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Episode 24: Judas Priest Suicide Trial
CW: This episode discusses suicide, attempted suicide, depression, substance use, and themes of self-harm. Listener discretion advised.
In 1990, Judas Priest stood trial in a Nevada courtroom. Not for drugs. Not for violence. Not for anything they physically did.
But for what their music supposedly said.
Two young men attempted suicide after spending hours listening to the band’s song “Better by You, Better Than Me.” Their families believed hidden subliminal messages in the track pushed them over the edge.
What follows is a lawsuit that combined grief, fear, culture wars, and the lingering shadow of the Satanic Panic.
In this episode, Heather unpacks what really happened. We talk about subliminal messaging, moral responsibility, and why we so often search for something external to blame.
Sources:
- Pazder, Lawrence & Smith, Michelle. Michelle Remembers. Congdon & Weed, 1980.https://archive.org/details/michelleremembers00pazd
- de Becker, Gavin. The Gift of Fear. Little, Brown and Company, 1997.https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56465.The_Gift_of_Fear
- McNally, Richard J. Remembering Trauma. Harvard University Press, 2003.https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674016764
- Wright, Gary. Dream Weaver: A Memoir. Da Capo Press, 2014.https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/gary-wright/dream-weaver/9780306822374/
- Loftus, Elizabeth F. “Creating False Memories.” Scientific American, 1997.https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/creating-false-memories/
- Liu, Jia & Kanwisher, Nancy. “The Perception of Face-Like Objects.” Psychological Science, 2014.https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0956797614524583
- American Psychological Association. “Questions and Answers About Memories of Childhood Abuse.”https://www.apa.org/monitor/may01/memorie
- McMartin Preschool Trial Overview – Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.https://da.lacounty.gov/media/news/mcmartin-preschool-case
- California Court of Appeal Records (McMartin-related cases).https://law.justia.com/cases/california/
- Vance v. Judas Priest, Nevada Supreme Court Opinion (1992).https://law.justia.com/cases/nevada/supreme-court/1992/22575-1.html
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By Altar EgoCW: This episode discusses suicide, attempted suicide, depression, substance use, and themes of self-harm. Listener discretion advised.
In 1990, Judas Priest stood trial in a Nevada courtroom. Not for drugs. Not for violence. Not for anything they physically did.
But for what their music supposedly said.
Two young men attempted suicide after spending hours listening to the band’s song “Better by You, Better Than Me.” Their families believed hidden subliminal messages in the track pushed them over the edge.
What follows is a lawsuit that combined grief, fear, culture wars, and the lingering shadow of the Satanic Panic.
In this episode, Heather unpacks what really happened. We talk about subliminal messaging, moral responsibility, and why we so often search for something external to blame.
Sources:
- Pazder, Lawrence & Smith, Michelle. Michelle Remembers. Congdon & Weed, 1980.https://archive.org/details/michelleremembers00pazd
- de Becker, Gavin. The Gift of Fear. Little, Brown and Company, 1997.https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56465.The_Gift_of_Fear
- McNally, Richard J. Remembering Trauma. Harvard University Press, 2003.https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674016764
- Wright, Gary. Dream Weaver: A Memoir. Da Capo Press, 2014.https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/gary-wright/dream-weaver/9780306822374/
- Loftus, Elizabeth F. “Creating False Memories.” Scientific American, 1997.https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/creating-false-memories/
- Liu, Jia & Kanwisher, Nancy. “The Perception of Face-Like Objects.” Psychological Science, 2014.https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0956797614524583
- American Psychological Association. “Questions and Answers About Memories of Childhood Abuse.”https://www.apa.org/monitor/may01/memorie
- McMartin Preschool Trial Overview – Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.https://da.lacounty.gov/media/news/mcmartin-preschool-case
- California Court of Appeal Records (McMartin-related cases).https://law.justia.com/cases/california/
- Vance v. Judas Priest, Nevada Supreme Court Opinion (1992).https://law.justia.com/cases/nevada/supreme-court/1992/22575-1.html