The Big Picture: The Devil You Know - Part II

[Redd the Sock]

My favorite devil gets into more obscure Canadian TV: The Collector: a short lived drama playing of the Faustian bit of selling one's soul. The devil (played by a different actor every episode) was a right old bastard in that, not only offering the temptation, but manipulating people's lives such that they'd be in such a low point to sell their soul with no resistance. He was sadistic, machiavellian, yet not without some wisdom.

 

[Saidan]

A bit dissapointed that nobody mentioned Gabriel Byrne. He arrives to our side of the world, and this is the first thing he does:


Say what you want about End of Days (it's an Arnie movie, after all), but this guy rocks as Mister Satan.

 

[Orekoya]

My favorite devil is from Reaper.

I love this interpretation of a devil as it's a bit more the trickster god than just being evil incarnate.

 

[Gledster]

I've always enjoyed an amusing take on the devil and really enjoyed his portrayal in the "God, The Devil and Bob" cartoon series from the year 2000.

Kinda bumbling, with an evil streak and always in competition with God. Good stuff.

 

[Branindain]

While I remember Cow and Chicken (and I am Weasel) I never realised that Dr. Lackslacks was supposed to be Satan, which shows how sharp I am. As far as best devil, Al Pacino probably deserves it but I just can't vote against Tim Curry. I would so turn for that guy.

 

[CelestDaer]

The red guy in Cow & Chicken was explicitly NOT the Devil, though... He was just some naked red weirdo who walked around on his butt... I'm pretty sure his name is actually 'Red Naked Guy'... Momma had a chicken, Momma had a cow, damnit, I remember WAY too much about Cow & Chicken...

 

[Hutzpah Chicken]

I'm surprised that you didn't mention the devil in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. That was very different and would have played into your discussion very well, as the devil did not appear as a monster, but he looked like a man.

 

[coppah20HE]

I'm still amazed that there are people who actually think Satan is real.

Guess thats what happens when you grow up in a secular country.

I guess you could argue that since EVIL is most definitely "real", and Satan is the personification of "evil", that Satan is real, even just in a moral, psychological, or implicit sense. If Satan IS evil, and evil does exist, than Satan exists, or at least how the phrasing goes.

Granted, where "evil" originates from is another thing to speculate upon. No man is born hating another, and yet our society is filled with hate. "Satan" is a go-to answer for the "source" of it, a shorthand. Satan, either in actuality or mere concept, is basically akin to "Mother Nature" in terms of what he/it is and represents. Mother Nature may not be "real", but it's simple an anthropomorphism of nature, just as Satan is the anthropomorphism of the concept of evil.

... That's way too high-brow. My brain wants to go back to the child-scarring Hell scene from All Dogs Go To Heaven now.

Well like I said, I'm from a mostly secular country. When I envision "Evil" I picture the vile and wrongful acts committed by an individual, caused by ethical flaws in ones personality, not by the manifestation of a supernatural being.
If you told me to picture "Evil", I would picture Hitler, rather than "Satan".

Probably cause the first time I experienced "Satan" and religion, was in primary school, from an episode of South Park

 

[newwiseman]

Something other than Satan? But, to quote my ex's mother, it's on the internet so it has to be the devil... that family was insane.

Always love the Big Picture, never know what I'm going to see.

 

[hexFrank202]

The Nostalgia Critic already covered the Fantasia issue (paraphrasing):

"Oh yeah, that's not the devil at all. It's just an evil monster with glowing eyes and pointed horns engulfed in fire who brings the dead back to life only to kill them again. THAT'S THE DEVIL. I don't care what you call him, churnbutter or chipchippy whatever, it's the devil. DEVIL.

 

[daxterx2005]

Wait, Flanders is the devil?

 

[RanceJustice]

While I'm here, I wanted to refer everyone to what is probably a little know, but greatly enjoyable (at least to me) tale of a "tempter devil" that was written as an incident report from the SCP Foundation. Here's the link. http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-738

I especially enjoy the last experimental report...

 

[Andarn]

Devil from Konstantin is my top.

 

[Reincarnatedwolfgod]

That was pretty entertaining. I may have see more episode of animaniacs.
I vaguely recall seeing animaniacs when I was younger but I don't remember any of it. From what see in that episode there humor for adults which should make entertaining to watching some other animaniacs episode.

 

[LordLundar]

That was pretty entertaining. I may have see more episode of animaniacs.
I vaguely recall seeing animaniacs when I was younger but I don't remember any of it. From what see in that episode humor for adults which should make entertaining to watch some other animaniacs episode.

You have no idea. There is a LOT in that show that had (and still has come to think of it) asking how the hell they got it past the censors.

 

[Bbleds]

I guess you could argue that since EVIL is most definitely "real", and Satan is the personification of "evil", that Satan is real, even just in a moral, psychological, or implicit sense. If Satan IS evil, and evil does exist, than Satan exists, or at least how the phrasing goes.

Granted, where "evil" originates from is another thing to speculate upon. No man is born hating another, and yet our society is filled with hate. "Satan" is a go-to answer for the "source" of it, a shorthand. Satan, either in actuality or mere concept, is basically akin to "Mother Nature" in terms of what he/it is and represents. Mother Nature may not be "real", but it's simple an anthropomorphism of nature, just as Satan is the anthropomorphism of the concept of evil.

... That's way too high-brow. My brain wants to go back to the child-scarring Hell scene from All Dogs Go To Heaven now.

Sorry, I know you posted this a few days ago, but wanted to try to bend the brain a bit more. Think about how you decided "Satan" is evil. Continuing simple personification, guess we could say "God" is the good of society. When you start thinking that way, things start to get complicated

Just reading the Bible's text verbatim, the OT God was noted commanding the utter destruction of several groups of people and strongly indicates that "holy" law condones slavery. Now all I am saying with that is the common "good" character is shown to be involved in what we easily recognize as evil today. Also, didn't "God" create "Satan"?

Based on that, fun questions to chew on before returning to an adorable german shepherd being tortured again. Does good also contain evil, and vice versa? Pretty standard "yin-yang" theory, but leads to better questions. Did good create evil, or evil produce good? Was it a necessity? If there was never a concept of evil, there would never be concept of good. Then if we assume these produced eachother at the same time, who and how was it decided which one was right and normal?

Now to help with the thoughts of cute dog damnation. Just remember those are Burt Reynold's screams hopefully in atonement for attempting to sing in the movie.

 

[linforcer]

I remember cow and chicken all too well. I had a cow and chicken day planner in elementary school.

Also Bob, I wouldn't mind 5 more episodes of this.

 

[emeraldrafael]

The escapist way want to cosndier taking meatbag & co out of their end montra video. either that or put in some Urealms as well.

 

[anonymity88]

My favorite fictional satan/devil is Lucifer Neil Gaiman's Sandman - of course the angel kicked out for arrogance would be super-bishi

I've just started reading Sandman I'm on book 4 (skipped book 3 since the guy I'm borrowing them from doesn't own it!) Don't you think when you first meet Satan that he looks like David Bowie?