Sabrina, the Teenage Witch

I remember for our very first assignment, we were asked to write about a specific superheroine who has influenced us in one way or the other. My favorite TV show when I was in elementary school/middle school was Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. I think one of the main reasons Sabrina was so endearing to me was the fact that the series was rooted very much in "reality." The main plot of the series followed her life as a teenager with magical powers, struggling to grow up. Unlike Buffy the Vampire Slayer, where the plot revolves around Buffy's duty as a Slayer, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch focuses far more on Sabrina's everyday life, as her identity as a witch is more of a unique trait of hers than something that rules her life.

I personally never viewed Sabrina as a role model, for she would always use magic to try to solve her problems, which eventually ended up backfiring on her. Sabrina was usually more successful at solving her own problems as a normal everyday girl than as a witch trying to manipulate an easy way out of things. She was very much a flawed superheroine, but that is what made me relate to her more as a person.

On particular episode that really stood out to me was when Sabrina had to deal with procrastination. Torn between going to a party and finishing her paper, college student Sabrina eventually cast a spell that literally gave her more time. Yet a side effect of her spell was her friends' lost of time- as their actions were physically stalled and slowed. This especially links to our lives now- I'm sure everyone has procrastinated and know of its harmful effects, but the show's literal depiction of procrastination really helped me realize how not completing your own duties can strongly affect people around you.

Sabrina's mistakes led me to realize some of my own mistakes, and I began to note the importance of confidence, hard work and responsibility. Sabrina is a unique type of realistic superheroine that makes it easy for any girl to relate to. I think the birth of more of these flawed, but endearing superheroines could be beneficial for younger generations. Rather than have fabulous superheroines that have traits we will never be able to embody, it's much easier to have a realistic superheroine who makes the same mistakes we make but isn't afraid to confront them and change herself for the better.