BADD

Because Heaven sounds lame anyways
Satanism

God's own scapegoat

* Satan
* Satanism

A devilish plan

* Emmanuel Eni
* Lauren Stratford
* John Todd
* William Schnoebelen
* Michelle Smith
* Atomwaffen Division
* Dungeons & Dragons
* Backward masking
* Charles Manson
* Transvestigation

v \- t \- e

“”The ever-popular Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game is ever-present in toy stores and department stores. This game is nothing more than an introduction to the occult. Fantasies the players involve and indulge themselves in include murder, rape, arson, pillage,[sic] terrorism, brutal torture, etc. Kids also take on the names of actual demons.

—from a pamphlet authored in part by Patricia Pulling[1]

"Bothered about Dungeons and Dragons" (BADD) were an organization founded by Patricia Pulling (1948–1997). The organization was founded after Pulling's son Irving "Bink" Pulling committed suicide in 1982. It continued until she died in 1997.

Pulling blamed her son's suicide on Dungeons and Dragons, saying her son was "cursed" in the game shortly before his death. She filed a lawsuit against her son's high school principal and a wrongful death lawsuit against the publishers of the game shortly thereafter.[2] Both of the lawsuits were dismissed.

In 1984, BADD was formed. Its targets were:

> ...violent-occult related rock music, role-playing games that utilize occult mythology and the worship of occult gods in role-playing situations like Dungeons & Dragons, teen satanism involving murder and suicide, and pornography as it is affecting adolescent behavior and reshaping attitudes and values in a negative manner.[3]

In its heyday, BADD spread to Canada, England, and Australia, as well as giving lectures across the United States. It presented itself as a referral system for anyone concerned about violent entertainment.

Although BADD obtained some success and support from the church, even serving as legal counsel and eyewitness testimony in gaming-related lawsuits, it has largely been debunked. Based on Pulling's estimates, around 500 gamers would commit suicide a year. The actual number BADD documented is around 7 gaming-related suicides a year.[4] The U.S. Centers for Disease Control later declared no causal link between fantasy gaming and suicide.[2]

Most of Pulling's points and ideas (not to mention credentials) were well and truly ripped to pieces by sci-fi writer Michael Stackpole:

> In her pursuit of a grand Satanic conspiracy – the same one she ultimately holds responsible for the suicide death of her son – she has engaged in unethical and illegal practices. Her methods and tactics, at their very best, taint any evidence she might offer and, at their worst, construct a monster where none exists.[5]

In 1989, Pulling authored a screed entitled The Devil's Web: Who Is Stalking Your Children For Satan?[6] The book describes how children and young adults are supposedly stalked and recruited by satanic cults, and includes descriptions of all kinds of vicious crimes attributed to the worship of Satan. The book implies that heavy metal and black metal music, fantasy role playing games, and horror media contribute to the exploitation of children by "criminal cults."[7]

In 1997, Pulling died of cancer and BADD faded from memory.

## See also[edit]

* Moral panic

## External links[edit]

* The Escapist: As BADD As It Gets.
* Austin Wilson, Demons & Devils: The Moral Panic Surrounding Dungeons & Dragons, 1979-1991 University of Kansas, Senior Thesis, 2019
* Right-Wing Watch: Robertson: ‘Demonic’ Dungeons & Dragons ‘Literally Destroyed People’s Lives’

## References[edit]

1. ↑ As BADD As It Gets. The Escapist.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 The great 1980s Dungeons & Dragons panic. BBC, 11 April 2014.
3. ↑ B.A.D.D. stands for Bothered About D & D and other harmful influences on children. Archived from holysmoke.org, 4 August 2012.
4. ↑ Charney Cale, The Real Truth About Dungeons & Dragons. Archived from cale.com, 7 July 2013.
5. ↑ Michael A. Stackpole, The Pulling Report. Archived from rpgstudies.net; originally dated 1990.
6. ↑ Pat Pulling and Kathy Cawthon, The Devil's Web: Who Is Stalking Your Children For Satan? Vital Issues. 1 August 1989, ISBN 0910311595
7. ↑ Devil's Web: Who Is Stalking Your Children for Satan? United States Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs.