Wicca and Reality Television (Again)
The history of Wiccans in reality television isn’t exactly stellar. You had Fiona Horne’s starring role in “Mad Mad House”, “scary” Mary O’Leary from the UK version of “Big Brother”, the Eckhart family on the never-aired show “Welcome to the Neighborhood”, the vaguely Pagan-ish New Age D’Amico-Flisher family on “Trading Spouses” (which caused the now-famous freak-out by Christian mom Marguerite Perrin) and the infamous Wiccan priestess Donna Thompson on “Wife Swap”. So I’m always a little leery when I read about yet another Wiccan family signing up for the reality television merry-go-round.
The Hovey Family: Kendra, Tim, Alana, and Alec
“Television viewers, prepare to be shocked when you see what one Wiccan family on the South Shore does virtually undetected. They go out for ice cream. Among the reasons people willingly partake in reality TV shows, promoting religious tolerance isn’t high on the list. But for the Rev. Kendra Vaughan Hovey, elder high priestess of Duxbury’s First Church of Wicca, and her husband, Tim, it’s the sole reason they agreed to star in an episode of a new series on The Learning Channel called “My Unique Family.” For the entire month of October, the Hoveys and their children Alec, 11, and Alana, 8, were filmed, followed and interviewed – at home, at church, going to work and, yes, even going out for ice cream. More than 200 hours of footage was compressed into the one-hour program scheduled to air at 10 p.m. Monday, Feb. 19.”
Will The Learning Channel be more sympathetic and fair than previous reality programs? Even the family has its concerns over their imminent television portrayal.
“They haven’t yet decided if they’ll do anything special when the show airs. One member of the congregation suggested watching together on a big-screen TV, but, the Hoveys said they’re still a little worried about whether they’ll be left smiling or doing damage control that night.”
As I have said before, reality programs (for the most part) aren’t looking to normalize outsider views and faiths, just to put them on (highly edited) display. A sanitized freak-show for our modern era. No matter how positive or good-intentioned there is always a touch of outlandishness inherent in these programs, and while I always hope for the best I’m sure there was a reason the show picked a priestess who insists on wearing a Christian clerical collar.
Then again, you’ll also note they picked a Wiccan tradition that is following a congregational model (200-strong according to Rev. Hovey) instead of the more traditional coven structure. So perhaps this might be a rare normalizing effort on the part of TLC. I guess we will just have to wait and see what the show’s editors decided to portray.
13 responses so far
Wait.. she’s wearing a clerical collar? I’m so very confused.
Clerical collar . . . “congregation” of 200. This is what I fear: we are going to turn into Protestant Pagans. Pretty soon we will be sitting in pews while someone draws down the Moon . . . or pretends to.
Ray Buckland (I see that he is calling himself “the father of American Wicca” on his web site now) went in for a dog collar for a time in the late 1970s.
He argued that it was the sign of a priest, and he was a Pagan priest, and therefore . . .
His was lavender with an embroidered pentagram on it.
I can kind of see why someone leading a congregation and wishing for public acknowledgement as clergy would wear a collar…but does it look like fetish-wear to anyone else?
(ducks)
She was a Wiccan UU before becoming the PPP (Pagan Parish Priestess), as she says in this sermon:
http://www.firstchurchofwicca.org/files/The_Sunday_Wiccan.doc
Of course she felt unfulfilled in her spiritual needs and moved on.
As a Wiccan in a mixed faith marriage, I’m looking forward to seeing this episode. I have my doubts as well, but I must say I just watched last Sunday’s episode about the family that is working through the father’s transgender transformation. I thought it really captured the power of their relationship and the strength of their resolve to keep their family together. It is a moving story and I thought the show portrayed them with diginity. I hope they do they same for Wiccans.
I watched with synical anticipation I can’t help myself. I wanted to note what I thought was the nicest thing about the program… It appears as though the children – every single kid even the neighbors had a better idea about spirituality than any adult that was interviewed. Made me smile on the inside. Other than that the program was fine – the collar confused me a little thought.
FWIW, I saw this episode last night. I was struck by how similar that family’s experience was to my own growing up, albeit I grew up as a conservative Christian. My parents were into it. I saw a lot of similarities. If the goal was to show that there are similarities, I believe it was accomplished. After all, there is not one truly universal branch of either Wicca or Christianity (no matter what the Popes claim).
This Priestess was counseling my sister in law and her wife (yes, they’re lesbians, so what). She has subsequently seduced my sister in law, broken up the marriage and has moved the woman into her family. It’s a polyamorous relationship. Whose idea of NORMAL is this? Is this what Wiccan is all about? This seems completely unethical and selfish to me. She’s taken advantage of a woman who although intelligent and good hearted, only lacks direction. Try to imagine how confusing this must be for the children, who suddenly have 2 mommies. This is wrong on every level. If you fall in love with somebody that you’re not married to and want to be with them, get a divorce and do it. This can only end tragically for my sister in law, while I have no doubt that “Dr.” Kendra will emerge from the inevitable trainwreck unscathed. If there are powers in the universe that care about justice, I am sure that they have Kendra in their crosshairs even as I write this.
How the heck did you find these people? and the picture? just cuz they were on TV? Alec is my friend!
Does anyone know what the heck she did in her workshop to make so many people upset at the 2008 Maine Pagan Pride Day event?
(see http://www.mainepaganprideday.com )
No, This is not what Wicca Or Paganism is all about. Have an issue whith the person NOT the religion!
I do have an issue with the person. I knew and dated her while in college and she was a pathological liar who followed the Jewish faith and went by a completely different name. Her first name was Carolyn but out of respect for her family I will not post her last. I have no doubt that this is an effort to exploit the “Not-For-Profit” status that a church and/or clergy enjoy and to bilk her congregation out of any monies that they choose to contribute. I can not fault them as she can be quite engaging but please know and be aware of what you are contributing to. She will ride this train as long as she can and will then move on leaving her “congregation” confused, lost and pennyless.
[...] her show with Fiona Horne. For a full recap of these shows and excellent commentary, click here and here. I wonder what these witches set out to do, and how did it all fall out when it was all [...]