Although Madonna’s early hit, Like a Virgin, went a long way to earning the ire of the religious right, it wasn’t until she released the music video for Like a Prayer that the movement was truly galvanized. A video that saw the star dancing among burning crosses in the clip’s most offensive moments, Pope John Paul II himself encouraged people to boycott her Italian performances. When the leader of the Catholic Church speaks out against you, in particular, that is an astonishing statement. Seen by many to still perform among images of the occult to this day, some believe that she mocks those that follow the word of god in a tribute to her master.
9. SNOOP DOGG
Made a huge star by his discovery by and association with Dr. Dre, Snoop took the music world by storm when he released his first album way back in 1993. Having released thirteen solo albums and eight albums where he was a part of a group, his music catalog is expansive without even considering his long history of guesting on the works of so many others. Graduating to become a personality who is well known to many who haven’t heard much of his music, Snoop has appeared in movies, been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and appears regularly on TV.
Today Snoop Dogg has become arguably the most user-friendly figure in rap and hip hop history. Perpetually baked, he seems to be having a great time wherever he goes as evidenced by the smile that seems to be a permanent fixture of his face but that was not always the case. The eighteen-minute short film and soundtrack, Murder Was the Case, which told the story of Snoop’s death and resurrection after making a deal with the devil is all the evidence some need to believe he runs with the devil. The fact that a couple of years later, the rapper was put on trial for murder also served to strengthen their case despite the fact that he was acquitted.
8. NICKI MINAJ
One of the biggest rappers of the last several years, Nicki was called “the most influential female rapper of all time” by an editor for The New York Times. The winner of awards handed out by BET, MTV, Billboard and the recipient of six American Music Awards, it is safe to say that Nicki has earned the respect of critics far and wide. Branching out into television with her role as an American Idol judge, she has also appeared in movies like The Other Woman and Barbershop: The Next Cut, as well as lending her voice to Ice Age: Continental Drift.
Creating an unapologetically sexual image that has been backed up again and again by her scandalous music videos, Nicki certainly doesn’t seem to be concerned about offending people. Compared to Satan by Mariah Carey, a fellow American Idol judge, it isn’t just her fellow pop stars that associate her with the dark lord. Performing as a part of the 2012 Grammy telecast, many were profoundly offending by the symbolism present, including sex slaves and a priest. Called out by anMTV article as going into “full exorcism mode for her bizarre and creepy performance” the segment had some viewers calling foul and proclaiming she was in league with Satan.
7. NICK JONAS
A member of the pop rock band, The Jonas Brothers, alongside his siblings Kevin and Joe, the group was seen as being about as family friendly as they come. Further cementing his do-gooder image by appearing in two Disney Original Movies, Camp Rock, and its sequel, as he grew older his choices began to mature as evidenced by his role on the horror series Scream Queens. Currently, an internationally charting solo artist who had a huge hit with the song Jealous, Nick has become his own man but still mostly seems like a solid dude.
Then he chose to wear a T-Shirt and some people lost their minds. Seen in public sporting a shirt that featured Aleister Crowley, arguably the most famous occultist of the modern era, some people were absolutely shocked. Sure, we can see how someone who has proclaimed himself a conservative Christian in the past wearing a shirt of someone who was denounced as “the wickedest man in the world” is odd, but still. In our minds the most likely scenario is that Nick fell prey to a mistake that many young people make, wearing clothes they think looks cool without knowing the deeper meaning. He just as easily could have been seen wearing a Che Guevara shirt as so many youngsters do without knowing that man’s story.
6. JIMMY PAGE
Jimmy Page, guitarist and founder of the band Led Zepplin and a member of The Yardbirds is one of the most respected rock stars of all time. Ranked by Gibson as the second best Guitarist of all time and recognized by Rolling Stone as the third best, to name just two of the lists his skills have been acclaimed by, he has had a hand in creating marvellous music. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a part of both of his big bands, any attempt to list his accolades seems likely to be an unending effort.
We’ve already mentioned Aleister Crowley, the famed British Occultist whose image Nick Jonas wore and thought that may have been a mistake Jimmy’s feelings towards the man are entirely concrete. Seen as obsessed with Crowley, Jimmy is known as a collector of his memorabilia, even going so far as to buying and restoring his home. Additionally, his most famous work, alongside his bandmates in Led Zepplin has been the subject of Satanist urban legends for years which have inspired some more religious observers to ban their music from their homes.
5. JAYNE MANSFIELD
A major Hollywood star of yesteryear, and late mother of Law and Order: SVUstar Mariska Hargitay, Jayne reached the zenith of her career in the 50’s. Seen in flicks like Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter, The Girl Can’t Help It, The Wayward Blues, and Too Hot to Handle among others, she became internationally famous. Also remembered as one of the first Playboy Playmates, she changed the industry when she was the first star to appear in the buff on the big screen. Killed in a car crash at the young age of thirty-four, we’ll never know if she could have recaptured her former fame.
Said to be an actual member of the Church of Satan, some have even gone so far as to say that she had a romantic relationship with the group’s founder Anton LaVey. The interesting part is that there seems to be little truth to the claims that still dog her legacy to this day. Tales of her supposed association with the Church surfaced after the star’s death and claimed that her success was ensured by worshiping Satan. It appears that the origin of the entire story began because the actress was convinced to take part in a publicity photoshoot by German photographer Walter Fischer. The resulting pics are used as proof of her dark history to this day but it seems that those claims are about as valid as thinking Amy Schumer slept with R2-D2 and C-3PO since there are photos that imply that
4. ABRAHAM LINCOLN
If we have to tell you why Abe is famous then clearly you didn’t exactly ace your history class. The sixteenth President of the United States, he is credited with preserving the union after the Civil War, abolishing slavery and forever changing the world we know today. It’s pretty safe to say that he is one of the greatest if not the very best president of all time despite his life and presidency coming to an early end due to his assassination. Mary Todd Lincoln is mostly famous for being his wife and a former First Lady but she was an indomitable figure herself.
Turns out that the Lincolns, one of the best remembered and most respected couples ever, held a séance in the White House, if a 1963 Boston Gazette story is to be believed. If the retelling of the story is, in fact, true, Abe seems to have taken the proceedings with a grain of salt while his wife and others present took the goings on far more seriously. After the president’s passing some stories point to his widow delving far deeper into attempts to communicate with her dead husband. Although many people today see these types of events as entirely mundane, there is still a rather large contingent who sees the act of communing with the dead as innately demonic.
3. LIBERACE
