Hollywood, the name alone arouses public interest and evokes the dream of being famous even in the humblest soul. It tempers us, influences us and whether we want to admit it or not plays a role in the way we think. It plays a key role in pop culture and through films, television, radio and the ever-increasing wave of magazines, pop culture and its influence seem to flow across the world like a great wave of information. One of the most important areas that seems to be affected by this undeniable influence is how we perceive others, especially people of other faiths. One religion that has gained a particularly bad reputation thanks to the negative propaganda provided by the many influences of American and European pop culture is paganism. Most people, when they hear the word pagan, think of the haggard old witch stirring her dark thoughts. cauldron that contains an unknown malevolent concoction. Unfortunately, just like the old sailors' stories about mermaids who turned out to be just manatees, the stories of wicked witches are greatly exaggerated. Nowhere is this stronger than in pop culture, with Pagans around the world fighting to be understood and to have Paganism accepted for what it is and not what it is not. In fact, many people who buy into this media stereotype have little or no knowledge of what paganism actually is and where it comes from. Sue McCaskill, an accomplished writer for Times Colonist (Victoria, British Columbia), explains it best in her article published October 5, 2013: The Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz. The evil woman with the candy house in Hansel and Gretel. But few people know where this stereotype comes from. In medieval Europe, the old nat...... middle of paper...... 2014.JENSEN, GARY F. and ASHLEY THOMPSON. "'Out of the Broom Closet': The Social Ecology of American Wicca." » Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 47.4 (2008): 753-766. Academic research completed. Internet. April 25, 2014. Koven, Mikel J. “The Fallacy of Folklore.” A folkloristic/filmic perspective on the Wicker Man. » Fabula 48.3-4 (2007): 270-280. Academic research completed. Internet. April 25, 2014.Mccaskill, Sue. “Halloween promotes unfair representation of witches.” Times Colonist (Victoria, British Columbia). (Saturday October 5, 2013): 522 words. Academic LexisNexis. Internet. Date of consultation: 04/25/2014. Pontikes, Elizabeth, Giacomo Negro and Hayagreeva Rao. “Stained Red: A study of stigma by association with blacklisted artists during the Hollywood “Red Scare,” 1945 to 1960.” American Sociological Review 75.3 (2010): 456-478. Academic research completed. Internet. April 25. 2014.