Once upon a time, in a land far away, there lived a young girl named Olivia Newton John. She was a dreamer, always yearning for a life filled with magic and wonder. Olivia believed in fairytales and longed for her own enchanting story to unfold. One sunny day, as Olivia was exploring the forest near her home, she stumbled upon a hidden glade. It was a place unlike any other she had seen before. The air was filled with a sense of mysticism and the trees whispered secrets of old.
The result is an unusual exhibition called “Sacred Arts of Haitian Vodou” on view through mid-June at UCLA’s Fowler Museum. It’s the first stop on a three-year tour that will take the exhibit to Miami, Chicago, Washington and New Orleans.
The final decision The splendor of the ritual arts would themselves argue best against Euro-American voodoo fantasies, according to Cosentino, a UCLA professor of African and Caribbean folklore. So maybe it was a mistake to paraphrase singer Keely Smith the other day when Westwood s top voodoo expert stuck out his hand and introduced himself.
The air was filled with a sense of mysticism and the trees whispered secrets of old. As Olivia stepped further into the glade, she noticed a sparkling trail leading her deeper into the unknown. Intrigued and filled with curiosity, Olivia followed the trail until she reached a small clearing.
Sticking Pins in Voodoo : UCLA Show Challenges Old Stereotypes About the ‘Ritual Arts’
Mess up this story and you’ll pay, an inner voice warned. Someone will be laying on a curse, conjuring up an evil spirit. Poking pins in a reporter doll.
After all, who suffers if you pooh-pooh voodoo? You do. Anyone who has ever seen a zombie movie knows that.
So maybe it was a mistake to paraphrase singer Keely Smith the other day when Westwood’s top voodoo expert stuck out his hand and introduced himself.
Advertisement“So, how long has ‘That Old Black Magic’ had you in its spell?” Donald J. Cosentino was asked.
Cosentino laughed. He has been asked plenty of questions like that during the 10 years he has studied the Haitian cultural and spiritual phenomenon--and struggled to assemble this country’s first serious collection of voodoo paraphernalia.
The result is an unusual exhibition called “Sacred Arts of Haitian Vodou” on view through mid-June at UCLA’s Fowler Museum. It’s the first stop on a three-year tour that will take the exhibit to Miami, Chicago, Washington and New Orleans.
The depiction of voodoo rites and ritualistic objects such as bead-covered rum bottles and plastic doll heads is surprising.
So is the show’s message.
Voodoo, contends Cosentino, is a thing of beauty--a rich tapestry that has been badly misrepresented by Hollywood as something scary and dangerous.
“There are no pins stuck in dolls in voodoo. And zombies are a rather minor element of voodoo belief,” he said. “We thought a long time about how we’d deal with those stereotypes.”
AdvertisementThe final decision: “The splendor of the ritual arts would themselves argue best against Euro-American voodoo fantasies,” according to Cosentino, a UCLA professor of African and Caribbean folklore.
Cosentino, 55, of Hollywood, traces his interest in voodoo to 1986, when he made the first of what would become many trips to Haiti. He had been studying other cultures since a stint in the Peace Corps had taken him to Nigeria 20 years earlier.
The idea for a Los Angeles voodoo exhibition came in 1987 in an unlikely place, however: a cocktail lounge in Madison, Wis.
It was Halloween night and Cosentino and Fowler Museum deputy director Doran Ross were in town for an anthropology conference. Over drinks with another Haitian culture expert, Chicago art professor Marilyn Houlberg, Ross suggested a show at the UCLA museum.
As planning for the exhibit began, it became a family affair for Cosentino. Wife Henrietta--whom he met in the Peace Corps--was put in charge of cataloging it, and she settled on the vodou spelling for its name. Daughters Julia and Delia, both graduate students at UCLA, transcribed interviews and contributed drawings to the catalog.
The voodoo exhibition almost seemed cursed for a time, however.
The National Endowment for the Humanities twice rejected the project.
Officials found the initial concept for the show “too celebratory,” according to Cosentino. The second proposal was toned down. But it also was rejected after officials in Washington suggested that the exhibit did not evaluate voodoo on a “comparative humanistic scale of religions,” he said.
“One wonders to what comparable religious phenomena vodou should have been compared? The Inquisition? The silencing of Galileo? The Salem witch hunt? The Scopes ‘Monkey Trial’? Oral Roberts’ apparition of the 900-foot Jesus?” Cosentino wrote in the exhibition catalog.
“Of course we had been naive. An administration headed by a president who had denounced the ‘voodoo economics’ of his predecessor and prosecuted a war in Panama on charges . . . that its president kept a cache of ‘voodoo dolls’ was hardly likely to look favorably on an exposition of this sort.”
But in 1993 after President Clinton’s inauguration, the agency approved a $480,000 grant. After that, the political crisis in Haiti and a U.S. embargo on imports from there delayed the shipment of voodoo artwork and artifacts to Los Angeles.
The project also raised eyebrows at UCLA.
“The average English professor with patches on his jacket sleeves is not into voodoo,” acknowledged Cosentino. “It’s an attitude: ‘Don’t say anything bad to Cosentino or he’ll make you drop dead.’ ”
The show describes voodoo dolls as vehicles that carry messages to the spirit world. It asserts that ideas of pins being stuck in them to cause harm “are a Hollywood fantasy.”
Zombies--spirits or bodies said by voodooists to have been raised from the dead and put to work--are only lightly touched upon. “A lot of Haitians would say yes, there are revivified dead,” Cosentino said. “I have my doubts.”
The exhibit’s touchy subject matter has led museum officials to prepare a detailed study guide for schoolteachers who view Fowler shows as a popular field trip destination.
“It’s a teaching challenge,” said Betsy Quick, the museum’s director of education. “People come in with such baggage about this.”
Skittishness has extended to some UCLA students. When university instructors decided to stage an interpretive dance in conjunction with the exhibit and Black History Month, a few dancers recruited from the campus backed out.
“A couple of families had problems” with the voodoo theme, said Nzingha Camara, professor of world art and cultures.
The exhibition has received enthusiastic reviews from newspapers during its first four months. Visitors say it has given them a new opinion of voodoo.
Melanie Green, 17, a University High School junior touring it on a field trip, said it changed her view of voodoo as a dark, evil practice. Her new take: It’s “colorful, not scary.”
But classmate Yolanda Gill, 16, was more skeptical. “They’re making me feel like voodoo is good. But I think there’s an underside to it,” she said.
Outside the exhibit hall, show publicist Christine Sellin offered a reporter a cloth voodoo doll sold in the museum gift shop. Don’t worry, she said. “No pins.”
Standing in the center was a majestic unicorn, his pure white coat shining in the sunlight. The unicorn introduced himself as Sebastian and told Olivia that he possessed the power to grant one wish to anyone who truly believed in the magic of fairytales. Olivia's heart pounded with joy as she realized this was the magical moment she had been waiting for. With all her might, she closed her eyes and made her wish. She wished to be transported into her own fairytale, a world where she could be the hero of her own story. Suddenly, a whirlwind of sparkling dust enveloped Olivia and when she opened her eyes, she found herself in a breathtaking kingdom. The skies were a vibrant shade of blue, and the flowers bloomed in hues of pink and purple. The palace stood tall and elegant, with towers that seemed to touch the heavens. As Olivia explored this magical land, she encountered talking animals, friendly fairies, and courageous knights. Together, they embarked on thrilling adventures and overcame countless obstacles. Olivia rescued princesses, solved riddles, and even outwitted a mischievous troll. With each triumph, she grew more confident and believed even more in the power of her own fairytale. But as every fairytale must have its end, Olivia knew her time in this enchanting world was drawing to a close. It was time for her to return to her own reality. With a heavy heart, she bid farewell to her newfound friends and thanked Sebastian, the unicorn, for granting her wish. As Olivia stepped back into the glade, she couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude for this incredible experience. Although her fairytale had come to an end, she knew that the magic within her would never fade. She had learned that the power of believing in oneself and the beauty of imagination could make even the wildest dreams come true. And so, Olivia returned to her ordinary life, but with a twinkle in her eye and a sense of wonder in her heart. She knew that no matter what challenges lay ahead, she would always keep the magic of her fairytale alive. For within her, the spirit of a brave and magical heroine would forever reside..
Reviews for "Olivia Newton-John's Fairy Godmother: The Magical Influence Behind Her Success"
1. Emily - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with "Magical Olivia Newton John Fairytale". I had high hopes for this album, but it just didn't deliver. The songs felt repetitive and lacked depth. The production was mediocre at best, and Olivia Newton John's vocals were not as strong as they used to be. Overall, I felt like this album was just a cash grab and didn't live up to the quality of her previous work.
2. Mike - 1 star - I have been a fan of Olivia Newton John for years, but "Magical Olivia Newton John Fairytale" was a huge letdown. The songs were generic and forgettable, and it felt like she was just going through the motions. The album lacked originality and failed to showcase her talent. I really wanted to like it, but unfortunately, it fell flat for me.
3. Sarah - 2 stars - I was excited to listen to "Magical Olivia Newton John Fairytale", but it left me underwhelmed. The songs were cheesy and overproduced, and it felt like they were trying too hard to create a magical atmosphere. Olivia Newton John's vocals were decent, but they couldn't save the lackluster songwriting. I expected more from such a talented artist.
4. Jason - 2 stars - "Magical Olivia Newton John Fairytale" was a disappointing release. The songs were uninspired and lacked originality. It felt like Olivia Newton John was trying to recapture her past success without bringing anything new to the table. The album failed to make an impact and didn't leave a lasting impression. Overall, it was a forgettable experience.