Enthusiasts, Ep. 55: The History of "Satanic Panic" (Ch. 1)

Go Ask Alice told the harrowing story of a teenage girl’s spiral into drug addiction. Jay’s Journal told the story of a young boy’s fixation on satanic rituals and dark magic. VOICES told four stories about teenagers experiencing their own identity and mental health crises. What fierce critics and passionate fans of these books alike did not know: they were all fiction. The “real diaries” and case files of which these books consisted were all from the mind of one woman: Beatrice Sparks, a fame-hungry author who used genuine concerns to perpetuate conspiracy theories about dark influences on teens. This series of episodes covers the impact of Sparks’ books and other media on the American psyche. Sparks’ books triggered a ripple effect of paranoia in parents, but so did many other pieces of pop culture without even trying, from Dungeons & Dragons to rock music. The story of the “Satanic Panic” is one of how both innocent creators got swept up in conspiratorial allegations and how bad actors used this moment of mass hysteria to exploit parental concerns and confusion about “kids these days.” The “Satanic Panic” speaks volumes about how certain people can get away with bald-faced lies and conspiratorial beliefs for so long, how the power of suggestion can lead parents to genuinely believe satanic forces are to blame for teens’ crises, and how just a few books can redefine popular opinion.

This is part one: Sparks’ upbringing, the true elements of Go Ask Alice and Jay’s Journal, and the early days of censorship campaigns.