WI the US federal government goes after DND and other fantasy tabletop games?

[DakotaTimeTraveler]

The Satanic Panic of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s really targeted Dungeons & Dragons as well as other fantasy tabletop roleplaying games. Controversy and public outcry got bad at one point that there was a call for the US federal government to intervene and regulate fantasy tabletop games.

How could this be done exactly? An outright legal ban would not be feasible because of the First Amendment and much DND material would not even come close to meeting the Miller test for obscenity.

Theoretically, agencies like the Federal Trade Commission could require warning labels on these games. It would probably take Congress to enact a law or laws to really give any teeth to such restrictions - i.e. requiring warning labels on such games, banning sale by federal law to anyone under 18, banning the games for government property (schools, prisons, military bases, etc) and so on. But would any senator or representative actually be concerned with DND, etc during the height of the Cold War when the Russians were considered a big threat to the USA?

 

[Evil Crusader]

But would any senator or representative actually be concerned with DND, etc during the height of the Cold War when the Russians were considered a big threat to the USA?

In and of itself, no. Maybe if a high profile murder happened at the height of the Panic with clear links tò the genre, but even then, I doubt there would be enough interest.

 

[DougM]

The “satanic panic” is so OVERBLOWN that I cant even explain how overblown it is. Yes you had some folks bitching and the new LOVED to (over) cover them but it didn’t slow TTRPGs much if any. That being said a lot of game designers like to use it as an excuse for why the game they designed didn’t do well instead of admitting that the game sucked or they ere bad at runn8ng the company. TSR was in general badly rn at best and more then a few involved in that like to blame their issues on the satanic panic.

I lived in the Midwest. Not to far away from a University that had a scandel involving RPG/Gaming in high something “happened” that was often referenced by the new and the satanic panic crowd. Yet we had 4 local libraries all allowing TTRPGs to be run and advertised in them and no on said boo. Including the little old ladies that ran them . Heck I know two libraries at least that had some of the game books. My local HIgh Schoold had some books as well. Nd had no issue with folks carrying the books around to read between classes and at lunch. The local Community college also had a gaming group that met once a week.
All of this in the 70s, 80s and early 90s.

So you are NEVER getting this to the point the Federal government is sticking its nose in, You would need a major religious awakening and basically religion taking over the government in a way that would require a rewrite of many laws.
And if that was the world then TTRPGs would take a different form. With a Monotheistic religion in the game an a more Good vs Evil in th western religion kind of way with Christian Priests and Paladins and Religiously upright Hero’s fighting the evil monsters and Warlocks and such.

But I am not convinced you can turn the US that religious. As that is a lot of MAJOR PODs.

So I just can’t see this changing because not only do you need to go from the (so called) Satamic Panic to an extreme level in order to get the Feds to care, but you FIRST have to get the Satanic Panic to be as big a thing as many seam to think it was. As frankly the exaggeration is extremely high about that.
As with many things it is made out to be much bigger /more serious than it ever was.
Locally in the mid/late 70s we had a “huge panic” and the “largest investigation} of it type in US History up to that point and if you had listened to the news you would have thought that Hundreof kids were being kidnapped accross the whole city and metropolitan area and suburbs. And it was going for years. When in fact we had 4 kids killed in one area about 4 sq miles and ut was over in about 4 months. But the news saddled that story and exaggerated it beyond recognition and rode it for years. 10 years after if a kid ran off you would still get the “news” speculating that the Child Killer Was back.
So don’t trust the media nor those that may have ulterior motives for the exaggerating.

 

[Nivek]

The Satanic Panic of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s really targeted Dungeons & Dragons as well as other fantasy tabletop roleplaying games. Controversy and public outcry got bad at one point that there was a call for the US federal government to intervene and regulate fantasy tabletop games.

How could this be done exactly? An outright legal ban would not be feasible because of the First Amendment and much DND material would not even come close to meeting the Miller test for obscenity.

Theoretically, agencies like the Federal Trade Commission could require warning labels on these games. It would probably take Congress to enact a law or laws to really give any teeth to such restrictions - i.e. requiring warning labels on such games, banning sale by federal law to anyone under 18, banning the games for government property (schools, prisons, military bases, etc) and so on. But would any senator or representative actually be concerned with DND, etc during the height of the Cold War when the Russians were considered a big threat to the USA?

They get laughed by the courts, first amendment

 

[SirCecil]

How could this be done exactly?

It wouldn't.

 

[Gillan1220]

But would any senator or representative actually be concerned with DND, etc during the height of the Cold War when the Russians were considered a big threat to the USA?

Basically this answers the question. Tabletop games were at the very bottom priority of the U.S. government when the Soviets were appearing very menacing by the 1980s. Any Satanic Panic is just a product of sensationalism caused by the Christian right or the diehard evangelicals. They have been doing it since then and continue to do so such as reversing songs to see if there was hidden Satanic message to scrutinizing children's TV shows as having a devil agenda.

 

[Nivek]

Basically this answers the question. Tabletop games were at the very bottom priority of the U.S. government when the Soviets were appearing very menacing by the 1980s. Any Satanic Panic is just a product of sensationalism caused by the Christian right or the diehard evangelicals. They have been doing it since then and continue to do so such as reversing songs to see if there was a way why people prefered fiction than spending money on their churches

Fixed it for ya mate

 

[Analytical Engine]

There have been moral panics over films, comics, video games, various music genres, and even pool of all things

None of those things have been banned.

IMO, the most the "Satanic Panic" people could manage is pressuring stores into not selling them

 

[Gillan1220]

Fixed it for ya mate

Right. Although I rather not go further because that gets into icy waters that would make even current politics sound cute. I've read about these moral panics being fronts for cults or scams disguising as religious institutions.

There have been moral panics over films, comics, video games, various music genres, and even pool of all things

None of those things have been banned.

IMO, the most the "Satanic Panic" people could manage is pressuring stores into not selling them

I remember reading a weird website about how Dora The Explorer is considered Satanic because Swiper is a fox and foxes are known be treacherous in fables. And we all know the Serpent in the Book of Genesis is the treacherous enemy.

The way I see the DND Satanic Panic is similar to those Illimunati conspiracy theories about pop stars of the late 2000s or early 2010s such as Lady Gaga and Ke$ha. Every time a triangle would show up on screen or if the artist flashed a triangle, the Christian right and other right-wing conspiracy theorists would lose their minds.

Stuff like that.

 

[Analytical Engine]

I remember reading a weird website about how Dora The Explorer is considered Satanic because Swiper is a fox and foxes are known be treacherous in fables. And we all know the Serpent in the Book of Genesis is the treacherous enemy.

The way I see the DND Satanic Panic is similar to those Illimunati conspiracy theories about pop stars of the late 2000s or early 2010s such as Lady Gaga and Ke$ha. Every time a triangle would show up on screen or if the artist flashed a triangle, the Christian right and other right-wing conspiracy theorists would lose their minds.

Stuff like that.

I remember the satanic panic over Pokémon, where both Christian and Muslim preachers railed against it. (I believe there was also one over various trading card games, as well - e.g. Magic the Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh!)

There's still one over Harry Potter (despite having intensely Christian allegories in it)

 

[Gillan1220]

I remember the satanic panic over Pokémon, where both Christian and Muslim preachers railed against it. (I believe there was also one over various trading card games, as well - e.g. Magic the Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh!)

There's still one over Harry Potter (despite having intensely Christian allegories in it)

Oh yes I remember that too. These groups were saying that Pokemons were demons in disguise. The fact that MTG and Yu-Gi-Oh uses fictional monsters in fantasy settings for the former and ancient Egyptian mythology for the latter makes it more "demonic" for these groups.

I saw the Jesus Camp documentary last year and I was appalled by the scene where the brainwashed kids loathed another kid for saying he watches Harry Potter. The pastor named Becky Fischer even said "Warlocks are the enemies of God!"

I also remember one scene where the kids were staying up late playing with their flashlights and telling about ghost stories only for the councilor to come in to tell them "ghost stories aren't honoring the Lord".

Meanwhile, here in Cebu, Philippines, these Christian diehard groups always attack our annual Sinulog festival because of its paganistic roots (actually yes but it shows how early pre-Hispanic Filipinos converted to Roman Catholicism) and the wild street parties that follow.

Prepare to cringe at the statement below:

https://www.facebook.com/777jesusandme/posts/478636514462955

For those who can't access it on FB

Spoiler: This is how they actually worded it

Beloved brethrens in Christ! Praise the Lord, Please pray and fast (5days) with us to preach the Gospel of Jesus at SINULOG FESTIVAL in Cebu this 15th of January.
We will be rebuking the spirit of Sinulog wherein they will parade their idols and other demonic activities like battle of the bands, parties and concerts which is not glorifying to the Lord.
Please pray also for our protection and the strength to endure all persecutions. That we may stand firm to the truth.
That we may present the good news with love and humility.
That the people's eyes will be opened and they worship God in spirit and in truth.
That many lukewarm christians will be convicted of their sins and many souls will be saved.
Millions of souls will participate in this event, it is a very good opportunity to preach the Gospel and at the same time it is also a very big battle in the spirital realm. So we really need your backup prayers and support also.
If you want to support please contact me because many street preachers want to join the mission but because of lack of funds they cannot afford to join.
If you are a street preacher in the area we can unite in Christ

FOR THE KING! Maranatha

I crack up at the word "demonic" was placed in it.

In this video, you can see a street preacher with a megaphone trying to ruin the festival by threatening festival goers and tourists that "they are going to Hell" for taking part in the "unholy" festivities. The crowd responded with festival chants and danced around her.

As for those media and the Satanic moral panic around it, most of it are ignored. Even moderate Christians or Catholics that I know of didn't mind of those table top games or music videos that allegedly had those symbols. And yes there is no ban about it nor do I see one happening at all.

 

[EWHM]

I can just see the gamer's lobby now. You can have my +1 longsword when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers.

 

[Nivek]

I remember the satanic panic over Pokémon, where both Christian and Muslim preachers railed against it. (I believe there was also one over various trading card games, as well - e.g. Magic the Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh!)

There's still one over Harry Potter (despite having intensely Christian allegories in it)

That was so funnily stupid

 

[Analytical Engine]

That was so funnily stupid

Which bit in particular?

 

[RanulfC]

Was stationed in Oklahoma in the 80s which was an 'epicenter' of the panic. Had my group coming over to play AD&D but just before they got there I was channel surfing and hit "The 700 Club" which just so happened to be a pitch for a book called "Turmoil in the Toybox". When the gang got there we didn't play but just watch as these "supposed" experts on the occult meaning of every single popular toy and cartoons, blaming them for all the evil "out kids" were being exposed to. But not to worry if you buy our book you'll receive a free catalog with all our "Christian" toys and games!

It was horribly obvious it was just a means of selling the toys and games to a captive audience and the toys and games obviously were crap. About two years later I was visiting some relatives and one had a copy of the book itself so I sat down and forced myself to read it and it was the most amount of bald faced lying I'd ever read with about zero to do with reality. Worse the authors (who claimed to be "experts" and traded off their "Doctor of Divinity" diplomas making them authorities on Satan's "plan" for kids) spent most of the book tying "Satanism" and "witchcraft" to every popular cultural icon.
"Star Wars" was evil because there was a character names "Obi" in it and of course "as everyone knows" this is based on a Witch chanting "obi-obi-obi" to raise power.... What? Or that the Smurfs were undead, (because they were blue and you turn blue when you die) homosexual, (because there no female Smurfs until one was created by "magic") necrophilia's (same reasoning) warlocks because they used magic. Again, what?
Oh yes and the Society for Creative Anachronism was made up of people who had become so addicted to fantasy games that they abandoned "reality" to live in a fantasy world. That one made me laugh as I knew a lot of SCA folks in the military and in NO chapter where they living in a fantasy world.

Even in the buckle of the Bible Belt, (so called because of Oral Roberts University and the proliferation of evangelical churches in the state) the "panic" never rally amounted to much except giving free advertising to RPG's in general.

Randy

 

[Somedevil]

I mean it most likely back fire like the warning labels on video games and music never mind the Movie and TV Rating systems that have backfired as well.

Honestly as someone who was a kid in the 80's & 90's and went to church but thankfully his grandparents and mother was not as extreme as my aunt was towards my cousins. It was a concern in the 80's and 90's . But in the end it would of back fired and honestly made the more geek and dorky nerd games and toys more popular . I recall playing Magic the Gathering when it first came out plus other card games like he Star Wars and Star Trek ones and only a very small subset did play those and most were not the kids thought of as the cool kids. But this happens and the cool kids would want to play those games.

 

[Snowstalker]

Would pretty quickly sputter out for First Amendment reasons.

 

[Strategos' Risk]

Sci-fi tabletop RPG becomes big instead

What if Dune popularized role-playing games?

Dungeons and Dragons, of course, was heavily based on Tolkien's work (though the magic system is Vancian...), as well as "the works of Robert E. Howard, Edgar Rice Burroughs, A. Merritt, H. P. Lovecraft, Fritz Leiber, L. Sprague de Camp, Fletcher Pratt, Roger Zelazny, and Michael Moorcock." But...

www.alternatehistory.com

 

[Gillan1220]

Speaking of Satanic panics, come by 2002, there's another Satanic moral panic over the Spanish "The Ketchup Song".

Exploring the Myth that Las Ketchup's 'Ketchup Song' is a Satanic Anthem

How much do you really know about 'The Ketchup Song (Asereje)'? We explore the age old myth that the song is an anthemic call to the prince of darkness.

tonedeaf.thebrag.com

How A Chain Email Convinced The World 'The Ketchup Song' Was An Ode To Satan

Was it simply an innocent pinger anthem? Or was it a secret campaign to get children to worship the devil?

junkee.com

Musical Flashback: "Asereje" by Las Ketchup (2002)

Starting today, I shall regularly be posting a series of entries called "Musical Flashback", where I will be posting about songs that were ...

glimpsesnglances.blogspot.com

The controversial Christian sect in the Philippines known as Iglesia ni Cristo (English: Chruch of Christ) banned their members to listen to this song.

OMG! So, THIS Is What The Song "Asereje" Meant All Along! - When In Manila

If you were at least above the age of four in 2002, then chances are you may remember the hit Spanish song "Asereje" by the girl group, Las Ketchup!

www.wheninmanila.com

Article in Tagalog from 2003 (you can use your browser to translate):

'Asereje' sa Satanista?

SIKAT na sikat ang awiting Asereje. Bata at matanda ay nahuhumaling. Sinasabayan nila ang pag-awit at pagsayaw. Nakatutuwang tingnan lalo na mga maliliit na bata na umiindak at kumukumpas habang umaawit at sumasayaw sa Latin ng American beat na hottest craze ngayon. Lalo pang naging hit dahil...

www.philstar.com

Because the term "asereje" sounds like the word heretic.

Some diehard Christians and diehard Catholics here in my country were freaking out over it. Despite that allegation it was a "devil worship" song, it wasn't banned.

 

[Analytical Engine]

Isn't the chorus to that a sort of semi-nonsense Spanish version of the beginning of Rapper's Delight by the Sugarhill Gang?