ljones
Whitelighter
Posts: 4,123
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Post by ljones on Feb 29, 2008 15:41:09 GMT -5
To me, the Magic School is nothing but a joke.
One, anyone interested in learning witchcraft could easily apprentice him or herself to a practicing witch. This happens in real life and the series could have easily shown this, as well. In fact, wasn't Billie - more or less - an apprentice witch to the sisters? Wasn't that how Paige learned the craft . . . as an apprentice to Piper and Phoebe?
Two, the Magic School is nothing more than a poor rip-off of Hogswarts from "HARRY POTTER". No wonder it is considered a joke to many viewers - at least those on other forums.
Three, the Magic School seems like another excuse to bound witches to those d**n whitelighters, who have shown over the years how useless they can be to their charges.
Four, why would future witches need to learn magic from whitelighers, when witches could probably do a better job?
I don't see the need for a Magic School, because its a place where young magic practitioners can be safe. There is no such a thing as a "safe place". And considering that demons were eventually able to take over the place . . . well, you see what I'm getting at.
In which episode was this established? Or is this just another theory?
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Post by whitelightertony on Feb 29, 2008 21:57:23 GMT -5
That's possible...Gideon could have just glamoured himself into a door-to-door shoe salesman, and the girls happened to answer the door.
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Post by whitelightertony on Feb 29, 2008 22:10:27 GMT -5
The difference is that Paige's powers weren't activated until Prue's death. Neither Paige nor her adoptive parents realized Paige was a witch. And Billie didn't come into her powers until she was a teenager.
Also, not all of the students at Magic School are necessarily witches. Some may be firestarters, empaths, shapeshifters, oracles, shamans (like Enola), or other types of creatures who learn their craft alongside female and male witches. Not all of them necessarily have available witches in their daily lives who can tutor them. Some of these students may have been abandoned or neglected by their biological parents. So Magic School is a central meeting place for magical youth who don't already have built-in magical mentors whom they can turn to living in their homes or neighborhoods. Also, some of the older students at Magic School may have learned magic through one-on-one apprenticeships, and then joined Magic School at a later date to "mentor" the less experienced students.
I agree that Magic School was inspired by Hogwarts. It may have been another concept mandated by the WB execs who wanted to capitalize on the success of the Harry Potter franchise.
We know that the Elders were in charge of Magic School, but how many actual whitelighters were shown as teachers?
Again, there was never anything to suggest that Sigmund, Mrs. Winterbourne, or Ms. Donovan were whitelighters...or even witches. We know that Mr. Monkeyshines was a gnome. Paige taught some classes, and she was a witch. Leo got to teach, and that was after he fully lost his whitelighter status. Drake was brought on as a temporary guest lecturer even though he used to be a demon. I guess I don't recall seeing a majority of whitelighters functioning as teachers at Magic School. And even if they were (which I highly doubt), I'm sure they brought in plenty of witches and other creatures as guest lecturers or full-time teachers.
No, I don't. Demons didn't take over Magic School until the Elders abandoned it (prior to the vanquish of Zankou). When, prior to "Something Wicca This Way Goes?", did Evil ever manage to take over Magic School?
It's just another theory. I doubt Patty and Grams would have let baby Phoebe have her powers bound without a proper Wiccanning first...so that's likely where Gideon met the girls.
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ljones
Whitelighter
Posts: 4,123
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Post by ljones on Mar 1, 2008 11:26:03 GMT -5
I'm sorry, but I never saw the need for a Magic School. All the reasons that the show had spewed for its need simply didn't make any sense to me. I think that Kern and his writers were simply making excuses so that they could create some cheap rip-off of Hogswarts. And in the end, they didn't really portray the school very well.
If I were a witch, I would teach my own child about magic and recommend that he or her become an apprentice for another witch. I find the Magic School that laughable and ridiculous.
But they were the ones in charge of the school. Why on earth should THEY be the ones responsible for teaching magic to others? Who made them God? Why does the show insist upon dumping this idea that the whitelighters - especially the Elders - be the ones who have control over other magical beings, whether they be human or not? It's ridiculous and it smacks of human arrogance.
My opinion? They were trying to copy Hogswarts . . . and failed. I'm surprised that J.K. Rowling never sued Brad Kern for infringing upon her idea. Considering how the Magic School was poorly portrayed on the show, perhaps she simply decided not to bother.
Who cares when Paige and Billie became witches? When they became witches, the show proved that one can learn witchcraft as an apprentice and one doesn't need the Magic School.
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Post by ~B@MeLiSsA30@B~ on Mar 1, 2008 14:37:03 GMT -5
whitelightertony does have a point ljones. I do understand if I had I child, I'd wanna help them with the powers, but let's say for some reason I didn't have any powers, I want my child somewhere they can learn and develop it. Also, I want my child somewhere they can use it without someone out in the world seeing my baby doing that, and what could happen, I couldn't take that risk. Rip off Harry Porter or not, Magic School was a good idea. Some of the kids might not of dealt with it as well as the girls did, or even Billie.
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Post by whitelightertony on Mar 1, 2008 17:30:28 GMT -5
Ljones, my point was that Billie and Paige were fortunate enough to have others whom they could turn to in order to hone their magical abilities. Not all younger children would be guaranteed to have those knowledgeable practitioners in their lives.
What was Tyler Michaels supposed to do: go ask his guidance counselor, "Hey, I'm a firestarter...know any members of my race who can mentor me?"
Then that would be great for you and your child. But not all magical children had that type of support system in their lives.
The Elders ran the school, but there's not much evidence of them doing most of the actual teaching. Like school principals, they decided to take all the credit while leaving the grunt work to their faculty. Most of the magical community already seemed to accept that the Elders were "in charge" - - what were the Magic School teachers going to do: tell their bosses to take a hike?
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ljones
Whitelighter
Posts: 4,123
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Post by ljones on Mar 1, 2008 22:17:48 GMT -5
I disagree. I don't think that Whitelightertony has a point. I think that Whitelightertony is simply repeating the crappy execuses that the writers gave on the show for establishing the Magic School, in the first place.
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pubesy
Witch
"If I could dream at all, it would be about you. And I'm not ashamed of it." - Edward Cullen
Posts: 1,171
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Post by pubesy on Mar 1, 2008 23:40:05 GMT -5
yeah, sure it is a bit of a rip off from harry potter franchise, but at the same time it is understandable why such a school was mentioned, for all of the reasons above. i always thought that the elders created the space for the school but i never thought they claimed to be "in charge." Prior to guideon's sabotage of wyatt, they left the school to its own devices with an elder as principal, but elves, witches, gnomes etc as teachers.
quoting myelf from another recent post. . . .
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Post by whitelightertony on Mar 2, 2008 3:59:40 GMT -5
When did the writers ever go public with an explanation of their reason for writing Magic School into the show?  |
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pubesy
Witch
"If I could dream at all, it would be about you. And I'm not ashamed of it." - Edward Cullen
Posts: 1,171
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Post by pubesy on Mar 2, 2008 4:44:18 GMT -5
points above...... uh huh. there was none
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ljones
Whitelighter
Posts: 4,123
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Post by ljones on Mar 2, 2008 12:36:44 GMT -5
It doesn't make any sense to me. One, why on earth would anyone try to indoctrinate their child into being a witch at such a young age? They are too young to understand such a thing. Just bound their powers, until they are old enough to handle their magic abilities with some kind of responsibility. Two, any young magic practitioner could apprentice himself or herself to an older witch or magician. The Magic School is so unecessary.
Oh well. If one wants to believe the show's mantra about how "necessary" the Magic School, I guess they're entitled. Personally, I think it's a joke. And I think that Kern had drummed up some useless arguments, so that he can justify himself for creating a cheap ripoff of Hogswarts.
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pubesy
Witch
"If I could dream at all, it would be about you. And I'm not ashamed of it." - Edward Cullen
Posts: 1,171
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Post by pubesy on Mar 2, 2008 17:22:31 GMT -5
stop with the freaking kern bashing. just stop. it is painful. why must everything you dont agree with on charmed be evidence of kerns bad writing skills? its not. Kern did a fantastic job with the restrictions he was given. i am not saying he was perfect, but cut the guy some slack!
not everyone in magic school lived in the human realm, dont forget, so to the people who lived in the enchanted realm, magic school would be as normal as any school.
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Post by whitelightertony on Mar 2, 2008 19:31:21 GMT -5
To prepare them for a magical adulthood...where they needed to exercise their magic in a safe manner that wouldn't cause harm to others.
How can it be determined if they're responsible enough to handle their magic when their magic has been stripped from them for their entire youth?
You can't tell someone they're ready to be an expert bicyclist when you've never let them use training wheels.
Not if they don't have any such mentors already in their daily lives. And not if they've had their powers bound with no way to practice their magic up until that point.
And on that note, what makes you so certain all parents of magical children would have the capability to bind their children's powers in the first place?
I don't feel it was definitely "necessary"...all I'm saying is that it had its benefits.
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Post by ~B@MeLiSsA30@B~ on Mar 3, 2008 1:55:59 GMT -5
He had to be a good writer to last 8 seasons. Not too many shows do, especially about 3 woman and being sisters. I couldn't even last a season if I attempt to write a series. There is bits and pieces I coulda done without, but I'd give him a 96%.
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Post by whitelightertony on Mar 3, 2008 3:26:30 GMT -5
Melissa - - Kern wasn't the only one who wrote episodes. Every season they had probably 8-11 staff writers, as well as the freelance writers they used each year.
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ljones
Whitelighter
Posts: 4,123
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Post by ljones on Mar 3, 2008 14:34:25 GMT -5
What benefits?
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Post by ~B@MeLiSsA30@B~ on Mar 3, 2008 16:04:21 GMT -5
Oh, well, they all had to be good still to last that long.  |
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Post by whitelightertony on Mar 3, 2008 18:24:01 GMT -5
A sanctuary for practicing magic freely without the risk of exposure. Faculty members who could serve as mentors to the students due to the faculty's firsthand experience with magic.
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Post by ~B@MeLiSsA30@B~ on Mar 3, 2008 21:57:55 GMT -5
In real life, they have schools for the special need, where they can't be in regular school. It's just like Charmed, they have a school for the special need, accept in Charmed, it's Magic School.
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