MORAL PANIC MONTH #8: Dungeons & Dragons, by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson (1974)
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Dungeons & Dragons has been entertaining players for over 40 years, but still can't completely shake a reputation for being a portal to evil magic.
Read MoreLook at the news and you'll see that our culture, our future, and our very way of life is under attack. By what, you ask? Well, depends on what music, movie, or video game people are afraid of at the moment. The following culture recommendations take a look at pieces of media that inspired moral panic, from devil-worshiping metal music to mind-warping shooter games.
MORAL PANIC MONTH #7: Antichrist Superstar, by Marilyn Manson (1996)
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Marilyn Manson's breakthrough album Antichrist Superstar, about a worm that rises to power through other people's hatred, would become a self-fulfilling prophecy as religious, political, and media groups targeted Manson for his supposed negative influence on children.
Read MoreMORAL PANIC MONTH #6: Blackboard Jungle, by Richard Brooks (1955)
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Though Blackboard Jungle focuses on a teacher trying to rein in his unruly class of inner-city kids, it quickly became feared for showing teenaged rebellion and featuring rock and roll music.
Read MoreMORAL PANIC MONTH #5: Stained Class, by Judas Priest (1978)
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Judas Priest's album Stained Class is known for two reasons: for getting Judas Priest put on trial for backmasking, and for changing the sound of heavy metal.
Read MoreMORAL PANIC MONTH #4: Doom, by id Software (1993)
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Doom attracted controversy for years after its release, but that didn't stop it from influencing first-person shooters and multiplayer gaming for years to come.
Read MoreMORAL PANIC MONTH #3: Bonnie and Clyde, by Arthur Penn (1967)
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Bonnie and Clyde's popularity with young people sparked waves of worry over film violence turning impressionable youngsters into savage criminals.
Read MoreMORAL PANIC MONTH #2: Tales from the Crypt, by Bill Gaines and Al Feldstein (1950)
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Though it's tame and schlocky now, Tales from the Crypt shocked and disturbed audiences in the 1950s, and led to self-censorship in the comic book industry.
Read MoreMORAL PANIC MONTH #1: Witchcraft Destroys Minds and Reaps Souls, by Coven (1969)
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On their debut 1969 album Witchcraft Destroys Minds and Reaps Souls, Coven draped themselves in witchcraft and occultism before it was cool.
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