Salem Got Bewitched After All Was Said and Done
by Lillee Allee
At Noon on Wednesday, June 15, 2005, the controversy finally came to an end. TV Land and the Mayor of Salem dedicated the beautiful bronze statue in Lappin Park, on the corners of Exeter and Washington Streets in historic Salem, Massachusetts.
The Hee Haw Before
In retrospect, the hullabaloo that those against the statue made was rather misinformed and ridiculous. The statue is not huge, as some detractors stated. It is probably more like seven and a half feet than the over nine feet that had been previously reported. Samantha is not in a pointed hat with stereotypical witch clothes. She is simply sitting on a broom on a crescent moon and cloud. The landscaping that has been done around the park is an incredible asset to that section of the city. The 3,000 pound work of art will be owned and maintained by TV Land.
What was Lappin Park a year ago? It is at the end of the Essex Street Walkway (where the street becomes a street for car traffic again). For as long as I can remember, you would walk by the park and notice only some unsupervised teens, some homeless and even some drunks and drug users (late at night). The logic some locals used, saying the statue would damage the look and ambience of the park simply boggles the mind!
Another argument was the statue's proximity to the historic Daniel Low building (across the street) that once held a church. This is somehow supposed to be offensive to Christians. When the building was a mini-mall of little shops that sold witch merchandise, this was evidently not offensive. Now it is a beautiful restaurant that serves alcohol (and has had much of the original architecture such as the grand staircase removed), yet again, these recent changes were not offensive. The statue across the street is considered a bigger slap to the face.
Other people against the statue explained they would prefer to be known more for museums and the pirate history. This one to is too strange to comment on. From a tourism perspective, while museums are always an attraction, Salem does not have the only museums in a one hundred mile radius (with Boston just a hop down the coast). Pirates are not a major draw by themselves, and it is probably not the best image to build on. Will the Witch City change its logo to the skull and cross bones?
Salem has so much history and such a beautiful tapestry of attractions. One can always advertise all of its jewels, without removing the history of the infamous 1692 witch persecutions. For the last 30 or so years, Salem has done something most would admire: taking a tragedy and turn it into an educational experience for adults and children, and also provide a safehaven for those who call themselves Witches today.
There are far greater statues in Salem. A visitor should make sure to visit those of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Roger Conant, just to name a few. In one of the dedication ceremonies, it was called "whimsical" and it was emphasized that this statue of Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha Stevens was portraying that of a fictional TV witch, not a real indiviudual who lived in the past or present.
Lights, Cameras, Action
Being at the dedication was an experience I will not soon forget. Witches and fans of the fictional witch had come from as far as Buffalo, Florida and Montreal. Many local Witches were dressed so that people could recognize them as supporters. There were many, many other pagans in the audience. There were men in sweats and men in suits. Kids coming from school to see it with their class, and tourists who just happened to luck out on the right day.
What about the unveiling? Very tasteful, short and fun. An excellent job by TV Land. Director William Asher (and fomer husband of Elizabeth Montgomery, who died in 1995) Mrs. Tate (Kasey Rogers), Doctor Bombay (Bernard Fox) and Tabitha (Erin Murphy) were in attendance. More than one person wiped a few tears from their eyes, It brought childhood memories to mind for many of those attendees.
By all accounts, the vast majority of residents and tourists believe the statue to be nice and in good taste. The statue is bronze with Samantha sitting on a broom which is sitting on a crescent moon and a cloud. The exaggerting naysayers in town look like fools. The statue is not a huge mess. It is very delicate and around 7 feet - not over nine as some stated it would be. Sam is not making a mockery of Witches. She is not wearing a pointed hat. She is not in any way, shape, or form depicted as anything but what she is -- a fictional Witch we have all loved to watch. From all accounts, most people believe it is in good taste.
The bottom line? William Asher thanked TV Land and stated that he liked and approved of the statue.
Whether people like it or not, many have been drawn to Salem by those Bewitched episodes filmed here. They served to introduce a whole generation (now more than one) to the House of Seven Gables, the Hawthorne and Salem itself.
Over twenty years ago, Salem was in a economic slump, but that changed especially through tourism. The fact is that millions of dollars have been brought into this community due to the efforts of educators on American history, and Witches who wish to dispel the myths and teach the truth about what they believe. The new interest in WItchcraft, both past and present, is a positive development, especially for the residents of Salem.
The Marketing
While some people say you cannot get away from the Witch crap in Salem, at this gathering you could not get away from the politics of this mayoral election year. The mayor and his handling of the statue situation was the top pick for discussion whether the individuals were pro-statue or not. The WItches themselves seemed to get along with each other, despite the differences between groups, and were united for this common cause.
A mystery remains as to just how much the current administration in the city wants to maintain a happy medium and healthy balance between the Witchcraft industry and education and the other attractions. Some say that Mayor Stanley J. Usovicz Jr. accepted the statue on behalf of the City, but was worried about the decision. From newspaper accounts, it does seem that he was very careful to get other opinions and do what was right for Salem as a whole.
While there was preferred seating and a special dinner for the event, invitations were not extended to all media, and there was no obvious presence or representatives of local Witches in the VIP area or onstage during the unveiling. It is difficult to discern just whether this means the Mayor is against the Witch industry or not. It's an election year here in Salem. Time will tell. Meanwhile, the retailers are having a rough year already and hope that the Samantha statue can twitch up the earnings for their busy season.
The few protestors at the unveiling that cozied up to the media cameras, have gone home, Evidently, the rest of the Witch hype does not seem to bother them as that one statue does. More museums and attractions continue to pop around town, yet these protestors are not out and about questioning the tastefulness of pushing pirates as an educational or positive representative for Salem. One particular venue's advertising discusses witch hunt victim Giles Cory's bloodied mouth as he yelled "more weight" as he was crushed with heavy rocks, but again this for some reason is seen as more tasteful than the Samantha statue to some in town.
None of us can understand the new attraction to pirates in this town. If certain politicians and shop owners worry about the possible negative impact of Witches - pirates is a double arrrgh! According to the Mirriam Webster Dictionary online, pirates can be defined as:
1. One who robs at sea or plunders the land from the sea without commission from a sovereign nation.
2. One who preys on others; a plunderer.
3. One who makes use of or reproduces the work of another without authorization.
4. One that operates an unlicensed, illegal television or radio station.
Somehow, the argument for pirates being a more suitable marketing image for the city seems rather weak at best. One cannot take anything away from the Peabody-Essex Museum or any other educational and/or historical attractions, but a simple trip around town, talking to the tourists will prove that the vast majority are here for the Witches - real, fictional, past and present.
copyright 2005 JDA/LCA First Church of Satan http://churchofsatan.tv