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spaceman5000's review
4.0
An interesting read overall but I did not know it was going to be a series of essays. That kind of lessened the experience for me as I was expecting (and would have preferred) an overall assessment of the era. The essay format means a lot of information is repeated (i.e.: Tipper Gore and the PMRC) but it's not a huge deal.
It's worth reading and I think the most interesting chapters are in the first third of the book. The Satanic Film chapter is too long and doesn't add much and the end gets into more regional Satanic Panic stuff (i.e.: Canada)..........so what?
The Genesis P-Orridge chapter was interesting, but only because I'm a Psychic TV, Throbbing Gristle and Chris Carter fan.....
Overall I'd recommend but with reservations.
It's worth reading and I think the most interesting chapters are in the first third of the book. The Satanic Film chapter is too long and doesn't add much and the end gets into more regional Satanic Panic stuff (i.e.: Canada)..........so what?
The Genesis P-Orridge chapter was interesting, but only because I'm a Psychic TV, Throbbing Gristle and Chris Carter fan.....
Overall I'd recommend but with reservations.
theboldbookworm's review
3.0
There were some interesting essays in this book, but many of them got repetitive. It's definitely worth a read if you're fascinated by the Satanic Panic though. I did learn things I hadn't heard about like how the Satanic Panic effected other countries.
mattbowes's review
4.0
While it may have laid down roots in the late Sixties and Seventies, with the blockbuster success of films like Rosemary’s Baby (1968) and The Omen (1976), or with the resurgence of interest in occult matters after the founding of Anton LaVey’s Church of Satan, the “Satanic Panic” is really a relic of the Eighties. It was a time when such seemingly innocuous things as rockstars prancing around in tights and big hair, half hour toy commercials masquerading as cartoons or kids rolling dice while sitting around a table were taken as portents of a coming battle for the soul of the world.
The second in indie publishing company Spectacular Optical‘s slate of pop culture analysis texts, Satanic Panic is an essential resource for understanding this momentary mass hysteria, exploring in depth both the causes of the craze and the effects it had on Eighties society and beyond. The book is a collection of essays from twenty-odd contributors, examining the way paranoia about Satanic worshippers and a rising interest in the occult influenced the publishing world, film, music, and television. Satanic Panic then goes on to demonstrate a variety of evangelical Christian reactions to a supposed rising tide of evil entertainment, as well as the Panic’s eventual spread across the globe.
To read the rest of my review, check out http://thisnerdinglife.com/2015/10/08/review-satanic-panic-pop-cultural-paranoia-in-the-1980s-2015/.
The second in indie publishing company Spectacular Optical‘s slate of pop culture analysis texts, Satanic Panic is an essential resource for understanding this momentary mass hysteria, exploring in depth both the causes of the craze and the effects it had on Eighties society and beyond. The book is a collection of essays from twenty-odd contributors, examining the way paranoia about Satanic worshippers and a rising interest in the occult influenced the publishing world, film, music, and television. Satanic Panic then goes on to demonstrate a variety of evangelical Christian reactions to a supposed rising tide of evil entertainment, as well as the Panic’s eventual spread across the globe.
To read the rest of my review, check out http://thisnerdinglife.com/2015/10/08/review-satanic-panic-pop-cultural-paranoia-in-the-1980s-2015/.
queenofthedarned's review
informative
4.0
Overall a good selection of articles (let down in just a couple of places) that covers everything from true crime to pop culture to televangelist crooks. It's really nicely put together and presented, with photos, film stills and paraphernalia throughout. Definitely one of the better books on the Satanic panic that I've read, and has the added benefit of being published recently, so we can look back through the lens of today's (many) moral panics.
mslestat's review
4.0
This is a bit of twisted nostalgia for anyone who grew up in the 70s and 80s. If you were under 16-ish, you likely recall the “threat” of everything from backwards masking on records and Dungeons and Dragons to your impending kidnapping and sale into a satanic cult. Technology, from VCRs to the *gasp* telephone were also thought of as sinister mechanisms to lure us to the dark side. We couldn’t even trust our toothpaste manufacturer, since Proctor and Gamble had THAT mark on their products.
If any of the above rings a bell, you’ll likely enjoy this well researched and well written collection of essays that dig into the root cause for much of the hysteria and deftly illustrates that keeping people scared is an excellent tool for manipulation.
If any of the above rings a bell, you’ll likely enjoy this well researched and well written collection of essays that dig into the root cause for much of the hysteria and deftly illustrates that keeping people scared is an excellent tool for manipulation.
rennist's review
5.0
This book was right up my alley.
If you're even remotely interested in the 80s and specifically if you are interested in the Satanic Panic that went on during that time you will enjoy this book.
With essays that cover topics like the book that started it all "Michelle Remembers" or the McMartin trial that ended the decade with a bang. With fears of Santanic Panic trickling into the 90s and also to other countries at this point, this book has it all. I highly recommend!
If you're even remotely interested in the 80s and specifically if you are interested in the Satanic Panic that went on during that time you will enjoy this book.
With essays that cover topics like the book that started it all "Michelle Remembers" or the McMartin trial that ended the decade with a bang. With fears of Santanic Panic trickling into the 90s and also to other countries at this point, this book has it all. I highly recommend!