What's Up with the Devil and Music?: Satanic Panic, by Cassidy Gordon
- wmsr60
- 1 hour ago
- 4 min read
He sauntered into the hearing with a cut-off denim jacket, tight jeans, a studded belt, sunglasses and a t-shirt with his own face on it. He had a huge mane of curly, blonde hair and a cross around his neck. Sticking out like a sore thumb in a room full of suits, his mane of blonde curly hair flowed, next to his cross necklace that dangled on his chest. He took his seat in front of the microphone and pulled out a piece of paper from his back pocket. After being addressed, Dee Snider began his 30-minute speech defending the music industry.
The book that started it all
“Michelle Remembers” was a book written in 1980 by Canadian psychiatrist Lawrence Pazder and his patient (and eventual wife) Michelle Smith. It tells Smith’s story of how her mom gave her to a Satanic cult when she was five years old. The book is her stories from her sessions with Pazder.
The American public took this story and ran with it.
Still reeling from the effects of the idea of the “nuclear family” and religious conservatism being the norm, many parents became paranoid. Anyone and everyone they knew could possibly be a Satanist.
Many adults started pointing to Satanism as the cause for problems like drug abuse, child abuse, and crime. Incidents like the McMartin Preschool Trial solidified the idea to many that child abusers were out there and were a part of the occult without significant evidence. Satanism became a convenient scapegoat for all of America’s problems, instead of looking at the actual causes.
The PMRC
In 1985, second-lady Tipper Gore made a United States government committee called the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC). Created to control children’s access to music that included adult themes — like sex and drugs — the committee turned its head to what they considered the occult — Satanic imagery and lyrics.
Many bands in the 80s started using Satanic imagery as a talking point or to “push back” on the norm. Upside down crosses, pentagrams, images of Satan, and more were printed on the album covers of bands like Slayer, Venom, and Mercyful Fate. Ironically, many of the members in these bands weren’t actual Satanists. For example, lead singer of Slayer, Tom Araya, was raised Catholic and is still a practicing Catholic today. Occult symbolism just has a way of getting people talking, as seen with the Satanic Panic as a whole.
There are, however, actual Satanic bands that do exist — mostly a part of the black metal genre. Black metal originated with the band Venom but was cultivated by Scandinavians. Bands like Bathory, Hellhammer, and Mayhem are notable groups.
The PMRC designed different ratings on what different songs contained like: “V” for violent content, “O” for occult themes, “D/A” for drugs and alcohol and “X” for sexually explicit or profane lyrics. These were based on the “G”, “PG” and “R” ratings of the Motion Picture Association (MPAA).
The US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation called a hearing for the PMRC on September 19, 1985. Notable artists like Frank Zappa, John Denver and Dee Snider were brought in to testify on why music shouldn’t be censored. Dee Snider of Twisted Sister took this message to heart.
Snider purposefully dressed like his normal rockstar self to make sure the senators and members of the PMRC underestimated him — so when he did talk, they would listen. He started by addressing the Senate and committee directly, then stated he would like them to know a bit more about himself.
“I’m 30 years old,” Snider said. “I’m married. I have a 3-year-old son. I was born and raised a Christian, and I still adhere to those principles. Believe it or not, I do not drink, I do not smoke and I do not do drugs.”
Snider removed his sunglasses in the last sentence, showing his crystal clear eyes and undilated pupils.
Snider pointed out the fact that song lyrics can be left up to interpretation. He highlighted the Twisted Sister song “Under the Blade” in his speech, a song about his bandmate’s throat operation. Gore said the song contained elements of sadomasochism and bondage.
“Songs allow a person to put their own imagination, experiences, and dreams into the lyrics,” Snider retorted. “People can interpret it in many ways. Mrs. Gore was looking for sadomasochism and bondage, and she found it. Someone looking for surgical references would’ve found it as well.”
In the end, the PMRC cut a deal with record companies by having “Parental Advisory: Explicit Content” stickers on albums, something that’s still around today. These were dubbed “Tipper stickers” in response to the PMRC and their president, Tipper Gore. Some artists, like Ice-T, say the stickers boost sales because people are lured by the warning.
People are often afraid of things they don’t understand. Instead of attempting to learn what something is, they often just shut it down without second thought. We’re seeing this now with the mass book bannings across the country. Every generation has a trend that the previous generation has a problem with. From Elvis Presley to comics to video games to phones, everyone finds a scapegoat.
The PMRC’s “Filthy 15” List
Listen to the PMRC’s list of songs here (minus “Strap On Robbie Baby”)
“Eat Me Alive” by Judas Priest
“Bastard” by Motley Crue
“Darling Nikki” by Prince
“Sugar Walls” by Sheena Easton
“Animal (Fuck Like A Beast)” by W.A.S.P.
“Into the Coven” by Mercyful Fate
“Strap On Robbie Baby” by Vanity
“High ‘N Dry (Saturday Night)” by Def Leppard
“We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister
“Dress You Up” Madonna
“She Bop” Cyndi Lauper
“Let Me Put My Love Into You” by AC/DC
“Trashed” by Black Sabbath
“In My House” by Mary Jane Girls
“Possessed” by Venom
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