The New York Times just ran a very interesting piece on the "satanic panic" of the 1980s. I know there are some here, not born in the 80s, who love the day-glo colors, big hair and especially the music, which I won't say anything about here at this time. But that candy-colored view isn't particularly accurate and this article revisits the bogus claims of "Satanic ritual abuse" which ruined many lives. This is also the period when evangelicals went on TV and tried to claim some music was "satanic", including music that clearly was NOT, and that Kiss (the band) stood for "Knights (or Kids) in Satan's Service". can you imagine! The article also brings up the popular urban legend that the Proctor & Gamble logo was "satanic". This legend was so pervasive that Proctor & Gamble ultimately had to change their logo. This article is definitely worth a read for those who want to know some of the reality of the 80s.


It’s Time to Revisit the Satanic Panic
As the United States shifted with the anxieties of the 1980s, baseless conspiracy theories about satanic cults committing mass abuse spread around the country
By Alan Yuhas
March 31, 2021

www.nytimes.com/2021/03/31/us/satanic-panic.html?smid=tw-share


Exerpts:

Early in the 1980s, baseless conspiracy theories about cults committing mass child abuse spread around the country. Talk shows and news programs fanned fears, and the authorities investigated hundreds of allegations. Even as cases slowly collapsed and skepticism prevailed, defendants went to prison, families were traumatized and millions of dollars were spent on prosecutions.

The phenomenon was so sprawling that, in its aftermath, it took on several names, like the ritual abuse scare or the day care panic. But one name has increasingly stuck: the satanic panic.

“The evidence wasn’t there, but the allegations of satanic ritual abuse never really went away,” said Ken Lanning, a former F.B.I. agent who worked on hundreds of abuse cases with the bureau’s behavioral science unit. “When people get emotionally involved in an issue, common sense and reason go out the window. People believe what they want and need to believe.”

In May 1985, the news program “20/20” ran a segment on Satan worship that described animal mutilations “clearly used in some kind of bizarre ritual,” rock music “associated with devil worship,” “satanic graffiti” and backward messages in pop songs.

There were a few caveats. The host, Hugh Downs, opened by saying: “Police have been skeptical when investigating these acts, just as we are in reporting them. But there is no question that something is going on out there, and that’s sufficient reason for ‘20/20’ to look into it.”

The program presented cult activity, if not the occult itself, in all but certain terms. “Today we have found Satan is alive and thriving, or at least plenty of people believe he is,” said the correspondent Tom Jarriel. “His followers are extremely secretive but found in all walks of life.” Only near the end of the report did he say that, until evidence was proved, “the link between crime and satanic cults will remain speculative.”

"Only in America" comes to mind. Never heard of anything like that over here but religious groups thankfully don't have much power here. :o

I remember the whole thing about satanic messages if you playing records backwards. But I always thought it was just a joke. Had no idea there were actual killings and all tied to it.

"Only in America" comes to mind. Never heard of anything like that over here but religious groups thankfully don't have much power here. :o


I think a European equivalent to it may be the "bogus social worker" or "phantom social worker" phenomenon that swept the UK in the early 90s. Here is a synopsis from Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_social_workers