The Satanic Panic

This one was a long time coming. This week, we take a long and hopefully definitive look at the moral hysteria of the late 70s through the mid-90s, generally referred to as the Satanic Panic (CW: suicide, sexual abuse). We focus on the controversies around Dungeons & Dragons, but also talk about the larger phenomenon and how it spilled over into heavy metal, children’s toys and cartoons and even a couple criminal cases. Its spooky, but maybe not the way you think.

Links of Interest

The original BADD pamphlet.

Jack Chick’s Darkest Dungeon.

The 60 Minutes interview.

Rob Halford singing court here.

The Chicago Police Department document on ritualistic criminal activity.

Michael Stackpole’s “Pulling Report.”