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Boycotting Discovery Networks for misrepresenting Wicca
This is a letter I wrote on the boards of the Discovery networks and I copied and pasted to here.
October 27, 2009.
I just finished watching an episode of "A Haunting, 'Spellbound'" and I feel hurt and dicsriminated against. There was a previous discussion on the Discovery netowrks boards last year about this episode and it is closed now. I didn't see this show until today, and I felt I had to reopen this topic. For the Dicovery channel to allow this show to be aired more than once, if at all, is appalling. This is not Wicca. We don't even believe in the 'devil', though we do recognise a form of horned god. On the other board there was a woman who claimed to be the mother in the episode and she stated that the show was only loosly based on a book. She went on to say that they misconstrued her interviews by ommitting some of her statements and that the end scene with stuff coming out of the walls was nothing like what happened. She was hurt by the directors portrayal of the events and the was it slanted what she said. She expressed great remorse that the show came out the way it did.
This episode is a blantant misrepresentation of my religion to perpetuate fear and misunderstanding of Wicca. It is so skewed and contorted so that it instills fear in those who aren't educated in aceptance of other religions and makes it look 'evil'. To me it was so ridiculous and offensive and I felt helpless knowing that some people, that I may come across in life one day, will have based thier view of my religious beliefs and myself on THAT episode. With the information they were given, it would be terribly wrong. I am not going to watch "A Haunting" ever again and I am boycotting all the Discovery networks for a period of at least one year and possibly more until an apology is produced to the Wiccan community and that episode and any other that is intoloerant is taken out of the line up. I am going to sperad the word of my boycott to others.
I believe that the director did take great liberties to scare and shock its audience without care of the harm he was causing and the perpetuation of hate against Wicca. I am not going to 'lash out' at other religions for past wrongs as so many do in religous debate, as it is not my place and I think it is wrong and not a step in the right direction toward acceptance. I will live my life as an example of a kind, thoughtful, person who believes in Wicca. That is how I will represent myself. I will, however, hold organizations, the media and idividuals who contort and misrepresent my beliefs to others so it is seen as 'evil', accountable when they lie to get leverage, money or ratings. I expect more from the Discovery channels.
October 27, 2009.
I just finished watching an episode of "A Haunting, 'Spellbound'" and I feel hurt and dicsriminated against. There was a previous discussion on the Discovery netowrks boards last year about this episode and it is closed now. I didn't see this show until today, and I felt I had to reopen this topic. For the Dicovery channel to allow this show to be aired more than once, if at all, is appalling. This is not Wicca. We don't even believe in the 'devil', though we do recognise a form of horned god. On the other board there was a woman who claimed to be the mother in the episode and she stated that the show was only loosly based on a book. She went on to say that they misconstrued her interviews by ommitting some of her statements and that the end scene with stuff coming out of the walls was nothing like what happened. She was hurt by the directors portrayal of the events and the was it slanted what she said. She expressed great remorse that the show came out the way it did.
This episode is a blantant misrepresentation of my religion to perpetuate fear and misunderstanding of Wicca. It is so skewed and contorted so that it instills fear in those who aren't educated in aceptance of other religions and makes it look 'evil'. To me it was so ridiculous and offensive and I felt helpless knowing that some people, that I may come across in life one day, will have based thier view of my religious beliefs and myself on THAT episode. With the information they were given, it would be terribly wrong. I am not going to watch "A Haunting" ever again and I am boycotting all the Discovery networks for a period of at least one year and possibly more until an apology is produced to the Wiccan community and that episode and any other that is intoloerant is taken out of the line up. I am going to sperad the word of my boycott to others.
I believe that the director did take great liberties to scare and shock its audience without care of the harm he was causing and the perpetuation of hate against Wicca. I am not going to 'lash out' at other religions for past wrongs as so many do in religous debate, as it is not my place and I think it is wrong and not a step in the right direction toward acceptance. I will live my life as an example of a kind, thoughtful, person who believes in Wicca. That is how I will represent myself. I will, however, hold organizations, the media and idividuals who contort and misrepresent my beliefs to others so it is seen as 'evil', accountable when they lie to get leverage, money or ratings. I expect more from the Discovery channels.
Comment
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Comment by Nikki on November 6, 2009 at 8:50am
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I watched that episode the other day. I was shocked at the outrageous claims and 'tweaked with' footage. I'm right behind you all the way.
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Comment by strangehappenings on October 29, 2009 at 8:53pm
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I have also added a boycott and written a letter to Goziac.com who is an advertiser on the message board of "A Haunting".
This is the letter that I just wrote them:
I am writing to inform you that as a member of Wiccan faith, I am boycotting the Dicovery Networks due to the blatant misrepresentation of the Wiccan religion through its televison show 'A Haunting, "Spellbound" '. Your company, as an advertiser on said message boards, will be included in that boycott. I have posted my intentions of boycott on the message boards of 'A Haunting' and spread the word of my boycott of all things having to do with the Discovery networks, channels, advertisers and sponsers until this episode is taken form the lineup. The misinformation of my religon in this episode is the eqivalent of saying that the Jews and Christians fought on Tuesdays with Butterscotch pudding. Absurd, and quite frankly frightening, that the Discovery channel would allow such misinformation to be shown in thier name. I hope that your organization will pressure the Discovery channel to be accountable for the information that it allows to air.
Thank you for your time.
Carol
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About halfway through the program it gets worse - if that is possible - but I'm referring to the blatant misrepresentation of Wicca, not the 'el-cheapo' acting and production.. 'A Haunting" is certainly not a quality production, but I used it as background when folding laundry - but never again. LOL! There actually are many great vids on Wicca on Youtube. Unfortunately, Discovery didn't decide to air something truthful....
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Comment by Rebecca (Community Moderator) on October 28, 2009 at 8:35am
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Hi. Thank you for posting this information. I watched a couple of minutes on youtube.com and its such a bad production value that I can't enjoy that kind of blatant dramatization reenactment. However, , after looking a the HUGE amounts of complaints on the Discovery Network blog site, I wanted to suggest that someone do a video about Wicca to set the facts straight, and put it on youtube and other similar sites. Plus, someone can always call the Discovery Channel from the US and if persistent, can determine the right people to have letters sent to, regarding this programming. Of course the top executives are always best!
In general, I enjoy many programs on the DC but if this is blatantly false information as you suggest, the particular executives and producers should at least be reprimanded by viewers directly, and to their direct bosses also.
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