Checking In With The Witches Next Door
Last month I reported (skeptically) about a Wiccan family appearing on TLC’s new reality series “My Unique Family”. The episode, entitled “The Witches Next Door”, featured Rev. Kendra Vaughan Hovey, elder high priestess of Duxbury’s First Church of Wicca, and her family as they struggled with their day-to-day life. The episode in question aired on Monday, and feedback from Pagans who watched the show has been appearing in the blogosphere. Surprisingly, it seems that the Hovey family acquitted themselves well, and that TLC didn’t pull any of the usual reality-television dirty tricks.

The Hovey Family: Kendra, Tim, Alana, and Alec
“For once, I was actually quite surprised and pleased with it. The family was portrayed as being regular people who had regular concerns within their family and in daily life. It seems that the main theme of this episode was religious tolerance, which makes sense to me. There are so many people that do not have an understanding of Pagan religions for several reasons, including not having any exposure to it. One thing that struck me was that Rev. Kendra Vaughan Hovey said that she would rather have people say things to her face rather than saying things behind her back. That way, they have a chance for communication and education.” – S. Nichole, A Pagan Sojourn
“I have to say that I was pleased beyond my wildest expectations. It was a fair and honest portrayal of the Wiccan faith. It was a fair and honest portrayal of an American family who just happens to follow a faith that is outside the societal norms. It showed the good and the bad (each child expresses feelings of being “left out” because of how busy their mother is with her with her congregation responsibilities).” – Mama Kelly, A Blog of Two Witches
“I was really presently surprised though! The family was as normal as can be, the father was an IT consultant and the mother ran the First Church of Wicca in her town and was a full-time mom. Take away the pentacle and she could have been any religious minister. They are raising their two children in the Wiccan path but they also are prepared to let them walk their own path if they so choose.” – Jaspenelle Stewart, Graceful Symmetry
More reviews of the episode can be found, here, here, here, and here.
In reading over all the reviews I have found so far, it seems the main criticism of the show is aimed at Rev. Hovey’s insistence on constantly wearing a Christian clerical collar everywhere she went no matter what she was doing. But aside from that issue, the feedback seems generally positive. So congratulations to the Hovey family for winning the reality television lottery*, a positive portrayal of a modern Pagan faith in one of the most sensationalist formats ever invented.
*Like winning the lottery, the chances of another Pagan family experiencing the same treatment is on par with being struck several times by lightning on a clear day while taking a walk. So remember my semi-official guideline for Pagans and reality television, if it isn’t Oprah (or TLC I guess), just say no.
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