BEWITCHED, BOTHERED AND BEWILDERED

Years ago, before the price of gas was $50 a gallon, my mom and I decided to take a “ROAD TRIP!” We drove up to Washington D.C., but the most memorable thing to me of that whole trip had nothing to do with the Lincoln Memorial. I saw “Mike the Spike!” He was a smokin' piano player at this jazz club in Foggy Bottom.

My mom and I paid (what we thought was outrageous cover at the time) to get in to One Step Down Jazz Club. Anyway, the last song that he played was “Bewitched.” It was great. After the concert, I went up to ol' Mike the Spike and told him how amazing he was on the piano.

I’ll never forget the next words out of his mouth. He looked at me for a few seconds and then said in a thick, fake, Southern drawl: “Boy, you shhhuuurrre doooo have a reeeeeal Suuuuuthern acceeeent!” I was stunned. Looking back, I wish that I had said, “Yes, along with Southern charm and hospitality.” Oh…but yeah, time machines don’t exist…

I am not sure where Mike the Spike lives these days, but I think that I know where he got his nickname. What a jerk! Anyway, just thinking about that story made me ponder the strange qualities of Darrin, Samantha and the beloved television series, Bewitched. What is the DEAL with that show?

I loved watching reruns as a youngster, but now that I am a wife and mother, I say: “What the hey?” Is Darrin mental? He watched his wife burn holes in his shirts while ironing, vacuum up the curtains and all sorts of other blunders. Did Darrin not want gourmet meals with a wiggle of the nose? What about all the painstaking housework being done with “wiggle, wiggle, wiggle?” Oh, and what about episodes when they have to call a plumber or something! Huh? I can’t believe that Samantha put up with that for so long!

I always sided with Samantha during the episodes and the fact that she was being a good wife doing her mundane duties "sans magic," but I am beginning to think that Endora had it right by calling Darrin “Dumb-Dumb.” Hey, from Darrin's point of view, I guess that it's hard being married to a witch who is immortal and will look spectacular even at 85, but for crying out loud, does she have to fold every piece of laundry? I think that might be the reason that the role of Darrin had to be played by Dick York AND Dick Sargent. Maybe she turned the first husband into a TOAD! Ribbit, ribbit!