4/10/2024: How To Win The Bachelor 101 + Final Thoughts

 

For my final blog post, I found it fitting to connect witchcraft and magic to one of the most important, relevant aspects of my life– The Bachelor. This cheesy, trashy melodrama holds a dear place in my reality TV-loving heart. My parents have tuned in to ABC every Monday night to watch the show since its 2002 inception. Growing up, I heard “Will you accept this rose” in the background noise of my living room more times than I can count. While I used to criticize this stupid show, I have grown to love the mindless escape it provides from my busy life every Monday night. As I was watching this most recent season, I could not believe it when I saw a Voodoo doll during episode 1– just a week after we discussed Voodoo in class! 

Kelsey, a contestant on the show and New Orleans native, stepped out of the limo with a Voodoo doll lookalike of the bachelor, Joey. After introducing herself to Joey, she explained how his lookalike doll was meant to bring him good luck and protection on this journey of finding love. She then playfully kissed the doll on the cheek and Joey happily played along with the Voodoo magic, saying that he felt that kiss himself.  

The media certainly had mixed feelings about this entrance. While some thought it was a unique, memorable way to showcase her good wishes and New Orleans culture, others, succumbing to stereotypically negative connotations of Voodoo, thought she cast some sort of evil spell that was not appropriate to show on mainstream TV. Regardless, fans and critics alike were shocked to see the craziest part of this all– it worked. 

That’s right, Kelsey received Joey’s final rose and the two are now happily engaged. Whether it was pure coincidence or Voodoo magic, this little Joey-lookalike doll made quite the impact on the show and its buzz in the media. To get to the bottom of all this, I have decided to do a deep dive to debunk the negative connotations of Voodoo and explore its role in historical and modern culture.  

History of Voodoo

Through my research, I discovered that Voodoo is not a single homogenous religion, but rather, a syncretic religion that combines numerous beliefs with regional differences and lineages. Voodoo originated in the Caribbean, particularly in Haiti, and has its roots in West African Voudon tradition brought over by slaves. Enslaved Africans combined their traditional West African Vodun practices with elements of Roman Catholicism, as well as influences from indigenous Taíno and European folk magic; this blending of cultures and belief systems gave rise to the unique religion and practices of Voodoo. Moreover, Voodoo became deeply rooted in Haitian culture and played a significant role in the Haitian Revolution, which led to Haiti's independence from France. Voodoo practitioners, known as Vodouisants, used Voodoo rituals and ceremonies to aid the revolutionary effort and empower the Haitian people. After independence, Voodoo continued to thrive in Haiti, becoming an integral part of its national identity and culture. 

Voodoo In New Orleans

While Voodoo spread to various parts of the globe, one interesting place it has had a particularly strong influence on is New Orleans, Louisiana. Voodoo practices were first brought to New Orleans by enslaved Africans, particularly those from the West African kingdom of Dahomey. As the enslaved population grew in New Orleans, Voodoo beliefs and practices evolved, blending with local Creole culture. New Orleans has become home to many renowned Voodoo practitioners, especially Voodoo queens like Marie Laveau. These voodoo queens and other practitioners became influential figures, providing services such as healing, protection, and divination to the community.

Voodoo traditions have deeply influenced various aspects of New Orleans culture, including music, art, literature, and folklore. Voodoo-inspired music genres, such as jazz and rhythm and blues, emerged and became integral to the city's cultural identity. New Orleans' unique cuisine, with its use of herbs and spices, is also said to be influenced by Voodoo traditions. The city's vibrant annual festivals, such as Mardi Gras and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, often incorporate Voodoo-inspired elements and symbolism.

Beliefs & Practices

My research taught me that there really is no standardized dogma within Voodoo; two temples within the same city may teach different mythologies and completely different practices. While there is much variance within this religion, below are some generalized facts:

• Voodoo followers believe in one overarching God. However, instead of worshiping God directly, they worship thousands of spirits, called loa/lwa, which are each responsible for a specific domain of life. As such, believers will praise specific loa for specific reasons (like a farmer may give an offering to the spirit of agriculture). Followers also strongly believe in two worlds– the visible and invisible, the living and the dead (A History Of Magic, Witchcraft, & The Occult, 204).

• Traditionally, Voodoo rituals include sacrifices to loa. A variety of animals or items may be sacrificed, depending upon the loa being addressed. Animals are believed to provide “spiritual sustenance” to the loa. 

• Voodoo’s fundamental principle is that everything is spirit. Humans are spirits who inhabit the visible world, while lwa (spirits), mystè (mysteries), anvizib (the invisibles), zanj (angels), and the spirits of ancestors inhibit the unseen world. 

• Voodoo is rooted in core pillars: nature, healing, justice, and ancestral remembrance. 

Voodoo Dolls

Voodoo has received an undeserved reputation as a sinister, destructive religion associated with sorcery and black magic, largely due to its most sensational feature– Voodoo dolls. The crazy thing is that these dolls have little to do with the actual beliefs of Voodoo, and when they are used, it is not with malicious intent. Traditionally, rituals in West Africa or Haiti do not inflict harm on individuals. Instead, they are meant to heal. When hung from trees in cemeteries, dolls are intended to open and maintain lines of communication with the recently deceased. While Voodoo dolls are often portrayed in movies as being a way to harm or manipulate another person, they are more like a representation of another person that is used to appeal to the Voodoo spirits. Dolls are often linked to the person they are meant to represent with hair or distinguishing personal features, and the dolls are strengthened by attaching rose petals (for love), garlic or clover (for luck), or placing it between blue and white candles (for healing). 

In interviews, Kelsey mentioned that she met with a Voodoo practitioner in New Orleans before going on The Bachelor to ensure that her Joey doll was spiritually safe and would bring him nothing but luck and positivity. However, she still received backlash and witchy accusations, as the negative connotations of Voodoo dolls are deeply ingrained in the media we all consume daily. For instance, with just a simple Google search, the following pops up: 

WikiHow: How To Use Voodoo Dolls To Get What You Want

Notes taken. 

Relevance & Reflection

This exploration of Voodoo is a prime example of how this class connects to areas of life that I least expected– who knew that I would find a witchcraft connection on The Bachelor! As silly as this Voodoo doll controversy is, I actually think it represents numerous important overarching themes of our course. First, we see connections to the unfair treatment and malicious characterization of women throughout history. The moment that Kelsey brought out the Voodoo doll, the internet immediately accused her of witchcraft, sorcery, and evil practices. Thousands of comments came flooding in about how people were extremely uncomfortable with her use of the doll and that she must have put some strange New Orleans psychic potion in it to make Joey fall in love with her. Would all of this buzz have occurred if it was a man who brought the doll? Maybe or maybe not. Regardless, this example connects to our discussions of women being characterized as evil, manipulative seducers of magic. Additionally, this topic sheds light on the dangerous power of the media to distort our views of fact and reality. With many movies, social media posts, and articles associating Voodoo with vengeful people sticking needles into dolls, it is easy for us to believe that Voodoo is some sinister, twisted religion. I admit that, before taking this class, I myself fell victim to these assumptions and was quick to judge non-traditional religious groups. However, I have come to understand the importance of consuming media with a critical eye and remaining open-minded to a wide array of spiritual practices that differ from my own. 

Above all, at least now I know how to find my future husband– drop egg whites in water and win him over with a lookalike doll…

These blog posts have been a great way for me to make real-world connections to our class content. I cannot wait to rediscover this blog years from now and read all about my witchy explorations!