Front Burner Go inside the tangled web of the Satanic Panic from Jaws to Patrick Swayze
Dec 26, 2025
In this engaging conversation, Diane, a photographer and arts educator, shares her chilling experience during the Satanic Panic in rural Kentucky. She recounts the fear and chaos that erupted when rumors spiraled out of control, leading to her abrupt eviction from a town. Diane reveals how mainstream media fueled these wild suspicions, amplifying the panic. The discussion also touches on the societal anxieties that underpinned this cultural phenomenon, reflecting on how small incidents can ignite widespread hysteria.
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Photographer Chased Out By Rumor
- Diane arrived in a small Kentucky town to teach photography and was warmly received at first.
- The art teacher abruptly told her to leave and she fled, later learning she was the target of satanic rumors.
Pop Culture Fueled The Panic
- Mainstream media and popular culture amplified fear of satanism through films and TV coverage.
- This cultural fixation set the stage for ordinary events to be interpreted as evidence of devil worship.
Panic Mirrored Social Anxiety
- The satanic panic targeted mostly white, middle-class anxieties about social change and children.
- Accusations disproportionately harmed people with less power and resources.