The Magdalene Review

Two fun pieces of Mary Magdalene news for today.

1. True Blood

The popular HBO vampire series, True Blood, had a Mary Magdalene reference this week. A preacher’s wife (Sarah) was seducing one of the main characters while he was in the bathtub, and the following conversation (give or take a few words here and there) took place:

Sarah: “You know, Mary Magdalene showed her love for Jesus by washing his feet and then drying them off with her hair.”

Jason: “Oh yeah?”

Sarah: “Yes.”

Jason: “But, uh, wasn’t she, uh….a hooker?”

Sarah: “No, not at all. See, everybody thinks that, but it’s not in the Bible.”

Jason: “Oh, okay.”

This is the conversation to the best of my recollection. If the character Jason seems a bit dull above, it’s probably not because of my memory…he’s about as smart as a bag of rocks.

The messages sent about MM in this episode are a bit mixed. On one hand, her honor is defended when Sarah sets the record straight on whether MM was a prostitute. On the other hand, she is invoking MM’s patronage as a sexual woman doing favors for a man in the name of love. This, however, is difficult to avoid; even though it’s clear MM probably didn’t deserve the reputation of a harlot, she remains a red-blooded, sensual figure in Western imagination.

In any case, I’m applauding HBO on their excellent timing in making a not-completely-outrageous reference to MM just before her feast day.

2. La Danza de los Zancos

This week zancos, dancers in the Spanish village of Anguiano, La Rioja, whirl on meter-high stilts up and down the cobbled streets as they move an icon of their patron saint, Mary Magdalene, from the village church down to a chapel by the sea. It appears to be a colorful, festive occasion all to honor MM!

The article I’ve linked to above includes a video.