The “Charmed” Audience: Gender and the Politics of Contemporary Culture
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Rebecca Feasey The “Charmed” Audience: Gender and the Politics of Contemporary Culture Existing work on gender and the politics of With this in mind then, if one considers that the television culture suggests that seemingly tough long-running Charmed (1998- ) series has been girls such as Emma Peel (The Avengers, 1961- dubbed “Charlie’s Angels with broomsticks” and 1969), Jaime Sommers (The Bionic Woman, “Charlie’s Witches,” respectively, it is interesting 1976-1978) and Jill Monroe (Charlie’s Angels, to consider the ways in which this contemporary 1976-1981) were less action chicks than they were text can be understood in a wider debate about powder puffs. After all, despite the seemingly female power, strength and surface appearance in active roles that these characters played from the post-feminist period.4 week to week, the strength, intellect and autonomy I have previously suggested that a of these women was routinely undermined in a relationship exists between the women of variety of ways, including marriage, male-rescue Charmed and the politics of post-feminism, due and masquerade.1 Moreover, these programs to the fact that those ideas of power, sisterhood, have been critiqued for emphasizing the surface style and desire that recur throughout recent appearance and sexual attractiveness of their stars work on contemporary feminism by Charlotte as a way in which to diffuse the threat posed by Brunsdon, Joanne Hollows, and Jacinda Read5 second wave feminism.2 With these notions of are the very same ideas that are routinely feminism, feminine beauty and desirability in showcased in the Charmed universe.6 However, mind then, it is relevant to consider the ways because this study was based solely on textual in which representations of today’s tough girls analysis, I was only able to theorize about the can be understood within a wider discussion of pleasures available to the viewer. With this in contemporary feminism. mind then, it is necessary to look at the reception Theorists such as Charlene Tung, Renny of the text in question. Therefore, rather than Christopher, Sarah Projansky and Leah R. Vande focus on the ways in which the viewer could Berg have recently praised the representation or should read Charmed as an empowering site of strong female characters such as secret agent of post-feminism, it is relevant to consider the Sydney Bristow (Alias, 2001- ), Officer Aeryn audience as the author of meaning. After all, Sun (Farscape, 1999-2003) and Xena Warrior if one considers that “the popular media are Princess (Xena: Warrior Princess, 1995-2001) for never feeding their audience a single message challenging earlier representations of beautiful, about women’s roles”7 and that a single text feminine and heterosexually desirable heroines.3 can offer countless different, if not altogether However, although contemporary theorists seem contradictory, messages for the female viewer, happy to applaud such shows for their characters’ then it is worth noting the ways in which the combination of intelligence and physical action, Charmed viewer locates meanings and pleasures they seem reluctant to examine those protagonists from the popular text in question. However, who combine female strength and femininity. before I examine the ways in which Charmed A SCREEN OF ONE’S OWN 39 Heather Osborne-Thompson, editor, Spectator 25:2 (Fall 2005): 39 - 48. THE “CHARMED” AUDIENCE becomes meaningful for its audience, it is Targeting the Charmed Audience necessary for me to give a brief overview of the program, its schedule and its target audience. In terms of scheduling these modern multi- tasking witches for the viewing public, it is Charmed worth noting that the British cable and satellite channel LivingTV is currently showing early Charmed is a glossy supernatural drama that episodes of Charmed back to back every weekday explores the relationship between twenty- afternoon, and airing the most recent series of something sister witches, who, after finding the supernatural program on Thursday evenings. out that they possess supernatural powers, are With this in mind, I would argue that the channel’s reluctantly thrown into a world of magic and a dedication to this supernatural program provides lifetime of sorcery. The eponymous “Charmed evidence of a unique relationship between the ones” are Prue, Piper, Phoebe and Paige Halliwell target demographics of the channel and the target played by Shannon Doherty, Holly Marie Combs, demographics of the program in question.8 Alyssa Milano and Rose McGowan. Prue is the According to Joanne Lacey’s recent work on head-strong and highly-driven older sister who LivingTV, we are told that the channel provides has stood in as the authority figure of the family programming to meet the needs of its core female since her mother’s early death, the sister who audience.9 However, rather than simply trying to has the ability to move objects with her mind, target all women, Lacey argues that the channel and the sister who gave up her steady job in an targets specific categories of what its marketing auction house to follow her dream as a freelance calls “modern” women. We are informed that photographer. Piper is the highly-strung middle these “modern” women would rather identify with sister who has the ability to freeze time and the the feisty television actor and late-night comedy sister who changed the focus of her career from presenter Liza Tarbuck than the maternal face of restaurant manager to club owner and became a morning television, Lorraine Kelly, and, moreover, single mother when her dream marriage to Leo would rather watch Cold Feet (1998-2003), a Wyatt/Brian Krause, her guardian-angel-esque quirky comedy about thirty-something couples “whitelighter” ended in separation. Phoebe is the than Heartbeat (1992- ), the gentle feel-good drama carefree younger sister of the original “Charmed about a British police constable and his doctor wife. ones” who has the powers of premonition, the Similarly, we are informed that these “modern” empath and levitation, the sister who graduated women would rather dine at the trendy Pizza Express as a psychology major before taking a high-profile over the child-friendly Pizza Hut, and likewise that job as an advice columnist, and the sister who these same women would rather exercise at their falls in love with, marries and then vanquishes local gym than count calories at their local Weight Cole Turner/Julian McMahon—a half-demon Watchers meeting.10 Although Lacey’s work does turned mortal lawyer. Paige is the long-lost half not provide a detailed breakdown of the LivingTV sister who joined the series in its fourth season audience in terms of age, class, ethnicity or income, to recreate the power of three after the character what the research does provide is an attitudinal of Prue was written out of the series. Paige is a description of the target audience in question. And it young, free and single caring social worker turned is this physically fit and forward-thinking LivingTV full-time witch who has the power of telekinesis viewer that is relevant to my ethnographic research and the ability to “orb” between planes. for this particular paper. 40 FALL 2005 REBECCA FEASEY Examining the Charmed Audience of television’s active heroines and the politics of contemporary popular culture. On more than one In order to explore the ways in which viewers create occasion male respondents nominated girlfriends meaning from the Charmed universe, I wanted to and daughters for my discussion group. For recruit members of the program’s audience for example, one male stated, “I’m nominating my a small group discussion.11 With this in mind, I girlfriend to talk with you about Charmed—it’s decided to enlist participants by an email request not my cup of tea, but she is a huge fan;” another to both staff and students at Bath Spa University suggested, “my daughter loves Charmed and will College. The email request was brief, asking the happily talk to you about it … I vaguely watch it questions: 1) do you watch Charmed? 2) if so, … but what the hell do I know.”13 Either way, it would you like to take part in a short research is clear that the potential male audience views the project? Because prospective participants should program as a popular cultural text not worthy of be told what the purpose of the discussion group is, their popular or critical attention. Therefore, in who the researchers are and what they represent,12 order to locate an audience who would be happy to I included a short paragraph outlining the purpose both think and talk about their viewing pleasures, of my research project and the participant’s role in it soon became clear that I would be focusing on a the research. My email request stated, “Although female audience. With this in mind then, I chose Charmed has become the focus of recent academic to hold a small discussion group with five female debate, theorists continue to overlook the ways viewers who responded to my initial email. Rather in which this popular program is understood by than extend my search in order to access a broad its audience. Therefore, I would like to arrange range of respondents of differing ethnicity, class a small discussion group with members of the and age profiles, I decided that my initial research Charmed audience in order to discover the would be based on a small discussion group with meanings and pleasures on offer in this particular a sample of Living TV’s target viewer—namely text. If you, or anyone that you know locally white, “modern” women, ages twenty to twenty- watch this program and would be happy to talk to eight.14 me and other members of the Charmed audience, At the outset of the discussion I outlined the please contact me.” purpose of the research, the reason for recording The responses that I received were in the session, the notion of anonymity, the right themselves rather telling in terms of a discussion to withdraw from the proceedings, and, finally, According to Joanne Lacey, Living TV’s core female audience prefers Liza Tarbuck (left) Pizza Express (middle) and Cold Feet (right).