[opening theme is the instrumental version of the He-Man theme song]
Welcome back to the Forgotten Library; as always, I’m Nikki Gee. Today’s episode involves a book that reads like Ridic Fic, but it’s actually true. In addition, this is a bit of a love letter to my fellow early Millennials/late Gen Xers, as you’ll see. Our selection today is Turmoil in the Toybox by Phil Phillips, who was responsible for the ruination of quite a few childhoods. For a teaser, here’s the back flap description:
A SHOCKING EXPOSE of the toy and cartoon industry. It reveals the hidden dangers found in He-Man and Masters of the Universe, Barbie, Rainbow Brite, G.I. Joe, Smurfs . . . This book unmasks the New Age, Occult, Violent, and Satanic influences that have invaded the once innocent toy box . . .
I came upon this book about a decade ago, perhaps longer. During that time, I was dating a guy we’ll call Southern Fried; he was from Georgia, and he loved all that greasy fattening fare. Anyway, we were the same age, so I was a bit surprised to discover that pop culture references from my childhood were not shared. One day, it came out in conversation that he had never watched He-Man. Or Care Bears. Or Smurfs. Pretty much any of the cool cartoons were verboten in his childhood home, and all because of a slim volume by a dude who sounds like he’s writing using a fake name. This author duped a lot of well-meaning Christian parents, but he wasn’t alone; we’ll get to that in a bit.
Phil Phillips stares out from the back cover of this paperback edition with soulful eyes and serious hair. The bio states that he is an evangelist and an “expert” on children’s toys. Other books he penned during this time period include “Halloween and Satanism,” “Saturday Morning Mind Control,” and “Dinosaurs: the Bible, Barney, and Beyond.” On his LinkedIn, he is the President of God Loves Kids, a non-profit in Texas that helps children in Africa. He mentions a few publications, but not Turmoil, which is interesting. Not much other information is available about him online.
Turmoil was published in 1986 by Starburst Publishers; they are no longer in business. They were based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and run by David and Sharon Roble. No other information exists about the couple, but Turmoil lists a selection of other books that were put out by the printing house: The Great Pretender, which details the life and ministry of Rose and Mike Warnke, who devoted their lives to exposing Satanism (y’all starting to see a pattern here?); Devotion in Motion, a ministry of dance; and A Bucket of Finger Lickin’s, which appears to be a book on Colonel Sanders. Ookay. Let’s get to the book!
[break]
Turmoil in the Toybox purports to take an in-depth look at the toy and cartoon industry, and all the traps the media has laid for your poor, innocent children. Phillips assures the reader that this is the “most thoroughly researched and balanced exposé available today.” Hmm, we’ll see about that.
Chapter 1 – Unaware. Phillips begins with a story – he’s fallen into a sewage hole at a rest stop and is starting to sink. “I gasped for breath as the strong fumes from the green, slimy sewage surrounding me forced their way into my throat and nasal passages.” His father pulls him out before he drowns. Apparently, this was back in the days when his dad was a traveling evangelist and they toured the country in an Airstream trailer. He was nearly four years old at the time and remembers his parents hosing him off in the desert for hours. What about a hospital or doctor? Anyone? Bueller?
Phillips uses this story of the slime-pit in his talks, he says, because many Christians are unaware of the “spiritual sewage” which is always about them. Many fall or dive in without knowing, and are, therefore, “unaware” of the danger. Parents and grandparents, especially, must know where the sewage is so that they can assist their children in making the right choices. “Sewage of the mind is more difficult to clean out than sewage on the body,” he helpfully points out.
Children are quite capable of “reaching for Jesus” at an early age; now, I have sewage of the mind, so I find that phrase vaguely dirty, but Mr. Phillips, I’m sure, having a mind that is pure as driven snow, is only making an innocuous comment. He believes that his religious calling is to expose the media and toy industry for the bastions of immorality they are. Toys that are supposedly designed for children are beyond a child’s comprehension. He makes an example of Robotech, with many of its 168 episodes being sexually-oriented. He cites no source for this information. I don’t remember Robotech, but the sources I perused say that Robotech was only 85 episodes, and while it was a bit more mature than other cartoons of its time, I’m not really sure what he’s grousing about.
Chapter Two – A Startling Discovery. Parents are ignorant of toys’ role – but he was, too . . . until the Lord pointed the way.
He discovers Skeletor (from He-Man and Masters of the Universe) in a mall toy store. Skeletor had a staff crowned with a ram’s head, an obvious “occult” symbol. (By “occult” please understand he means everything that does not embrace “Christian” tenets). Instead of passing it by or researching it in other ways, he buys the toy, thereby placing more money in the manufacturer’s pagan hands.
The bonus comic book astonishes him even further – it kind of parallels the book of Genesis, except that Satan created the world instead of God. I don’t know what he was reading, but the minicomics that were packaged with the action figures told standalone stories about various Eternia-based characters. We’ll get back to He-Man later.
Phil brings Skeletor to his sermon that night and is SHOCKED that so many of his Christian brothers and sisters are harboring this evil in their homes. On the drive back to Texas, he’s hanging out with the Lord, and they start rappin’ about toys. The Lord tells Phil that children learn through imagination, and Satan is gaining control of their minds; Phil agrees, and God tells him that he has been chosen to do something about it. So Phil says, “Aw, shucks, thanks, Lord,” and buys more toys, and begins lecturing to the masses about the dangers of Dungeons and Dragons and suchlike filth. Other people begin to join his crusade, and he natters about the “miracles” that happen when his followers increase in number. A photographer volunteers his services to take pictures of the offending toys for slides that Phil can use in his lectures, but then unusual things start to happen to the camera equipment. The photographer calls his parents and they all pray about it, and miracle of miracles, the occurrences stop. Obviously the work of, [could it be . . . SATAN?!]
Children are too important to consider this ministry a joke, (which some thought it was, at first); the Bible says so! He even quotes some verses to prove it! Children are the future, and can’t have occult practices, and idolatry, and the like messing with their minds!
The chapter concludes with line drawings of two childrens’ heads with their brains exposed – the child with toys, television, sex, violence, and games on his mind has a fragmented view of the world; the child with love, peace, kindness, truth, and goodness on his mind has a cohesive view of the world. (I assume that’s what it’s supposed to mean; it’s a very crude drawing and has no explanation beside it). I suppose we’re expected to think that a child cannot have a combination of these thoughts and ideals at the same time.
Chapter 3 – Let’s Pretend. Philly Boy begins this chapter by affirming the Lord’s sagacity regarding children – they use their imagination when playing with toys, thereby making them real. Imagination is a gift from God, but it is subject to perversion, especially since the pretend world is where a child spends most of their time.
In pretend play, children see themselves as particular characters, with all of the attributes contained therein. He uses the example of kids playing “house,” which he finds a good thing, as “it lets the child rehearse a role that will later be his.” A not-so-subtle indicator that one’s only God-given roles are spouse and parent?
Imagination fostered by evil begets violent crime; he also states that there are “documented” accounts of people killing themselves due to fantasy and “undisciplined imagination,” but fails to cite any examples. Hmmm. Children that explore mythical, rather than real, worlds are indulging in what Phillips calls “vain imagination;” they pretend to be characters more powerful than Jesus.
The corruption that children undergo is usually subtle; it piles on gradually like a layer cake that you frost and stack. Parents need to give children wholesome images, to set them on the good Christian path for life. How is this done? Give them toys that don’t have “pre-set” ideas. Easier said than done, pal, particularly when your child is bombarded with adverts for the popular toys that more often than not, their friends will also have.
He also claims that today’s toys encourage children to be solitary. I think this guy does not give kids enough credit; they are smarter than that. I had a lot of the “reviled” toys he mentions in this book, and for one thing, I didn’t always adhere to the characters’ attributes as shown in cartoons; and for another, my childhood friends usually had the rest of the set of whatever was popular, so we’d get together at recess or someone’s house. If you weren’t sharing your She-Ra action figures, you were a lame-o. So, suck on that, Phil Phillips. By the way, what kind of unimaginative parents did you have, to call you something as ridiculous as Phillip Phillips?
This is the first chapter where Phillips cites some sources. If you’re a regular listener, you know how I love debunking sources! Some seem rational at first blush, but due to the age, a lot of these were unavailable, even with university library access. I really wish I could get my hands on “Mindfixing is an Addiction of the 80s” by Winkie Pratney; sounds like a real scream, especially since the author’s name sounds fake, but apparently, he was a real evangelist. “Playing with Danger: some Popular Toys Analyzed” by Al Dager is not available on his still-extant Media Spotlight page; however, a handful of other article titles tell you how this source leans:
· “Roman Catholicism – Is It a Cult?” (author says yes, by the way)
· “Acupuncture – Magic or Medical Science?” (beware of ancient occult practices from the East)
· “D.A.R.E. – Experimental Mysticism in the Classroom” (psychology is bad, mmkay?)
Chapter 4 – The Bridge to Adulthood. Children learn about the world and themselves through play. Therefore, adults should select toys and materials that will help the child grow and learn. This all makes sense. Of course, he vilifies television and says it’s bad for your learning and development, because nothing educational is ever on the screen. He does not cite a source for this statement. Parents should also take time out from their busy schedules and play with their kids. He mentions a USA Today article (not cited) about a “playful parent” who actually gets down to her children’s level and plays with them. This was news? Even though both my parents worked, they found time to play with my brother and me; no one sought them out to write an article or pin any roses on them for it.
Chapter 5 – Symbols of the Real World? Toys have become a crutch for parents, something for a child to play with, but not as a family unit. “The parent who gets down on the floor to play with a child on Christmas is doing something that will be seldom repeated throughout the rest of the year,” he says. I suppose if there were “Christian” toys in the mix, everything is all better, for Jesus is the best babysitter there is!
He particularly seems to have it out for He-Man (or he’s a secret super-fan), as he lards his book with references to the show. In this chapter, he tells some personal anecdotes about children believing, horror of horrors, that He-Man is more powerful than Jesus. Well, Jesus doesn’t physically get into the fray and wrestle the evil ones, so that’s probably why kids are more inclined to believe He-Man.
Phillips says there are three types of toys: occult, amoral, and Christian. Occult toys teach witchcraft, violence, sex, and Humanism, which he defines as “man is his own god.” More like man believes in critical thinking and evidence over dogma and superstitious beliefs. Amoral is neither moral nor immoral, so at least he got that one right. And Christian toys, of course, teach Christian principles.
He quotes from a column by Leo Buscaglia, an author and motivational speaker, about today’s toys, which has a bit of hypocrisy in it:
As I perused the shelves, he writes, I couldn’t help but notice how many toys are oriented toward war and combat. Instead of the toy guns and rubber knives I remember as a child, kids today can wage interplanetary war in their own backyards.
Guns and knives are also oriented towards war and combat. Sounds like a nostalgia trap. Watch out for pitfalls! [video game sounds]
Toy sales are booming, which leads to more occult choices for your children. This makes harmful influences more readily available to corrupt their little minds. To be sure, there are Christian toys, but the heathens at Mattel and Hasbro always win.
Now, he does talk about how hard children are marketed to, with cartoons set up basically to sell toys, and he is not wrong. Children of the 80s and early 90s were marketed to EXTREMELY hard, and it worked.
Chapter Six – The Electronic Parent. Children watch lots of TV, especially pre-schoolers, who make up “22 percent of the viewing audience, at any time of the day or night.” Does anyone else see something wrong with that sentence? (Hint: the word night shouldn’t be there). I tried to find some newer, real statistics. As of 2009, according to NielsenWire, children ages 2-5 spend, on average, 32 hours a week in front of a TV—watching television, DVDs, DVR and videos, and using a game console. Kids ages 6-11 spend about 28 hours a week in front of the TV. I’m sure the numbers are higher now that kids can watch on more electronic devices.
Television is insidious because the child learns whether or not the programming is educational. Books, of course, are better because kids have to use their imagination. What about written stories that feature the occult? No information is given.
Television is also detrimental to young minds because they are unable to distinguish between fantasy and reality. His personal example is watching Lassie as a child; when Lassie ran into a burning barn and the show ended, he was sure Lassie was dead. His father convinced him that Lassie was fine by pretending to call the program producers to make sure. This sounds like an apocryphal story, because he was two; most kids don’t remember that far back. But anyway.
He makes a claim that less than 5% of couples shown on TV are married. Which means, if you know how to do math, that the rest are made up of homos, adulterers, and your garden-variety fornicators. Is this really what we want to teach our children is reality? Well, homosexual couples ARE reality, pal, whether you like it or not. This is how the world is. Most kids don’t even question these things until their parents say something.
He also states that there is nothing educational on TV, for even supposed “children’s programming” doesn’t quite teach children the right way. Hmm, I don’t see where you are an educator, or a child psychologist, and BOTH were consulted for Sesame Street, which by the way, is still on the air and has been studied for a long time, showing positive results for pre-school children.
Many of the sources he cites in this section are from his biased pal from earlier, Al Dager from Media Spotlight (the site that says Catholicism is a cult, etc). Now here’s a new source: The Home Invaders by Reverend Donald E. Wildmon. Here’s the back cover blurb:
What are the television networks, newspaper and magazine publishers, and the film industry “selling” nowadays? Casual sex, adultery, homosexuality, violence, abortion, drugs and alcohol, evolution. A humanistic philosophy pervades the media – a philosophy that generally presents Christianity and Christians in a derogatory light, if at all. Yet a Gallup poll indicates that 90 percent of Americans consider themselves Christian. Why then are we being fed a steady diet of blatantly non-Christian values? And when is the church going to end its silence and take action?
Man, they were really scared of humanism, you guys. He doesn’t mention the occult, though, so I’m surprised that Phillips cited him as a source. Perhaps it’s inside the book.
Chapter 7 – Commercialtoons. Here is where the spelunking begins in earnest. First, however, he vilifies television again, especially children’s programming, as nothing more than glorified advertisements for toys. Here’s the thing, though – while much of this book (starting in this chapter, even) is insane and wrong-headed, this part is right.
According to noted sociologist Juliet Schor, kids can recognize logos by 18 months of age, and before the age of 2, can ask for products by brand names. While older children are skeptical of advertising, kindergarteners cannot discern this as easily.
For the reason why advertising to children became more insidious, we need to turn to President Ronald Reagan. In 1981, Reagan appointed Mark Fowler as chairman of the FCC. Fowler was for deregulating television, which led to many of the cartoons that, while de rigueur for children of the 80s, were just vehicles for toys. In November 1988, the New York Times reported that Reagan vetoed a bill that would have reimposed restrictions on children’s television – one of which was limiting advertising during children's programming to 10.5 minutes an hour on weekends, and 12 minutes an hour on weekdays. Reagan vetoed this bill because he felt that it went against “freedom of expression.” Action for Children’s Television (or ACT), a non-profit advocacy group, litigated quite a few cases over the years, and eventually, this culminated in the Children’s Television Act of 1990, which established formal guidelines for kid’s shows.
So, yes, He-Man was basically a 30-minute commercial for toys and action figures, and made a shit ton of money for Mattel. But we still loved it!
Phillips then piles on that He-Man averages 37 violent acts every episode; Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 67 acts; and GI Joe, a whopping 80 acts of violence every 30 minutes. He does not cite a source for these statistics, soo, did he watch all of this TV himself? If so, how did he avoid Satan? He’s obviously opening himself up to all the occult powers.
Not just violence, but sex, occult symbols, and Humanism. See how repetitive he’s becoming? I assume this is a brainwashing tactic, just like he claims TV uses all the time. Keep repeating and they’ll believe it! He begins with a few shows in brief, but He-Man and Dungeons and Dragons have their own separate chapters, and Smurfs and Care Bears are also in another chapter, so we’ll tackle them when we get there.
BlackStar is blatantly occult. It doesn’t just have demons, but glow-in-the-dark alien demons! I don’t even remember this show, but it ran the year I was born (1981). Apparently, it’s seen as a precursor to He-Man, and indeed, was produced by Filmation, the same company. Three years after the show was cancelled, Galoob brought out a line of toys, the ones I presume Phillips refers to, in an effort to hang on to He-Man’s coattails. A commercial exists on YouTube, but does not mention the alien demons.
Phillips lumps Transformers, Voltron, Robotech, and GoBots together as transformers. Accuracy whut? They’re just all bad, okay, whether for violence, or sexual innuendo. Other cartoons that are not suitable for anyone due to occult and/or violence are Scooby Doo, Speed Racer, Tarzan, SpiderMan, and GI Joe.
Children are likely to imitate what they see on TV. He says there have been “many cases” where children have died trying to fly like Superman, and yet, can’t name a single one. A trawl through historic newspapers yields at least two. The Lakeland, FL Ledger from February 3, 1979 reports a story out of New York, where a four-year-old boy fell from a window ledge after seeing the Superman movie; “the family told police they believed the boy was trying to fly.” Charles Green died ten days later, and in a statement quoted in the Rome, GA News-Tribune, his mother believed that his watching the movie didn’t have anything to do with his fall. From the February 21, 1989 San Jose, CA Mercury News, a three-year-old dove out the window after watching Superman, but was uninjured because “he took his pillow with him.” Ookay; glad he wasn’t hurt! My quick and dirty conclusion: there have been documented cases of kids attempting to fly like Superman, but not as many as you’d think.
He then states that there was an out-of-court settlement for a Michigan family whose six-year-old son died after copying a hanging scene from Scooby Doo. The source that he cites only says National Federation for Decency. I can find no record of either a scene like this in Scooby Doo, nor any news regarding this family. Seems like something that at least the local news would have picked up, no? I searched over 30 years of news archives and didn’t find a single reference. Philly possibly created an urban legend!
Finally, he copies a Moral Majority report that bewails same-sex couples in cartoons. Just wait until you see Ren and Stimpy!
Chapter 8 – Cute and Innocent? Phillips now takes us through a virtual 1980s toy store and explains just what is wrong with every “cute and innocent” toy available. He claims he’s not condemning parents, merely making them aware of the “subtle influences.” Yes, so subtle, in fact, that no one was aware of them until he, as god’s supposed emissary, pointed them out to easily-swayed parents everywhere!
By the way, in case you were wondering, he does not advocate burning the cute and innocent . . . toys, that is. He wants parents to go to toy stores, to study and decide whether such items are in line with scripture, before they open their wallets. (And should your child be with you in said store, tugging on your arm and begging for Beast Man, he is obviously in league with Old Nick himself, and must be destroyed).
The danger, you see, is not necessarily the molded plastic, made-in-China toy itself; rather, the “occult” images that the toy represents and which are shown to the child through various media. Please recall that the “occult” in the Phil Phillips lexicon is “that which does not embrace Christian tenets.”
So, why the uptick in the occult? He’s glad you asked, reader. It’s all the fault of . . . hippies! The writers and creators of the 80s toys came out of the 60s, with their acid trips and love beads and Eastern religions. Many of these hippies live in Hollywood. “Don’t misunderstand,” sayeth Phil, “I am not saying Hollywood is a ‘bad place,’ but, the very nature of Hollywood leads to a hedonistic way of living, which often involves ‘meditation,’ drugs, and Eastern religious influences.” Um, it was the 80s; pretty much everyone, Californian or not, was snorting rails. Anyway, these sorts of lifestyles do not lend themselves to going to church on a regular basis, so, obviously, these people are out of touch with God. Oh, so much wrong in that sentence. I’m not going to get into a theological discourse here because I don’t have the time . . . all I’m going to say is, church alone doesn’t make you a believer.
Now, Philly Boy will hit on specific toys for the remainder of the chapter. Are ya strapped in?
Cabbage Patch Kids – before he gets into it, he mentions a similar doll series, Rice Paddy Babies. That sounds incredibly racist, and I doubt the “positive reactions” they received at the Toy Fair. I researched these dolls and apparently, they were real. There isn’t a LOT of information about them, but it looks like a company called Startram Hong Kong Limited were the manufacturers of the dolls. They were very popular in the Hong Kong markets. You can find pictures of them online, but basically, Rice Paddy Babies came dressed in their traditional costumes and included several lines over the years. The ones marketed to the United States were the American-bound Chinese dolls which came with a passport and a plea to “sponsor” them, rather than Cabbage Patch Kids being “adopted.”
The biggest fracas, it appears, was from the Little Helpers line, which carried Philippine passports and contracts to serve as domestic helpers. This was at a time when there were approximately 30k Filipina domestic workers in Hong Kong. The helper dolls came in a male version, but not much is known about these. According to John Damron, the president of the company, they expected the dolls to become popular as gifts for “friends who have moved away from Hong Kong and can’t afford a little help anymore.”
Well, as you might imagine, that was NOT the reaction. They discontinued the sale of these dolls after the Filipino community came out en masse that the dolls were insulting and degrading to the Filipino people. Damron’s remark was that people shouldn’t be ashamed about being domestic helpers; yeah, dude, not the right tack to take there. He claimed ignorance about the situation, but he was an American who had been living in Hong Kong for over a decade at the point, so . . . I call bullshit.
Back to Cabbage Patch Kids. Phil finds Cabbage Patch Kids harmful because kids begin to view them as more than dolls, as real. “Some even pay to have braces put on the dolls . . .” I thought this was a gross overexaggeration, but I found an article in the San Diego Union-Tribune from April 1986 that proves me wrong. An orthodontist was providing braces with teeth for the dolls free of charge to his patients. Most of the kids that requested this service were getting braces themselves, so I think that’s nice; the kids wouldn’t feel alone in that. Services existed to have the doll cleaned, but what’s wrong with that? There have been doll hospitals, but I don’t see him bitching about those.
Here's where he DOES lie, though; he perpetuated the urban legend about Coleco (who manufactured Cabbage Patch Kids) sending you a death certificate for your doll if the doll was sent back to the manufacturer. Now, I know the internet did not exist back then, but newspapers did, and quite a few editorials stated how much of a lie this was. Snopes does posit that the link between Cabbage Patch Dolls and death certificates might have been forged by the band NRBQ (New Rhythm and Blues Quartet); apparently, they used to blow up the dolls on stage and do other crazy stunts with them, and then bury the dolls.
My final words on Cabbage Patch Kids? He is giving any parent reading this book a mixed message. He first says that baby dolls, in general, are good, and foster imagination. However, CPK take it too far and force a child to take on adult responsibilities? I would venture to say that any doll has the potential to do that; any imaginative instance can and has been taken to extremes. I suppose some toy had to be the scapegoat, and since they were the dolls to have at time of publication, they get the full brunt of his wrath.
Barbie – I won’t even bother discussing this one at length. I completely agree – she fosters unrealistic expectations for little girls and has the potential to give them self-image issues. All of this seems – dare I use the word? – sane. And now we come to . . .
Smurfs - The cartoon wields influence over the toy in this instance, to which I say, no shit. It’s full of the occult, he says. Papa Smurf used spells and incantations to help out his fellows in blue. They run to Papa for every little problem, as well, which makes Phil have a problem with them a second time. Christian children should be learning to call on the Lord when they have an issue, not on witchcraft! And Gargamel uses a pentagram, an obvious occult symbol. These episodes teach the child how to play with the toy, and thus the seeds of loathsome disease are sown. When the child reaches the age of thirteen, the seeds shall sprout. The child shall robe himself in black and escape the warm embrace of the sun for the solitude of velvet night; he shall descend into the deepest recesses of his ancestral home to embark on a frightful journey with similarly-clothed children, and a die of too many sides shall be put into play. Thus spake the “prophet.”
Gummi Bears - I would have been surprised to see them in this book, but then I remembered why they are there. He hates them because they’re magical. And they brew special juice that gives humans powers. Aw, he’s just jealous that Gummi Berry juice doesn’t really exist, and our real-life not-quite-equivalent, alcohol, is probably verboten by his belief system. And it wouldn’t make your peen bigger, anyway, Philly, but don’t worry! I hear there are pills you can take for that now.
My Little Pony. Ah, cute little horsies. What could possibly be wrong here? Well, some of these horses are winged, or are unicorns. These things come to us from Greek mythology, so this is in direct contrast to God’s word. And that’s not all, boys and girls – unicorns are a symbol of the New Age movement, which also has nothing to do with Jesus. In fact, the New Age is a baaad thing, because it has ushered in women’s liberation and gay rights, and rejects Jesus’ teachings. The unicorn is a symbol of the anti-Christ. Wait, whaaaaaat? He cites two sources for this section. The first one is an article from Media Spotlight, which states that the New Age and the unicorn are in league with each other; here’s the quote in its entirety (remember this was written in the 80s):
The unicorn is also considered by New Agers as the symbol of innocence and gentleness personified in the conquering child Horus. This Egyptian solar god is said to conquer through gentility.
According to New Age teaching, the world will soon enter the second Golden Age, about the year 2000. The Golden Age (New Age) is also known as the Age of Aquarius and the Eon of Horus, an era of peace and brotherly love.
Thus we see that the unicorn is the symbol of a future conqueror who will bring peace to the earth. Who is this but the antichrist for whom the world waits?
The other thing this passage sheds light on is the fact that Phillips is a plagiarizer, as he lifted most of the last section of the article wholesale and did not block-quote it or use any marks to set it off from his own insane ramblings. The second source is the book of Daniel (7:8, for those playing along at home). This verse talks about Daniel’s dream of four beasts, and the one in question has ten horns and another little one. That sounds like ELEVEN. I think we forgot how to count. Too much squinting over cartoons and seeing that which isn’t there. I prescribe rest in a padded cell – extra comfy that way!
Of course, the My Little Pony cartoon must be taken to task, also. For “science,” I suppose, he watched an episode. He doesn’t state this outright, but he doesn’t say that “based upon my viewing of [x] episodes . . .” for that is not how Phillips does things. Presumably, if you are ordained by God to condemn something, actual facts no longer matter. Anyway, he describes an episode of My Little Pony. He uses the phrase “cute and innocent” for the bazillionth time. The ponies are playing and it’s so preeety, aw! Uh, oh, here come some dragons, with demons for riders! They capture some ponies to take back to their castle. The greeter is a half-man/half-goat (with cloven hooves, we must mention) with horns – but why make a point of saying this, as goats already have horns? Oh, wait, Satan. Obviously. Of the four ponies that were abducted, only three are just right for the Chariot of Darkness. *cue spooky music* They are forced to look into the magic bag, which changes them into dragons. But what I really want to know is – what happened to the fourth pony?
The other ponies seek out their buddy the wizard to help them in their hour of need. He lives around mushrooms in the forest. And do you know what that hippie drug-user gives them? A fragment of a rainbow! Oh, noes, not more New-Age BS . . . The rainbow is what defeats the goatman, though, and breaks the spell.
Phil sez, This cartoon is too intense and frightening, as well as occult and New Age. Don’t let yer kidz watch this.
Care Bears. Oh, these little stuffed bastards are bad, but they are very subtle about it. The (un)holy triumvirate in this case consists of Humanism, magic, and Eastern religions. The fact that they love and care is not at odds with the teachings of Jesus. However, the bears focus too much on feelings – this is Humanism. “[T]he most miserable people I know are those who have based their lives on their feelings instead of on the Word of God.” Dayum. I guess I shouldn’t have to ask how you feel about psychologists, eh, Philly Boy?
Achieving one’s “full human potential,” by which, I presume, he means Maslow’s theory of “self-actualization,” is in opposition to god because it means that man controls his own destiny. Only God can solve your problems. These bears are playing a “godlike” role when they help the troubled children in the cartoons. Oh, and the Care Bear stare is based in Eastern religion, and therefore, a no-no. I’m honestly surprised he never mentions Cheer Bear; she had a rainbow on her tummy.
Rainbow Brite. A cute little girl, yes, with a horsey. But the horsey is a Pegasus! And we know what that means! Rainbow Brite fights gloom, which is represented by frightening creatures. Too much violence for young children; hide their eyes.
And once again, the rainbow. Do you know the importance of this symbol? Well, Phil will inform you, if not: it’s a symbol of god’s covenant with man that he would never again flood the earth. “New-Agers” use this symbol to build a bridge between man and Satan. He quotes from a book by Constance Cumbey: “The new age movement uses rainbows to signify their building of the rainbow bridge (Antahkarana) between man and Lucifer, who, they say, is the over-soul.” His source is a book entitled The Hidden Dangers of the Rainbow: The New Age Movement and our Coming Age of Barbarism. This quote was also lifted wholesale into a book called Web of the Illuminati, a 2013 self-published wonder by one Kevin Tucker.
Here’s the thing, though: Antahkarana is a Sanskrit term and in Eastern philosophy is the name given to the bridge that connects the lower mind with the higher mind; while it is usually represented by a rainbow, Hindu religions are not Christian, so Satan/Lucifer is not in their lexicon. Now, most parents who would have read this book would not even have stopped to think about that word, or how it could possibly be connected to rainbows and their inherent evil in this circumstance. Phillips doesn’t seem to care that he’s vilifying other religions without research, but would probably be the first to complain when someone brings up something about Christianity they take umbrage with.
As for Constance Cumbey, she is more cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs than Phil here. Her Hidden Dangers of the Rainbow book blames “New Agers” for Montessori schools and zero population growth, among other things, and that health food stores should be seen as recruiting centers. Somehow, she wrapped Nazis in here, too.
We now turn to Chapter 9, on Masters of the Universe. [Van Halen’s Hot for Teacher mashed up with He-Man] This should be Phil Phillips’ theme song, as he devotes a LOT of words to the hunky 2-d hero in a furry loincloth.
And, indeed, the very first sentence he writes is, “He is strong, handsome, and all powerful.” I knew you were a secret superfan! What makes him frown is the idea that, to children, He-Man has become a god-like figure, “omnipotent and omniscient.” I’m not as sure about the latter descriptor – He-Man is not “all-knowing;” other characters have to tell him about things.
He natters on about the toys begetting the TV series, and the merchandising, which according Time magazine, made a combined total of $1 billion for Mattel by 1985; that’s way more when you adjust for inflation. The toys are immensely popular. Why the massive appeal? It’s new, exciting, and has characters with supernatural powers.
These characters are unusual, mutant beasts that play God. And they all cavort in a land called Eternia. A new world fascinates viewers, as it opens new vistas to imaginary play. There is a moral message at the end of every episode, which has drawn praise from parents, and he admits that these PSAs are taken from the storyline and not tacked on. However, these “morals” take less than a minute, which doesn’t really balance out the violence and occult, in his view. And a point debated by many is whether Masters of the Universe is less violent than other cartoons. He reiterates his claim that “[t]he show averages 37 violent scenes for every half-hour episode,” with, of course, no source for this information. How many episodes did you watch? Many sources today state that, while He-Man did have weapons, he tended to be more of a marshmallow than other cartoons.
By watching the show, children discover that Prince Adam turns into He-Man “by the power of Greyskull.” This gives him supernatural powers and abilities. These things are not god-given, and are, therefore, occult. Phil sez, “Only by the blood of Jesus do humans have any power and authority over others.” Wow, it seems so simple! Pardon me a moment while I check Ebay.
And now he shares a letter from a concerned parent about the effect that He-Man had on his children. He writes: “[Dear Casey] Phil, I want to share with you some guidelines which I have developed . . . in deciding which programs and toys are appropriate.” He knows that parents “must restrict” what is available for children. And those two words, right there, set up a metric ton of problems. I am not saying that children should have access to everything; nor am I saying that parents should not examine “questionable” content, whatever that term means to you, prior to giving it to their kids. However, must restrict implies an ultra-tight rein on your child, and this is what leads to issues. I might be a weird case, once again, but I cannot recall any cartoon or book that I was barred from watching or reading. And I was always told I could ask my parents for clarification if I was confused by something. However, they also watched a lot of stuff WITH me, so they definitely could have switched it off if they suddenly found it inappropriate. And I think I turned out alright.
Only on personal evidence (which really isn’t all that different from what Phillips is doing in this book), I will state that, anyone I’ve ever known who grew up under this sort of restrictive reign had serious problems as an adult. See the Southern Fried Ex from earlier. Even my READING this book and talking about it caused some drama with him. Anyway.
Apparently, this Christian brother (as he signs his letter) has a schedule that is way too busy for him to sit down and preview what the kids are watching. What about your wife? What about a VCR? When he has a little time, however, he asks himself a simple question: “Is there a place for Jesus in this story?” If the answer is no, then his children are not allowed to view it. That seems almost TOO simplistic, doesn’t it?
He regrets not thinking about this when Masters of the Universe first debuted. His sons seemed to be fighting with everyone and they had a “zombie-like” attitude whilst waiting for the show to come on. Urm, so then why didn’t you turn off the damned telly and herd them outside? Who is the adult in this situation? His third son’s first words, supposedly, were “I have the power.” I call shenanigans on this last. Oh, and he makes sure to inform Phil that TV viewing in his house is restricted (there’s that word again) to three shows a day. He doesn’t tell Phil, however, what the other two shows were that the children were watching in addition to MOTU. Because if one of them was GI Joe, maybe that was also part of your problem.
After ChristBro here took the show out of rotation at his house, it only took a few days for his kids to return to “normal.” Well, doesn’t that tell you that it didn’t have that much of a hold on them? Grr.
Back to Phil. He takes offense at the fact that He-Man is the Master of the Universe, which is a term that should be reserved for god. It is simply blasphemous! And again and again, the occult symbolism. Castle Greyskull is a skull! And Skeletor has a ram’s head staff and he can astrally project himself and use mind-control! These practices are detestable and it says so in the Bible. In one of the comic books, he says, Skeletor is in the “lotus position,” levitating. Oh, no, not the lotus position! At least it wasn’t downward-facing dog . . . cause no one wants to see that.
So, basically, he wants parents to teach their kids that god is the real master of the universe. Okay, but he doesn’t have a sword, and he doesn’t manifest himself physically into a superhero and actually get into the fray with whatever “demons” children will be battling, so it’s not really a stretch to understand why kids would have difficulty with your concepts of Jesus, especially considering kids are visual creatures.
Parents might think it’s cute that kids are playing with He-Man and thinking that he will save them, but the subtle deceptions will make you think twice when your child become a teenager and begins dabbling in REAL occult practices!!
The last few pages of this chapter are devoted to She-Ra, Princess of Power, but it’s a rehashing of what I just said, so I shan’t repeat it. I just have to quote two sentences here, in a paragraph where he talks about an episode with a witches’ spell-casting contest. “These spells that the little girl casts are very specific and in depth. In fact, they are similar to spells that would be found in a book on witchcraft.” He knows this, I suppose, because he was probably doing research on his other book, Halloween and Satanism, at the same time.
Chapter 10 – The Barbarization of Our Children. This chapter discusses violent toys. He considers Transformers “war toys,” and posits that the cartoon featuring them is “the most violent cartoon on television.” Wait, didn’t you already say that about Dungeons and Dragons?
Through these cartoons, children see acts of aggression and violence as normal. “Do we want children to believe that guns and sorcery are an important part of everyday life?” Phillips asks. Well, if the child lives in the inner-city, guns are already part of his life, and he’s probably already desensitized to whatever sort of violence is featured on this week’s episode of Voltron.
He cautions parents against exposing their children unnecessarily to violence and occult, just because they want the kids to face reality. He quotes John 15:19, the passage that says, “Christians are not of the world, because [H]e has chosen us out of the world.” Does this make them aliens, then?
As you shouldn’t associate with “unbelievers,” so, too, should your children be barred from those toys which “glorify Satan.” For man cannot serve two masters, and if you let your child play with She-Ra, that is exactly what you are trying to do.
He keeps repeating himself. Violence is bad, mmmkay? Violent toys increase aggression. Do you want that sort of behavior in your children? Look, even Dr. Joyce Brothers agrees with him! When will you listen to Christian reason?
And Russia was not concerned about our nuclear weapons, but they feared American kids walking around in military fatigues. He claims to have heard this from a reporter, presumably from Conspiracy Theorist Weekly. “This is a cause of alarm for them (Russians), because they barbarize their children and they understand the power in it.” Submitted without further comment.
And now, let’s zoom in on a few specific toys about which Phillips has not yet warned us.
Crystlar. He means “Crystar.” This is the second time he has been this sloppy, so I am pondering if it is deliberate, leaving the lazy AND easily-swindled parent (a nearly lethal combination) to just believe what is related here and not feel the need to draw their own conclusions. Anyway. Crystar has “so much occult,” he says, “it almost becomes redundant.” You mean, like most of your book?
Crystalium is a magical realm, ruled by two brothers, Crystar and Moltar (and not, apparently, the one that was on Space Ghost). Choosing between order and chaos is much like Zen Buddhism. The use of crystals is bad news all around. Necromancy is communing with the dead; this will not let you inherit the kingdom of Heaven, for the will is torn up the minute you gaze into that gypsy’s ball.
Power Lords. Without even discussing any of the toys’ attributes, he proclaims them blasphemous, solely based on their name, as it implies that these figures are god’s equals.
These figures are “gruesome,” Phillips tells us; they transform into beasts and aliens. The book of Genesis tells that god created man in his own image; however, maybe we are all aliens and beasts, but haven’t yet learned to harness our powers . . .
I don’t remember this, because they were very early 80s, but I did find some old commercials for these. Apparently, when you rotated the bodies of the protagonist and his other “good guy” friends, they turned into mutated beings. They had a pretty unique look; I suggest you check them out.
Garbage Pail Kids. He finds these horrible, “a mockery of everything that is cute and innocent.” They certainly do not embrace the ideas of love and friendship! I found them hilarious as a grade-school kid.
Voodoo Reagan dolls. These existed? The only information I can find about ones you could actually purchase is in a blurb featured on a Flickr photo was taken at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. An “actual voodoo hex” is used to complete the curse against the (now late) Prez, and this sort of enchantment is verboten in the Bible. I would have an issue with this sort of thing being marketed to children, just in general, but I guess since Phil’s platform is all-Jesus-all-the-time, he’s gotta put everything through that lens.
Golden Girl and the Guardians of the Gemstones. This adventure line for girls encourages the female sex to involve themselves in war play. Don’t be fooled by the idea that the doll accessories/weapons can be worn as jewelry – it’s still barbarous! Golden Girl was a very short-lived line and I’m surprised that it’s even in here. It seems that it never quite hit its target market and She-Ra overpowered this line, but today, it can fetch quite a bit of money if you have any new in-box, especially the playset.
Build a Guillotine. Part of a series of books published by Perigree Books, entitled The Way Things Work, one in particular tells the reader how to make guillotines and catapults. What kind of fool parents would let their children play with this thing? First it’s dolls they’re decapitating, next it’s their brother or sister’s head under the blade! Okay, if Phillips had actually spent any time actually seeking out this book, he would know that this is utter bullshit. The book did include a kit for you to make your own guillotine, yes – out of PAPER! It’s not even a toy, to my mind; it’s more along the lines of model cars and ships in bottles. But remember, Jesus does not advocate decapitation, so you shouldn’t, either.
Godbox. For only $14.95, you can have your very own direct line to god via a wooden box. Obviously, this is blasphemous, as one can call on god at any time without an intermediary. Besides, now we have Alexa and Google home.
He also uses one sentence to denigrate Zork, Zeus, Quest, and Dungeons of Death. Violence, occult symbols, and right in your own home on your Atari 800 or Commodore 64 computer! There is no escape; Satan is everywhere!
Chapter 11 – The Mind Trap. The line between fantasy and reality can become blurred, especially when one stays in their head for too long. This has “proven” to be a really dangerous phenomenon, and Phillips can think of no better example than Dungeons and Dragons.
So, then he explains about role-playing games, and the Dungeon Master (who is “often seen as a god,” he says), and how the game is virtually limitless. The same game could go on for years. *gasp* He quotes from two psychologists who state that fantasies are healthy and relieve boredom, provided that the person is “well put together to begin with.” Of course, Phillips disagrees. Because any creative thoughts one has should be used to expand one’s relationship with god. However, he says that god is the one who gives man thoughts, so if he (Phillips) doesn’t adhere to the concept of free-will, then – I don’t even know; dude makes my head hurt.
We are aware that occult practices are what Phillips takes umbrage with, but psychotherapy is also bad. He describes psychotherapy as “mind alteration and values modification.” I would say that religion itself is “mind-altering,” and not necessarily in a good way.
D & D is also blasphemous for using “traditional Christian terms,” like fasting, atonement, deity, and prayer. Riiight, because all of these practices and words have only Christian definition. I’m pretty sure, somewhere in that cobwebbed and dingy brain of yours, you are aware that many other religions have fast days. And the Jewish calendar has Yom Kippur, which is a Day of ATONEMENT. Which I’m sure Jesus took part in, because he was JEWISH.
I love how he throws around phrases like “experts in the occult,” and then fails to name-check anyone. You know what this makes you, right? A liar. A dirty, filthy liar. He references several pages from different D & D handbooks, and informs the reader that these are all practices forbidden by the Bible. Woe unto those of you who are Christian and play D & D, explaining it’s just fantasy, and you would never do such things in real life; for does not the Bible say, “Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with already in his heart?” Therefore, fantasizing about necromancy is as bad as actually communing with the dead.
The nature of “occult” can be so mysterious and murky, one might not even realize that she is engaging in such practices. He quotes a former DM, who, he feel necessary to mention, now attends Christian Life Ministries. “I played D & D for three years, became interested in tarot cards and still did not realize that I was dealing with occult practices.” Gimme a break.
The fact that D & D consumes lots of time and certain people overidentify with their characters is another cause for concern, according to Phillips. I can’t argue with this information on its face; some people do become obsessed. However, you have to take these things on a case-by-case basis. Also, let’s not forget that some people just have addictive personalities, and if it wasn’t a LARP game, they would probably be addicted to something else.
Lastly, fantasy role-playing is “the first step towards subtly introducing the child to reject the religious training of church and home.” Because you play god over imaginary characters, which is Humanism, which is a belief system where man controls his own destiny, which rejects god, which is wrong-headed because everyone practices the same religion, don’t’cha know?
Life got ya down? Don’t turn to D & D; just think about dwelling in the house of the lord for ever! But, isn’t that, in itself, a fantasy?
Chapter 12 – From Silver Screen to Toy Box. Blockbuster movies with toy tie-ins do not escape Phillips’ wrath. He blames Star Wars for the extent that such licensing has gone, which, in his view, is too far (of course). And, admittedly, kids were (and are) bombarded constantly with adverts that appeal and persuade. And I don’t agree with some of their practices, either. However, I don’t think it’s the work of Satan.
Moreso than the brainwashing to buy, buy, buy, the movies themselves are not harmless. The toys, no matter how “cute and innocent” (our favorite phrase rears its head once again) they appear, should not be brought into a good Christian home. Even movies that are described as “good family entertainment” might not be so. But don’t worry, good ol’ Philly Boy is here to point the way through the landmines!
He asks the reader to think about this scene from a movie – a man and woman are deliberately crushed by a snowplow. A violent image for children, yes? So, why was the audience laughing? Because this act of aggression was perpetrated by the Gremlins in their very own movie. These creatures indulge in all sorts of “ungodly” behavior, but since it’s meant to be humorous, I guess we’re meant to think it’s okay, he whines.
Movies like Gremlins use “subtle deception” to work on a child’s subconscious. Don’t be fooled by Gizmo’s cuteness, for he’s really Satan in a furry disguise, spreading evil and occult thoughts to the minds of children. This is all it takes, parents – one movie, and he’s fated to go against all god’s teachings for life!
He talks about the ratings system (with the PG-13 category, which he says is “new;” I wasn’t aware that was around then) and how much “darker” movies have become in recent years. He quotes Jim Henson, who appears to agree with Phillips’ ideas about “family entertainment.” Phil does not deny that children’s movies, even prior to the time in which he was writing, had disturbing elements. However, the difference, he claims psychologists say (why does he keep quoting psychologists when he clearly doesn’t agree with anything they truly represent?) and he agrees, was in the way those stories are told. Disney films have a “moral order” to their world. Hmm, whatever.
Phillips claims that the amount of “G-rated” movies is not as high as it once was. Jim Henson believed it was because older people “feel embarrassed when they see a movie made just for children,” so now movie-makers are trying to make films that have elements for adults as well as for children. This escalates the violence, and, of course, presents other elements that go against the very fabric of Christianity (supposedly, as the Bible itself has no violence or barbarism in it, whatsoever).
These movies aid Satan in grabbing hold of today’s youth, infiltrating their hearts and minds, educating them in the wrong-headed idea that demons are friendly, helpful, and – dare we use the word? – cute. Each movie ticket you purchase for Star Wars, each ET toy you buy your child, is one more soldier drafted to Satan’s army. And he’s mobilizing, people, ready to wage war against the church!
First up, the Star Wars trilogy (remember those days, when there were only three movies?) These films have introduced many to pagan religion, this time, Zen Buddhism. Blah blah, Yoda, blah blah, the Force, something something something dark side, something something something complete. “What better god could fallen man desire than one that he can command and control at will?” Phillips asks rhetorically.
He admits that Yoda does warn Luke about the dark side of the Force. Anger, fear, aggression are all part of this, according to Yoda, and while Phillips admits that there are some similarities with the teachings of Jesus here, it also has elements of other religions, including Judaism. I love how “Christians” like Philly Boy here like to talk shit about Judaism. Um, your own fucking Bible that you claim to have read says that Jesus was Jewish. Without him, you’d have no Christianity. So, suck it, self-righteous idiot.
Apparently, Phillips doesn’t have the overwhelming minority on his side this time, as some feel that, at its heart, Star Wars (and its sequels) are about the classic struggle of good versus evil, not the occult. But-but, I can picture Phillips spluttering, Yoda tells Luke to rely on himself and use the power of his mind to do good. Oh, noes, Humanism! He doesn’t need god’s help. I’m reminded of the old quote generally attributed to Ben Franklin, “God helps those who help themselves.”
Darth Vader wears a mask that covers his face; this is similar to the portrayal of the Norse god, Odin. What? No, it isn’t. Odin usually wears a hat and has a long beard and one eye. But remember, kids, mythology is evil, too!
Phillips asks, “Do we really want children to think that they can rely on their own powers to fight evil?” Unequivocally, yes!!
He also takes issue with The Ewoks and Droids Adventure Hour cartoon, spawned from the series of movies, but because of rock music this time (perhaps he’s realizing the “occult” theme is a deader-than-dead horse at this point? Wait). Stewart Copeland (of The Police) and Taj Mahal wrote the music for different halves of the show. He doesn’t really explain why this is bad, but “rock music” IS supposedly of the debbil, so perhaps that is why?
ET. Where to begin? The boys play Dungeons and Dragons! Elliot calls his brother “penis breath;” their mother just laughs! ET and Elliot levitate on Elliot’s bicycle! ET and Elliot are joined by a telepathic connection! ET dies, then resurrects himself and ascends back to his home planet (where he’s known as Kleeborp with only one glowing finger)! This mirrors Jesus’ resurrection and ascension to Heaven! But, ET is not Jesus! ET is an alien! I will stop using so many exclamation points!
Children hide ET to keep him away from adults. This shows that “humans are inferior to aliens.” Um, no, what would the adults want to do to ET if they found him? He quotes again the passage about god making man in his own image, and says that in scripture, “there is no room for superior beings.” There are Christians who use this passage to deny the existence of dinosaurs, too; are you also one of these?
Gremlins. Just like demons and should be avoided at all cost. Does this hold for the car, as well? It sure was ugly . . . *ahem*
Want proof? Consider the Mogwai rules! Don’t get them wet – Jesus is the living water, so Satanic creatures know to stay away. Bright light will kill them – Jesus is the light of the world; good and truth will definitely annihilate creatures of darkness.
On the toy box, it reiterates the most important rule of all – never feed them after midnight. Well, this makes children think the toy is real, much like Cabbage Patch Kids. Plus, consider the nightmares such toys like Gremlins can induce for children!
To close, he writes, “Moviegoers constantly consume fantasies of a transcendent good that promises to save the world from destruction, and replaces order into chaotic lives.” Movies have always been a form of escapism. But then again, so is religion. And which, I ask you, dear listener, has caused more harm over the generations?
Chapter 13 – Monkey See, Monkey Do. “Do as I say, not as I do.” Many parents today are showing this by their actions, without having to verbalize this statement.
Television violence rarely shows consequences, leading impressionable children to imitate actions they see. He quotes from an article in the National Federation for Decency Journal (which is the American Family Association now), which talks about a gifted student, with no (obvious) discipline problems, who came into school, guns blazing, and shot two other students before offing herself. Of course, they posit that perhaps the blame lies with television.
On TV, when people get shot in the head, it’s never depicted realistically. Yes, this is still true, for the most part, to get around Standards and Practices; we still see characters, supposedly dead from gunshot wounds to the head, with a trickle of blood descending from the temple, or a mini-puddle on the floor. “Since children believe what they see on television is true, they do not fully comprehend the consequences of shooting someone,” Phillips whines. I have two thoughts in response. Point the first – would you rather a young, impressionable child see the realistic, gory aftermath of such a wound, with gray matter and liberal blood spatter? Point the second – this is a perfect opportunity for A Teaching Moment; a parent can explain how such things would work in “real life,” to a child’s understanding. Of course, I’m assuming that you don’t just plant your child in front of the set, hoping that the twitchy glow will cause them to sprout.
The coyote from the Roadrunner cartoons never dies! Um, can you name a cartoon from this era where any of the characters died?
He brings up He-Man again, and again, feels the need to stress that it is unacceptable for children, in his view. However, he says, some parents feel that it different from other cartoons because it shows consequences. “If he gets hit on the jaw, He-Man says, ‘Boy, that hurt. I should try something different next time.'” That is not a Phillips quote, by the way, lest you think he’s going soft on us.
TV criminals do go to jail, but then plea bargain for lesser sentences. These are not “accurate” consequences. Riiight, because that never happens in reality. Adults are only shown running or fighting when faced with dilemmas – is this what we want children learning? We should be using logic, and reason – wait, what about prayer, and fasting? Am I still reading the same book?
He quotes an article from Ladies Home Journal that discusses a possible link between childhood viewing habits and adult criminality. Apparently, it was a 22-year study done by two psychology professors at the University of Illinois, who surveyed a 3rd grade class’ viewing habits, and then revisited the participants when they turned 30. “Of those with criminal records,” the article states, “the ones who had watched more TV violence as children were convicted as adults of crimes significantly more violent than others from the same classrooms.” But can one make such a quick and dirty conclusion as this? There are so many other factors at possible play here. At any rate, I have no idea why Phillips cites this article about the study, as the very blurb he quotes from says that one of the professors who led the study would not say that TV violence was the sole factor responsible.
Ugh, and then he starts extrapolating why TV might beget violence and THIS is where you start thinking like a rational person, sir? Ten pages from the close of your book? Nope, you’re done.
Chapter 14 – Where Do We Go From Here? I’m not gonna go through this paragraph by paragraph, as I did the other thirteen chapters. Because it’s mostly the same shit. However, there are a few more loony bits I’d like to share before we close Turmoil in the Toybox for good.
Phillips claims that, after the Lord spoke to him and he listened, he did not go right out and begin spouting that toys are “bad.” Instead, he “researched” the subject. “The more I researched, the more I saw the ‘tentacles’ tying to different subjects.” Cthulhu fhtagn.
Apparently, god gave man children so that he would feel a sense of responsibility. I thought it was to populate the Earth, but I’m a heathen.
Children conform to the peer group they are in. Therefore, you should ensure that your child’s peer group has similar values to your child. “It is OK to allow your children to play in the neighborhood. However, I would discourage my child from spending the night at someone’s house where the parents or guardians are not Christians.” Hmm. You DO realize how quickly that sentence could become even more dangerous, yes?
He gives parents a list of Twelve Forbidden Practices (oooohhhhhh) for them to peruse – with Bonus Bible Verses! – and then, armed with this knowledge, he encourages them to watch the programs the children are watching. “You will be appalled at what you see. You will be moved to seek the lord on behalf of our little ones.”
Phillips also tells parents to educate themselves about the New Age Movement, and Humanism, which is now infiltrating the public schools. Okay, I’ve gotta quote this whole thing, because it’s just too good not to do so:
Parents should know enough about the New Age Movement to understand that when their children come home and say they had to write a paper on ‘death,’ that this is a Humanistic way of values clarification. Schools should not be focusing on death, especially at the younger grade levels. Some schools even have sixth graders write their own wills and suicide notes. This is secular Humanistic education.
Suicide notes?? Where did he COME from, and why doesn’t he go away?
He doesn’t believe in evolution, either. Are we really surprised by this, though?
Remember, the battle is the lord’s. I say, then let him deal with it, and I’ll keep my She-Ra and Cabbage Patch Dolls.
[break]
Turmoil in the Toybox seems like an outlier, but as I said at the top of the show, Phil Phillips was not alone in this. Other evangelists, some of whom he cited in his book (Dager, the Wernkes, and so on), were also reaching way too hard and making tenuous and flimsy connections to Satan in everything they saw. However, this was part and parcel of a bigger problem, the Satanic Panic. This panic began to sweep the United States in the latter part of the 1970s, reached a fever pitch in the 80s, and finally died out in the early 1990s. Honestly, one could do an ENTIRE show on the Satanic Panic alone, but here’s a quick and dirty rundown of its origins.
The United States is no stranger to moral panics and sweeping attempts to root out supposedly deviltry. Remember the Salem witch trials? Those are at least the earliest that seem to be recorded. In our era, we had the Comics Code in the 1950s, although that was more attributed to psychology than religion. And then came 1974, and the birth of Dungeons and Dragons.
People tend to fear what they don’t understand, and parents just didn’t get this. Add to the fact that there was magic, and sorcery, and violence, and kids spending way too much time holed up inside acting out imaginary scenes, and parents, especially conservative parents, went nuclear. Then in 1979, a gifted young student named James Dallas Egbert III went missing from Michigan State University; he was sixteen years old, a computer science major, and enjoyed playing D&D. The PI who was hired by the family to find their son helped to make the connection in the public’s mind that Egbert’s disappearance had something to do with this role-playing game. In truth, the poor young man was troubled (too much academic pressure and a struggle with his sexuality were prominent) and had disappeared to take his own life. He would eventually succeed, and it had nothing to do with the game.
The damage had been done, however, and sales skyrocketed, as well as the outrage. Irving Lee Pulling, another troubled youth that had played D&D, took his life in 1982. His mother, Patricia, blamed the game and in her grief, formed Bothered by Dungeons & Dragons, or B.A.D.D., in 1983. (She attempted several lawsuits prior to this, including one against TSR, who published the D&D manuals back then). B.A.D.D. ended up tied with several fundamentalist Christian groups, who were already foaming at the mouth about three other things: heavy metal music, the New Age/paganist movement, and the Satanic Ritual Abuse scare.
While all the RPG fracas was fulminating, a book was published in 1980 called Michele Remembers. After undergoing extensive therapy (mainly of the regressive hypnosis type – the type that supposedly recovers buried memories), a Canadian woman named Michelle Smith began to remember being abused as a child at the hands of a Satanic cult; according to the story, her mother just handed her over to this group to do with her what they would. Michelle said they sewed devil horns and a tail to her body and other crazy, unbelievable shit. Nothing was substantiated, and Michelle never disappeared from school during the time period this happened, that sort of thing. And yet, and yet, people fell for this book hook, line, and sinker. Especially after the McMartin preschool scandal broke in 1983.
Judy Johnson enrolled her two-year-old son, Matthew, at the McMartin preschool in California in 1983; after several days there, she found blood in his diaper, which led to her assumption that he had been abused. Doctors confirmed her story and one of the workers, Ray Buckey, was arrested as the perpetrator. Before he even stood trial, the local police sent a letter to some 200 parents connected with the preschool that Buckey had possibly abused their children and perhaps even taken nude photographs of them. Hundreds of charges were filed against Buckey and his family, who ran the daycare, and the center was shut down.
This led to other communities around the nation having similar stories of daycare abuses pop up. Over time, the stories became more elaborate, and involved animals and religious rites, Kool-Aid mixed with human blood, and dismembered infants, fanning the flames of Satanism ever higher. Most of the testimony by children in these cases were found to be coerced. The tabloids, in print and television, as well as daytime talk shows, helped to feed the beast, as it were. Buckey was eventually found not guilty on most of the counts, and the jury was deadlocked on the remaining. This, however, did not happen until 1990.
Even some major corporations felt the sting of the public’s whip of condemnation. Proctor & Gamble, which has been around since the 1850s, originally had a logo with a man in the moon and 13 stars. This was not unusual in a time when a good portion the populace was illiterate; a picture logo was the norm to help identify brands. Over time, the logo changed a bit to a more curly-haired look and a longer, curly beard. This logo was in place by 1930, and stayed that way until the 80s. When the Panic was in full swing, P&G faced allegations that they were in league with Old Nick himself, for the curls in his mane and the point in his beard were horns! And the curls in his beard were inverted sixes, three of them – the mark of the beast! And the 13 stars were not for the original 13 colonies, oh, no! Because they could ALSO be connected into a series of three sixes!
In 1985, the New York Times reported that the company had had nearly 10,000 calls between the previous and current month about the rumor that they were a Satanic company and that their money was being funneled to the coffers of Lucifer himself. They had to establish a special toll-free number to handle the deluge. They would quietly change the logo in 1991, by straightening out the beard and hair. The rumors would resurface in the mid-1990s and that is when they changed to the beginnings of the lettered logos you see today.
No one really knows yet what caused the panic to die, it seems, as I wasn’t really able to find a definitive answer. However, the panic itself involved a lot more than I had time to get into here, and if you are interested, I’ve provided a lot of links in my sources that I barely touched on in this episode. And of course, I take requests, so if any of the books or authors I mentioned in this episode are ones you’d like me to do an episode on, I’ll see what I can do.
Before I go, and especially because September is Library card sign-up month, I’d like to give a quick shout-out to my own local library system, the Hillsborough County Library Cooperative. Turmoil in the Toybox is difficult to find, but, thanks to the magic of Interlibrary Loan, they were able to obtain a copy for me from Regent University all the way in Virginia, and it didn’t cost me a dime! Support. Your. Libraries. Funding is imperative, and people in power do not understand that libraries need money in order to survive. And funding is contingent on NUMBERS.
Libraries have to prove their worth more and more, so increase the numbers – take out books, ebooks, or even DVDs. Attend a program. Get your body in the door (actual or virtual) and ask a question at the reference desk, even if you think it’s dumb. This is what we do. And we need you.
Well, that’s the show. If you liked this episode, please like, subscribe, review, or whatever option your podcast aggregator has available. The Forgotten Library is available on the following platforms: Anchor, Apple, Google, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, Pocket Casts, PodBean, RadioPublic, Stitcher, and TuneIn. There’s also a Twitter account now @forgottenlibra1. Show suggestions are always welcome. Until next time, I’m Nikki Gee, your intrepid library haunter.
Sources:
Adams, K. M., & Dickey, S. A. (2003). Home and Hegemony: Domestic Service and Identity Politics in South and Southeast Asia. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.
Belkin, L. (1985, April 18). Procter & Gamble Fights Satan Story. New York Times, p. 1. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/1985/04/18/garden/procter-gamble-fights-satan-story.html
Brownfield, T. (2019, September 2). Disappearances & Dragons: The James Dallas Egbert III Story. The Saturday Evening Post. Retrieved from https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2019/09/disappearances-dragons-the-james-dallas-egbert-iii-story/
Calvano, R. (1986, April 28). On a tennis star......braces for dolls......and panhandlers. Evening Tribune (San Diego, CA), pp. B-3. Available from NewsBank: Access World News: https://infoweb-newsbank-com.ezproxy1.hcplc.org/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&docref=news/11791C98751D5778.
Feinberg, B. (1986, December 9). Christmas toys: Back to basics. UPI (USA). Available from NewsBank: Access World News: https://infoweb-newsbank-com.ezproxy1.hcplc.org/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&docref=news/1570D9D790867418
Haberman, C. (2016, April 17). When Dungeons & Dragons Set Off a Moral Panic. New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/18/us/when-dungeons-dragons-set-off-a-moral-panic.html
Hughes, S. (2017). American Monsters: Tabloid Media and the Satanic Panic, 1970-2000. Journal of American Studies, 51(3), 691–719. doi: 10.1017/S0021875816001298
Molotsky, I. (1988, November 7). Reagan Vetoes Bill Putting Limits On TV Programming for Children. New York Times, p. 1. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/07/us/reagan-vetoes-bill-putting-limits-on-tv-programming-for-children.html
O'Barr, W. M. (2008). Children and Advertising. Advertising & Society Review, 9(4). doi: 10.1353/asr.0.0017
Phillips, P. (1986). Turmoil in the Toybox. Lancaster, PA: Starburst Publishers.
Reinhold, R. (1990, January 24). The Longest Trial - A Post-Mortem; Collapse of Child-Abuse Case: So Much Agony for So Little. New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/1990/01/24/us/longest-trial-post-mortem-collapse-child-abuse-case-so-much-agony-for-so-little.html
Shewan, D. (2017, June 14). Conviction of Things Not Seen: the Uniquely American Myth of Satanic Cults. Retrieved from https://psmag.com/social-justice/make-a-cross-with-your-fingers-its-the-satanic-panic
Stampler, L. (2013, March 21). In Spite Of Old, False Satanist Accusations, P&G Put A Moon Back Into Its New Logo. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/pg-puts-moon-in-new-logo-despite-satanist-accusations-2013-5
Waldron, D. (2005). Role-Playing Games and the Christian Right: Community Formation in Response to a Moral Panic. Journal of Religion and Popular Culture, 9. Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20130104131941/https://www.usask.ca/relst/jrpc/art9-roleplaying-print.html