the things you mentioned but it has a different take on it and it’s amazingly hilarious. Thanks to you I will be more observant when consuming content like that (Can I say its like a guilty pleasure?) anyways about the anime I mentioned the protagonist is reincarnated in this other world which was inside one of those otome games that let you interact with the character etc. Since she was transported when the “villain” is a child so there is not that much of that would be for an adult “huh she changed, but she din’t actually changed she is just another person” and she doesn’t have that magical boost or anything like that. The “villain” (at least at this point is just a literal bratty child) also she has women/men harem (but its not perverted and full of fan service 😌) It is never said or even hinted that the protagonist is atoning for the sins of the villain, she is just trying not to get a “bad ending” like the game say she will. Anyways, so even though it has some of the things you mentioned before I still thinks it deserves a watch, specially when you are feeling down and you just want laughter.

[@valeriaperez5063]

Can you please give us your take on the “not like other girl” trope 😄 I think it would be really interesting... for example Tessa in after who is glorified because she doesn’t act like the girls around Harding, and just because of that she is the most interesting girl ever, just because she reads and doesn’t party

[@forestgrump4723]

I think they might have already done that one. That one is also known as the "tomboy" trope.

[@Maedchenausdemmeer]

I think the cool girl trope covers that

[@neus8383]

Yes, they did that in "the cool girl" trope

[@valeriaperez5063]

@@Maedchenausdemmeer I actually mean the trope of demonizing like feminine characteristics, for example Tessa in after who is glorified because “she doesn’t drink” or “doesn’t have sex” etc

[@valeriaperez5063]

@@Maedchenausdemmeer mmh 🤔 I’ve seen that video but that is actually not what I mean 😔

[@inscid179]

what about the trope that witches fly on broomsticks, using a tool commonly associated with domesticated women, to allow her to break free and fly away

[@Sapphire_Reacts]

can ya'll do a piece on why if a woman is upset with a man, instead of taking it out on him she attacks another female . For example in maleficent, she's angry with the king but instead of cursing him, she curses an innocent child

[@cris_ad]

Women are brought up to be in competition with each other.

[@Alwayshere5031]

his innocent child will hurt him more

[@paperbag0018]

This was portrayed on mythology as well, Athena cursed Medusa because Poseidon assaulted her when it should have been the other way around

[@cattherat-ss4kv]

@@paperbag0018 in some variations of the story it was because her beauty was why she was raped so she was made ugly to protect herself

[@spackar2720]

In the film, "Maleficent", Maleficent cursed the King's child because he took something precious from her, her wings. Therefore, she decided to hurt him by taking something precious from him, his child.

[@dominiquejones6758]

Please do a video on the parallel of the “Old Hag” versus the “Ignorant maiden”!

[@FilthyBitchGunClub]

You mean the Wizened Crone and the _young_ maiden? Open minded though naive, not ignorant so much as inexperienced.

[@c.w.r.794]

The Wicked Witch is one of the characters I gravitate towards most, because they’re really fun to play.

[@wtfisthis947]

same I would make an amazing wicked witch of the west i swearr

[@caleb282]

CONGRATULATIONS!!! getting a Netflix partnership, that's so exciting

[@kittykittybangbang9367]

Still not going to forgive them for Cuties

[@olanordmann1276]

I feel like J.K. Rowling have turn the witch trope around. For being a huge Harry Potter fan I see wizard and witches as the same. Both witches and wizard can be both good and bad, it depends on how they use their powers. Let's hope the big scale and popularity of Harry Potter will turn this trope around :)

[@kittykittybangbang9367]

Didn't JK Rowling said that Harry Potter or some aspects of Harry Potter were inspired by Christianity?

[@toriblackwood5920]

I love to see how the term "witch" has changed through the times. And I like how Dana Terrace in the Show "The Owl House" has add her spin to the term, and use it as a neutral term, as once was. And how a teen latina that didin't fit in our society is more "in home" there, in that magical world.

[@comparsa1]

I remembered an episode of Bewitched where Samatha felt outraged by how they represented the witches with their aunts and other older ladies, even talking about how Hazel and Gretel were the ones who looked for what happened to them by bandaging a house, God that chapter turned out be deeper, critical and advanced than I thought

[@grapeshot]

I read somewhere, till the 14th century witch was a gender-neutral term.

[@isaacgray2909]

It's because up until around the 18th-19th century, the term witch during the Middle Age and Renaissance simply meant someone who consort with the devil.

[@bloggerblogg5878]

@@isaacgray2909 yes, even men executed because they accused to be witches

[@izuto727]

Oh so that's why dana terrace make witch a gender neutral term in the boiling isles

[@laurenbray8314]

Yes, witch was anyone they deemed to be devil worshippers for whatever crazy reasons they could come up with. This included many men that we're killed because of it. But still they weren't accused nearly as much as women.

[@trent_king]

It still is what're you talking about?

[@gabrieladerre2862]

The VVitch, and the television series, Salem, especially the first two seasons, are the best, most accurate depiction of the aesthetics of Traditional/Classical Witchcraft that I've ever seen. And I've been a massive fan of all sorts of Witch-based media, since early childhood.

[@macdoeman4560]

I'm glad we're reclaiming the witch in modern times. As a kid, my first encounter with Witch topes, was "Bewitched." I always liked the black hat and cape, thought magic was cool, and even tried flying my own broomstick. That said, I never saw witches as scary until the film "Witches." Thankfully "Kiki's Delivery Service" helped defuse said fear. Point is, I more so saw witches as a type of superhero. I'm glad more and more people are doing the same. Hopefully we get to the point where it's less a slur, and more a compliment-like "wizard" for men ^^

[@thetake]

Episode 3 of our collaborative Netflix Film Club series “Take Two" is all about the film Rebecca! Is it really a love story? Watch now on the Netflix Film Club channel: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d6qreYSQms-oqNE

[@angierose1428]

Please do the girl and boy duo please

[@sandyruitenberg2928]

When I was younger I always wanted to ne a witch! I was never interested in being a princes and I was not really girly. And stories of witches, vampires and werewolves were my favourite! And I also loved dressing up as a witch or vampire!

[@shreyaghosh1792]

I wanted to be the princess of witches... remember the Halloween Town finale?

[@somethingcooliguess]

As a child, if I was pretending to be a princess or a mermaid, i was also secretly a good witch. Making potions, having a familiar and doing spells was way more fun. I wonder if it’s because princesses in stories didn’t have much to do. I wonder if little boys often pretended they had powers or were satisfied with realistic things to pretend to be.

[@samathajeanmonroe5575]

Uh oh we got a “not like other girls” one in here.

[@kittykittybangbang9367]

@@samathajeanmonroe5575 How? Just because someone is interested in some other thing that is not popular or common with his or her age group, that does not make them a NLTOG. Let people enjoy what they like.

[@chasityboatman4928]

Kiki's Delivery Service was my gateway to anime as a child. I still adore that movie and it holds a special place in my heart.

[@dandiestdryer]

Same! I watch that movie anytime I feel frustrated

[@BenHopkins1000]

I’m surprised (and a little disappointed) you left out The Owl House. Eda Clawthorne’s character is a slap to the face of half of the classic witch tropes (Very foxy for her age, gets along well with kids, has a non-sexual partnership with a demon)

[@Mskittenlover12]

Here's an intresting suggestion: The Crazy Cat Lady trope, explained. I'd like to see that one.

[@kittykittybangbang9367]

It's sad because Animal Hoarding is actually a real thing and could do a lot of damage, yet it's played for laughs.

[@grim_Auraxiliatrix]

It’s also interesting to note that most of the witches in his video have brown of black hair. Besides Sabrina and her aunts, there aren’t many canonical witches that are blonde in media. It’s because media likes to use blondes to portray innocence, something that that witch isn’t supposed to be. An earlier video of theirs details it way better than I can, but I think most witches in media are brunette because it’s easier to make them look evil. We see blonde and innocent, feeble, and desirable, brunette as smart, strong, and wicked.

[@kittykittybangbang9367]

I think The Take's video on where the dumb blonde came from, said something about how blond with associate with lust or something, while brunette where portrayed as more innocent. I think the example that use is how in some paintings Eve is portrayed as a blond, while the Virgin Mary is portrayed as a brunette.

[@grim_Auraxiliatrix]

@@kittykittybangbang9367 yes! I know exactly what video you’re talking about. Blondes are seen as sexy because of how rare natural blonde hair is in grown women. The immediate “sexy” appeal of a blonde is how rare she is. However, there are many children who are born blonde and whose hair darkens as they age, which is where blonde draw that connotation to innocence. It’s an interesting dichotomy, and one that can be applied to the brunette too. Brunettes have a sinister connotation because of the dark color of their hair (think dark haired bombshells and vixens). At the same time, they were connected to mothers as most mothers were brunette (the whole blond minority thing) Basically, they both have an innocent/malevolent dichotomy. Blondes are either infantilized as a clueless innocent to protect, or she’s a rare sexual beauty . Brunettes are either wicked women, or she’s a sexless mother. :)

[@trinketmage8145]

Tara from Buffy. Samantha from Bewitched. Scarlet Witch from MCU, SarahJessica Parker in Hocus Pocus, Glinda in Wizard of Oz, all(?) the witches in Sleep Hollow. Elsa in Frozen, the one that looked exactly like Chloe in Smallville, also Sabrina from the Witcher, Wynne from Dragon Age, Lux from league of Legends, Dark Magician Girl from Yugioh, Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter, the White Witch of Narnia...

[@sea_of_love]

releasing a witch related video on full moon and halloween! i see what u did there, The Take

[@13jq5ll]

Interestingly, it’s also a blue moon

[@sea_of_love]

@@13jq5ll yes!

[@daltonlee5839]

Am I the only person who really loved all of the witchcraft in Luca Guadagnino’s Suspiria remake?

[@angelicabianca631]

I fucking love that movie.

[@laurenbray8314]

Yeah I loved it too. And dare I say it, I like it better than the original lol.

[@bvrzak90]

I sincerely think Guadagnino’s Suspira is one of the great movies of our time. It’s treatment of women’s power and sexuality is maybe too ambiguous to fit neatly into this video’s take on the trope but I would have loved to see a discussion of how that movie fits into the evolving figure of the witch.

[@rhythmoriented]

THANK YOU for pointing this out. Covens are a frequently-depicted film concept, with my two favorite recent examples being Suspiria and The Neon Demon.

[@edcz559]

that film has the best witches representation i’ve ever seen.

[@Alias_Anybody]

In a world where magic is unisex, but the society is patriarchal, "witch" serves as a derogatory term. Basically it's good if men do it, but if "womenfolk" does it it's dangerous. I like the concept because it reflects the real world (no magic here, but just look which women are called witches) and can therefore be used for good allegories.

[@Anelleclosett]

This is one of the better anslisys from The take. This probably influenced society more than any other trope.

[@Danceofthesugarplumfairy]

Please do “The Queen” troupe!! ❤️

[@silvercheetah92]

I love witch characters ever since I saw Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost. I fell in love the Hex Girls and Tim Curry

[@poweroffriendship2.0]

Let's not distract you from the fact that the most powerful witch in the world was brutally murdered under the hands of Mr. Bean.

[@trinaq]

Yes, who knew that hapless, bumbling Mr Bean could successfully take down one of the most evil Witches of all time, who also moonlights as Morticia Addams?! 😈😉

[@Lemonnitenite]

wh a t

[@sammizzzle]

i adore anjelica huston..loved her as the grand high witch as horrid as she was tho.

[@chickofmusic001]

Ok...

[@i8jellydonut]

The witch, the seductress, the maiden, these are the archetypes I gravitate towards

[@kesahaider8689]

I had a crush on a guy, who disliked me and went as far as to call me a 'witch'. Zuhaib, if you are watching this, CHECKMATE...

[@availanila]

Hahaha 😅

[@amangoyal923]

Just when I was starting to think this isn't a channel for girls to whine....

[@kesahaider8689]

@@amangoyal923 Just when you think you can speak freely about your life experiences, a nosy boy would barge in and express his disapproval with it.....

[@theoneonyoutube4925]

@@amangoyal923 Quit whining.

[@RuthlessTides]

I had someone call me a witch. I told them thanks for the compliment.

[@0ChildStar]

This was a good show called, "Always a Witch". It was about a 19 year old slave girl who was burned at stake for witch craft. It takes place in Colombia, South America. I loved the music in this show. 😊

[@the-ma-an]

"You're so nice. You're not good, you're not bad, you're just nice. I'm not good, I'm not nice, I'm just right. I'm the witch. You're the world!" -The Witch (Into the Woods)

[@Quackervoltz]

This is why we stan Fear Street, which has the "witch" of the story be a victim of fearmongering and hate and the good puritan man in power is the true villain

[@AxelleDRouge]

I grew up with Sabrina and Harry Potter, and I never forget how thankful I am for that. I had this fantasy about witchcraft and powers, but it allowed me to assume who I was early and gain confidence, despite the need to conform to society (especially in middle school). I loved the subject and studied it extensively (mostly the history) and learned a lot from many witches characters and stories. they were the stories about women and girls that were truly in control of their lives

[@brandchan]

I'm glad you included some anime I'd recommend checking out Belladonna of Sadness. Which fits pretty perfect with this trope but also one of the most aggressively 70's art-house pieces I've ever seen. Very much worth a watch.

[@teresablue2553]

An interesting take, but don't you think fear of other religions (and their empowerment of women) has something to do with it?

[@waffles658]

Literally the main reason 💀 Christianity directly clashed paganism and with the old catholic Christianity came patriarchal values and control. So they are linked but I just wished they talked about it

[@marinakukenbach3851]

@@waffles658 The Roman Empire was also very patriarchial , as we're the Ancient Greeks and most of History they we're pagan. Romans were also not very fond of magic practices. Sorry, but patriarchy did NOT start with christianity, many so called pagan societies were very patriarchial too, despite having powerful goddesses like Artemis...

[@MarianaBandarra]

the female reproductive piece is obviously related to wise women aiding in abortion for unwanted pregnancies - knowing the right tea to take, for instance... or the right time in the cycle to deny the husband sex...

[@roguejester4986]

" No such thing as a male witch" That's what you call warlocks and wizards.

[@nahttina]

such an interesting subject!!! Thank you

[@itsmegiogene]

"WE ARE THE GRANDDAUGTHERS OF THE WITCHES YOU WEREN'T ABLE TO BURN."

[@lisamarie5937]

A weird saying, because witches who were burned could still have descendants. They just had to reproduce before they were burned.

[@hokagedlo6133]

Funny thing is witches were never burned in America not in a large scale at least they were hung witches were burned at the stake at large scale in Europe

[@jadziawynter9241]

Yes! Thank you guys I have been waiting for this trope!

[@zarangoma7822]

Isn't Maleficent a fairy and not a witch? Her name in the original sleeping beauty is 'The Dark Fairy'

[@adarateranroldan]

Mentioned at 14:45

[@zarangoma7822]

@@adarateranroldan oh ok thx

[@isabelfornos6589]

i’m eaaaaarly! the earliest i’ve ever been 💓💓💓 i love The Take ✨

[@indiamarie2952]

It can also be noted that more of the villains have sultry deep voices, whereas the “good” girls usually have really childish baby like innocent voices.

[@fakename3440]

I was just watching chilling adventures of sabrina when this was uploaded.

[@trinaq]

You definitely have excellent timing! Adore your profile picture, by the way! ♥️👏🏾

[@kittykittybangbang9367]

Every time I see Sabrina I can't help but think of Rose Lalonde when I see her.

[@pharrigan-hikes]

13:47 Merlin! Its been a while since I've watched that awesone show.

[@SaunterVaguelyDown]

I know i was surprised they included so many scenes. I'll never really forgive Bradley for leaving and the writers for dragging it out then having the climax and resolution all in the last few min of the last episode. Horrible!

[@casper7319]

This is great analysis, but I wish they went a little more into how "bad" witches physical appearances typically include ethnic features, and how that is a huge part of why they are considered "ugly"

[@maheenm.k1015]

@shogun harlem the commentor wasn't talking about why they were ugly, they were talking about the so called "ugly features" associated with them being ethnic features. Work on your reading comprehension.

[@v.v365]

I like that you included a few clips of the first ever magical girl, who was a witch. Not many people know about her nowadays.

[@forestgrump4723]

Is that that black and white cartoon? What is that? I would very much like to watch it

[@v.v365]

@@forestgrump4723 I think it’s called something like Minky Momo? Maybe? I don’t know how it’s spelled

[@NiamhCreates]

"...and why there's a little witch in all of us." Me, a Witch, giggling at this.

[@RuthlessTides]

Same. Been a practitioner for 21 years.

[@NiamhCreates]

@@RuthlessTides Same here! I've been a practicing Witch since 1999.

[@Cilibi]

I literally went as a witch for Halloween because I love them, I love their command of their powers and their confidence.

[@Randomdudefromtheinternet]

(4:52) Geralt: “How about a round of Gwent?”

[@OvSpP]

Witches aren't the torture villain, they're the tortured *victim.*

[@OvSpP]

@Manophere. com 😪

[@bbytiia]

@Manophere. com dude

[@13realmusic]

Y'all are so quick with the relevant content these days, whew wish I was still actually working from home

[@konraddygudaj257]

"He bade me bring him an unbaptized babe, so I stole Sam, and I gave him to my master. And I'll make any man or thing else vanish I like." The VVitch: A New-England Folktale

[@trinaq]

Ooh, a very suspenseful quote! Wishing you a Happy and Spooky Halloween! 🦇🎃👻

[@konraddygudaj257]

@@trinaq Same to you 🦇🎃👻

[@vanesalodico7798]

Is that a book??

[@konraddygudaj257]

@@vanesalodico7798 Movie.

[@AliciaNyblade]

Fantastic video! I would like to add that another historical factor for witchcraft accusations was misunderstanding customs and women who served their communities. Folk magic and festivals, even after they'd been given a new Christian twist, were mistaken for evil-doing. And those who still worshiped the old gods, particularly the male horned deities of nature such as Pan and Cernunnos, were portrayed as having sold their souls to Satan. Women who were local herbal healers and midwives were often accused of witchcraft if the town fell on tough times. And, fairytales and pop culture aside, to give in to your witchy powers isn't about "embracing the evil perception of you society already had"--in fact, using witchcraft for malicious or self-serving purposes is highly frowned upon by modern practitioners. Rather, it's about reclaiming the power social and patriarchal forces stole, to fully step into yourself as a woman (or man, or however you identify) and to use that healed, restored strength to empower yourself and others for the greater good. The word "witch" comes from the Anglo-Saxon word "wicca", which means "wise one", referencing to the aforementioned women whose herbal knowledge and sage advice were sought in their communities. Modern witches are reclaiming this definition, and it's wonderful to see films beginning to reflect that. Blessed be. )O(

[@Heothbremel]

A little surprised there wasn't mention of witches & LGBTQAI+ overlap, but I liked the overview regardless! :)

[@melodyclark1944]

Like lesbian witches? They didn't even talk about widow witches.

[@somethingcooliguess]

Yeah, it seemed like the only sexuality was witches seducing men to sire a child or “tempting” men (by existing). Lesbianism, female intimacy, even polygamous depictions of witches wasn’t really brought up.

[@VeelouC]

same considering how in older times, a woman not wanting kids, unmarried and secluded from society very much rings a bell towards her not being straight.

[@kraeva_ev3124]

Honestly, this is one of the best takes you ever did

[@BioshadowX]

It's mentioned in this video but I would love to hear your take on "a woman's intuition". In story telling it seems like it's used to handwave explanations or jump from one conclusion to another and the character's can agree and go along with it. On a society scale it seems like another way to sector women into certain roles, with the intuition seemingly only applying to taking care of children or house tending, while ascribing these brief moments of heroinism or insight to a whim, or just how women are, or burst of emotion (not always a bad thing but almost always why these thoughts are dismissed), rather than logical details like a male cop or detective might use in a similar story line. Again, curious on your take!

[@kristinbornemeier2523]

I wrote part of one of my term paper on this topic (The term paper was about how The Adventure of the Copper Beeches (A Sherlock Holmes short story) could be use to raise awareness about sterotypical gender portrayals in literature at school). This particular story both enforces and breaks with gender sterotypes such as "The Damsel in Distress" by presenting two seemingly contrasting female characters. Of particular interest is the main character of Violet Hunter who is portrayed as being cunning, independet and clever but in the end she still depends on the male characters to solve the mystery. While, Homes is mostly famous for is so called deduction, Hunter's own investigations are presented as depending on her woman's instinct. Now if we look at the difference between "deduction" and "instinct" it becomes clear that deduction focuses more on intelligence, rationality and science while instinct is something not rational and nothing you can really prove with facts and what could perhaps be even described as mere luck. PS: Sorry for my rambling

[@yara.7973]

0:52 ok but this outfit is super cute

[@ritadossantos4440]

"Would you love a woman who is able to fly?"

[@nommh]

I was spellbound,watching this. When I found out about the burning of witches and the Malleus Maleficarum at age 14 it turned me into a feminist with witchy leanings instantly. Great video!

[@melodyclark1944]

I made a Facebook group about that

[@ruonaogbodu2243]

I appreciate the maleficent movie more and more. Don’t forget Halloween town and wizards of waverly place, people had sticks and pencils in their boots because they wanted to be a witch like Alex Russo.

[@alexhyde8820]

I like this video. The one thing that might be missing from it is that witchcraft was also used on Buffy as a stand-in for Willow's relationship with Tara before the show got picked up by a different channel.

[@ayaehab]

You missed the Good Omens' witch, Agnes Nutter! She basically wrote the whole story lol and was seen as a witch cause she "jogged" and asked people too lol

[@philippschwarz4539]

She's a wonderful character. Her sarcasm had me laughing, and she gets revenge too. 😂

[@ayaehab]

@@philippschwarz4539 Yess!! and Anathema is worth mentioning too tbh

[@incryowl]

13:47 - AH, the irony of Morgana saying that to Merlin. Oh dear, the worst thing about the situation is that he COMPLETELY UNDERSTANDS. He was the only one who wanted to help you. But alas, everyone around him told him to leave you and it brought both of you a lot of pain...

[@edi9892]

No mention of dark Willow? Willow started as a damsel in distress, found power, got addicted to it and got pushed over the edge...

[@horace6851]

you both are amazing! I don't know if all your content is created by just the two of you, but wow, you're so smart

[@coolcat4kitty]

I definitely see the parallel in witches manipulating men through beauty and it being a betrayal of sorts with comments made by men of like take her swimming on the first date, and this fear that the women they choose would be actually “ugly” and that’s really interesting. I’m in the broom closet and lack consistency but I am a witch so I find it very interesting looking at these tropes and my own moral compass

[@lakouk1901]

Cool girl comforts masculinity, Manic pixie dream girl inspires masculinity, tough girl challenges masculintity and witch girl deconstructs masculinity.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

I wanted to be a Witch too. Such fun! There’s Drama but also empathy.

[@cjd8645]

Looovvvveee the trope vids!!! OMG, please continue to squeeze out all the tropes that you can!

[@KittySnicker]

I love how one minute women have a “low libido” and the next minute, we’re “insatiable.” Great video!!

[@MrBeetlejuice16]

Funny how the evil queen is evil because of her vanity, yet Snow White and the other early disney princesses are role models BECAUSE of their beauty... Oh, the irony