For Halloween Netflix served up a smorgasbord of macabre treats for our viewing this year. The new shows and horror films didn’t fail to disappoint most fans, yet one show. in particular, did disappoint the Satanic church.
The show in question was none other than “the Chilling Tales of Sabrina”. For any fans of the original TV show starring Melissa Joan Hart, the recent reboot of the comic book may have come as a little bit of a shock. With a PG rating of 15, it’s safe to say that the show was intended for a much older audience than before and it didn’t fail to leave viewers enamoured by the risqué humour, fast and loose sexual scenes and references and slightly terrifying demons.
Credit DIYA PERA/NETFLIX
Yet, the Satanic Temple was quick to confirm that the show was somewhat lacking in originality due to the fact they had incorporated an exact replica of one of the Satanic church’s icons – the Baphomet into the film set. They didn’t hang around before suing both Netflix and Warner Bros over the statue’s design. The lawsuit was filed on November 1st, shortly after the season was first aired. The settlement required for the Satanic panic which the series invoked is a staggering $50 million.
This may not be the best news for fans who were hoping for a season two. Will a second season still be a possibility if the Satanic Church hits them with a $50 million dollar bill?
Alongside the request for Netflix and Warner Bros to meet the financial terms which the lawsuit proposes there are also other additional requirements. Netflix has been requested to remove any advertisements which feature the figure and refrain from featuring the figure in any future material produced by the showrunners. Alongside this Netflix must also break their silence and issue a statement which explains the origins of the statue and the work of the artist.
What’s the Big Deal Anyway?
In recent years, there has been no shortage of hate and misdirected fear which the Satanic temple has had to deal with. Whilst there has been centuries of stigma surrounding the Satanic Church, the heat on their organisation has been felt worldwide. Which doesn’t come as much of a surprise when you come to consider the number of people making blood sacrifices in the name of Satanism. Yet, the FBI has investigated the correlation of these murders of people and animals and found no connection to the church. Mainly, the crimes are carried out by mentally ill individuals who skew the public’s conception of what Satanism actually is. You can read more on the crimes which have been allegedly connected to the satanic church here.
Yet, in reality, more mainstreams religions such as Christianity and Catholicism commit more crimes and Satanism, especially Satanism under the ideology of Anton LaVey. Anton LaVey revolutionised how the world saw satanism when he founded the religion in 1966. After his death in 1997, it was his close friend and co-founder Lucien Greaves who took over the church. For a more accurate view of the belief system of the Church of Satan you might want to forget everything popular media has taught you. Despite their name, Satanists are actually atheists and their position on ideology is very much self-centred – meaning that Satanists place importance within the self, instead of with an invisible God. The Church of Satan has put together a handy FAQ guide of their fundamental beliefs to try and dispel the rumours which have spread since their inception.
Another reason why the Satanic church wasn’t quick to forgive Netflix for using one of their icons without permission was through the profit they were making on the series. The church has never been fond of their icons and religious statues used outside of the church. However, in the instance of Sabrina, an exact replica of the Baphomet featured in four of the episodes of the series. The statue was a prominent fixture in ‘the Academy of Unseen Arts’ where Sabrina was forced to go under the oppressive ruling of Father Blackwood – the head of the academy and order which endorsed cannibalism. The creators of the show did not just use a Sabbatic goat which is generally associated with occultism and satanism. The statue used was an exact replica of the 2013 model. Furthermore, the use of the Baphomet in the Chilling Tales of Sabrina contradicts what the figure represents.
The Satanic church created their own version of the statue between 2013 and 2014. The design was based upon 19th century iconography and cost a staggering $100,000 to design and build. Whilst the statue was based on previous iconography, they strived for the statue to be a unique and original reinvention. It was also subject to copyright law. So, it’s understandable that the church didn’t take too kindly to the design which they invested so much into to be ripped off by Netflix for its own profit. It’s only fair that Netflix pays their fair share of the money for the design, right?
Some fans of the new series took to Twitter to challenge Greaves on the lawsuit claiming that they should be happy for the free publicity. Yet, this is problematic as the show also puts satanism in association with human sacrifices again. Not to give away too many spoilers, but there was a fair amount of bloodshed made in the name of the dark lord.
Just how far they will get in the lawsuit is still to be determined. However, the church has made good ground so far. Netflix and Warner Bros have been unwilling to comment on the matter.
Feeling the Post-Halloween Blues?
If you’re not ready to move on from the Halloween festivities into the winter celebrations, there are still plenty of ways to get in the spirit of Halloween. Why not head over to Egypt Slots where you can play horror-themed online slot machine games such as Mummy Gold, Aliens, Halloween Jack plus many more games which give great Return to Player rates. The only horror that you’ll find is courtesy of the cute characters!
Categorised in: Satanic
This post was written by Nadia Vella