The Satanic Panic was Built on Lies | Satan Wants You | On Docs Podcast
40The Satanic Panic - a phenomenon of the 1980s and '90s - was a terrifying rollercoaster for all involved. Accusations of child sacrifice ruined lives as the public sought answers for why everyone suddenly seemed to have been victims of Satanists and Satanic rituals. Amplified by the Catholic Church, law enforcement and daytime TV, rumours of these cults made their way through fearful communities, creating a witch hunt for anyone believed to be part of alleged Satanic worship groups.
At the centre of this conspiracy was a book called "Michelle Remembers," a memoir published in 1980 by Canadian psychiatrist Larry Pazder and his patient Michelle Smith in which Smith's recounted false memories where she was abducted and tortured by a satanic cult in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
The new documentary, "Satan Wants You," describes the experiences of the satanic panic, how the memoir sparked it and exposes how a lie from a Canadian patient and doctor became an enduring myth. The film was featured at HotDocs and SXSW, and its filmmakers Sean Horlor and Steve J. Adams speak to Colin Ellis and Nam Kiwanuka on this episode of TVO's On Docs podcast. They dissect the chilling story and production behind "Satan Wants You," and the satanic panic phenomenon of the 1980s and '90s.
0:00 Intro
0:20 Satan Wants You Trailer
1:14 "Michelle Remembers"
2:15 Michelle Smith and Lawrence Pazder
3:36 The Satanic Panic
6:12 Michelle and Larry's family
9:33 Victoria, B.C.: Satanic Capital?
10:33 Blame game
11:50 The media's role
12:44 Margaret Kelly Michaels
13:30 False accusations
15:00 Qanon
16:03 Changing social norms
17:25 Church of Satan
18:37 Insurance companies
20:20 Satanic panic in popular culture
21:20 Church abuse scandal
22:45 The Church and "Michelle Remembers"
23:45 Why Michelle refused participating in the doc
24:58 How widespread The Satanic Panic was
25:45 The need for skepticism
26:33 Doc screenings
27:20 Outro/social media