Satanism Today - An Encyclopedia of Religion, Folklore and Popular ...

Humor 119
that hell has a monopoly on members of that
particular profession.
The Devil’s association with sex has also made
him a favorite emblem of sensuality. The familiar
term horny, for instance, refers simultaneously to
Satan’s horns and to his reputation for high levels
of sexual desire. In a similar vein, greeting cards,
especially anniversary and birthday cards, will
often make use of something traditionally associated
with the Devil (e.g., a forked tale or a pitchfork)
to convey the message, “You know what I
really want for my anniversary (birthday)!”
Political cartoonists have often deployed
diabolical images to lampoon politicians and policies
they disliked. The death of Richard Nixon, for
example, gave rise to numerous cartoons speculating
about the infernal fate of the former president.
Bill Maher, on his comedy talk program Politically
Incorrect, even posed the question, “Did Nixon go
to heaven or hell” as a topic of discussion. As one
might guess, the unpopular politician did not fare
very well in the opinion of Maher’s guests.
The infernal realm is also a favorite topic for
cartoonists. Gary Larson’s Far Side regularly
features characters in hell. In one of the more
popular Far Side cartoons, people are filing past a
Devil who is standing beside a sign bearing the
familiar saying, “This is the first day of the rest of
your life.” Larson often makes use of the device of
literalizing common expressions. In one cartoon,
for instance, a Devil drives up in a tacky-looking
automobile, complete with such accessories as
fuzzy dice hanging from the rearview mirror.
Another Devil in the foreground of the cartoon
leans over to a compatriot and remarks, “Here
comes Hell on Wheels.”
Hundreds of animated cartoons have also
included diabolical episodes. In one Simpsons
episode, Homer sells his soul for a raspberry
glazed doughnut. As soon as he is finished, the
abyss opens up underneath him in the Simpson
kitchen, the Devil grabs Homer, and he plunges
down into hell. In the Ironic Retribution chamber,
he faces his punishment: A mechanical device
constantly shoves donuts down his mouth.
Homer, however, is such a clod that he actually
enjoys his punishment. In the end, he is rescued by
his wife Marge, who asserts that Homer long ago
promised his soul to her, obviating the agreement
to sell his soul to Satan.
The long-running TV comedy show Saturday
Night Live has produced a large number of skits
about Satan and hell. One of the favorites was a
mock variety show hosted by the Church Lady
(played by Dana Carvey). The Church Lady’s
trademark comment, always directed at explaining
some aspect of her guests’ behavior or experience,
was, “Could it be Satan” Another
ongoing component of the show involved a
traditionally costumed Satan (played by John
Lovitz) who would pop up to antagonize guests
and promote devil-worship. Lovitz would end
each interruption by bringing his face close to the
camera, demanding that the audience “Worship
me! I command you!” and bursting into diabolical
laughter.
See also Advertising
For Further Reading:
Baddeley, Gavin. Lucifer Rising: Sin, Devil Worship
and Rock’n’Roll. London: Plexus, 1999.
Scott, Miriam Van. Encyclopedia of Hell. New York:
Thomas Dunne Books, 1998.