In spite of number of gay actors, the subtext I also read was as a fantasy metaphor for a middle class guy marrying into a rich family, not accepting money from his wifes rich family and trying to keep her from using her money to escape the traditional wife as servant role. Witches are powerful, pretty much immune to anything mortals can do, and able to torment them as much as they choose. (It is canonical in the series that no real witches were hanged in Salem only people falsely accused.) Think of how the family lives - hobnobbing with royality, expensive clothes, taking up any hobbies they want with no need to work. Much more like jet setters than gay subculture. And one time when Serena thinks her powers are gone for good she decides to marry a rich man, cause "the next best thing to witchcraft is richcraft". (From memory so a paraphrase rather than an exact quote".)

Yeah I watched a LOT of Bewitched as a kid. I think I had a crush on Elizabeth Montgomery even though I was too young to know what a crush was.

I too loved Bewitched, but I was not a Serena fan. As a little kid, I loved order and really wasn't good with shows that upset my idea of order - so I was completely on board with Samantha having an orderly life and I saw Endora, the "witch doctor" and Serena as potentially fucking up her situation. I was so nervous for Samantha all the time and I really was bothered by the way Samantha's mother treated Darrin.

I totally wanted Tabitha's powers, by the way.

As a kid I loved Serena because she was a brunette, and I really wanted Darrin to grow up and get over the whole witch thing. I hated that he thought he could tell her what to do. So I guess I was more on the mother's side.

Yeah, his just out and out ordering not to use witchcraft (except in emergencies) bothered me even as a small child. I thought not wanting his life dominated or taken over by witchcraft was reasonable, but not simply giving orders. I always thought they should have negotiated a set of rules for her use of witchcraft - one that would have let Samantha express herself, and not get stuck with a bunch of boring chores Darin did not have to do. With some rules for Darin too, like not being so quick to be rude to Endora.

Yeah, his just out and out ordering not to use witchcraft (except in emergencies) bothered me even as a small child.

Hmmm... the theme song to Green Acres bugged me more as a child. You know, where they argue about where to live, and the guy says, "You are my wife" and the woman says, "Goodbye city life!"

I did occasionally wonder, "Why can't she use her powers?" though....

but she used her powers every show, so it never really bothered me.

Green Acres horrified me, as I was living in the country dreaming of NYC.

Green Acres horrified me, as I was living in the country dreaming of NYC.

Heh. Me too. Except it was Chicago and San Francisco in my case, as I hadn't been to NYC yet.

ditto Green Acres bugging. I was also very annoyed by both Darrin and Endora and I had a major pre-teen crush on Samantha. I remember hating Serena when I was little but later on she made me quite excited.

yeah that whole "no witchcraft" shit that Darrin pulled was bad news. I had forgotten that! I loved the ep where they were locked in the house because of magic buildup and after that she had to use magic every day.

If my spouse had magical powers, he would be using his DAILY.

What if Shakespeare wrote "The Big Lebowski?"

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