Practical Magic and Disposable Men

Using Men for Sperm and Money is Evil, Actually

The phenomenon of men who overtly despise women, yet compulsively seek sex and admiration from them is well commented-upon. Shrewd veterans of the dating hellscape can spot such men at a distance.

It’s only recently—and by recent, I mean in the past 5 years or so—that the female version of this phenomenon has gotten any attention. At least, negative attention. But it’s always been with us, and the destruction that comes in its wake is far worse that harsh words and hurt feelings.

In 1998, the movie Practical Magic was released and immediately beloved of almost every woman and girl. It was a witchy, girl-power dramedy that hit all the right notes. So right, in fact, that most of us overlooked the troubling inciting incident.

Young Sally Owens and her sister Jillian are raised by their aunts after being orphaned. All the Owens women are witches. They’re born that way. They are also subject to a curse: Any man who genuinely loves an Owens woman is fated to die.

As such, when Sally and Jillia…