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Ask Angus #45: Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo!

Ask Angus #45: Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo!

Last updated on: February 13, 2019 at 9:20 pm by Angus McMahan

Ask Angus #45: Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo! 2019-02-13T21:20:28-08:00 Angus McMahan

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Verna in Felton: Will Bibbidi-bobbidi-do REALLY do magick whether you believe it or not?

Dear Verna,

Let’s see……Disney’s Cinderella (1950); abused supermodel step-child and her rodent pals exact revenge on all of her blood relatives before being ‘rescued’ by a cis-normative Prince, wherein she will support this archaic monarchy, crank out several children (hopefully male this time), and struggle to break the cycle of abuse, while also finding time (hopefully) to sew some better fitting clothes for her gang of vermin.

Plot liberated and white-washed from the Brothers Grimm, whose original works (I happily point out as a former employee at Borders Books) resided in the ‘Horror’ section.

The song in question is gleefully sung by a little old lady while she transforms a pumpkin into a coach, a dog into a footman, and the aforementioned rodents into white (of course) horses – even though all of these creatures had been fleeing in terror moments before.

“Consent” is not a word in this witch’s cupboard as she flings her Harry Potter wand around like an out-of-control transmogrifying fire hose.

Her chaos complete and with a final injunction to the exiting Cinderella to “Be gay!” this oath-breaker and soul-stealer then simply disappears in a poof of pixie dust as the song ends.

The text of “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo” makes about as much sense as its be-bop inspired title. ” Salagadoola mechicka boola” is first offered as a vocal spell, but a lesser one, because this spell, combined with “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo” (put them together and what have you got?) equals, again, “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo”.

Clearly, Bbb is the dominant energy-bender here. it is, in parlance, “The thing-a-mabob that does the job”.

But, to return to your question, Verna. Will Bbb do magic, believe it or not?

Well, Science does Science regardless of belief, because belief has nothing to do with Science. Rigorous testing over time and condition assures us of Science’s solidity. It is simply a matter of Fact.

But Magic? Well the barn door is wide-open on that one and the circus is always passing through. Then again, we DO see a pumpkin turn into a coach, and a Goodwill-reject dress go full Vera Wang on Cinderella, so maybe Granny Be-Bop knows a thing or two about incantations.

For me the fulcrum here is who is holding the belief card. Fairy Godmother knows this shit is potent – she looks downright laconic as she shreds these animal’s realities like peeps in a microwave.

So, does it matter whether Cinderella believes in this flash-and-bang? Not really. It wouldn’t matter if Cinderella was back at the castle scrubbing floors and trading verses with her posse of vermin while Granny takes the known laws of physics and takes a whiz on them.

Magick works. We know this as witches. That is why we say “its not a belief – it’s a practice.” And it works whether or not millions – nay, billions of people wish it were not so.

We are not out to convert anyone with our spells and sorcery, and neither is Granny Be-Bop as relays these oath-bound secrets to a complete muggle. Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo may or may not hold any intrinsic power. It sure seems to pack some zap for the Fairy Godmother, and if it works for her, and brings about a little social justice along the way, I’m all for it.

In short. Dear Verna, Granny Be-Bop is engaging in a practice as old as fairy tales, as old as magic, and as old as humankind. When Fairy Godmother tells Cinderella in an aside that Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo will do magic whether you believe it or not, she is, quite simply, trash-talking.

~Ask Angus
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About Angus McMahan

Me? I'm just the drummer. Oh, I suppose I write funny stuff too. You can read more about the author here.

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