(Queensland, Australia) — Have you ever noticed that there is a predictable pattern used by the media to introduce moral panic throughout a nation’s population? Enemies are cast, fear and anger swell, and swift retribution against the offending party is demanded. Of course, like any good tale, it begins with a villain.
Charles Perrault is widely considered the father of the fairy tale. His most famous works include Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Puss in Boots, and Little Red Riding Hood. It is said that fairy tales provide a safe environment for audiences to confront their deepest anxieties. Therefore, when readers encounter terrifying entities like ogres and wolves, they may do so within the relative safety of that which is simply a story.
But the use of villains in fairy tales also has a twofold purpose. Firstly, they establish a recognisable contrast between good and evil, leaving no room for moral ambiguity in the reader’s mind. Secondly, the villain is often portrayed as a character who can be outsmarted, cheated and, in some cases, domesticated by clever humans. Although I have no doubt that media figures will be outraged by this comment, it is my view that much of what is fed to the public today falls more into the category of fairy tale than news item. That is because media driven hysteria relies on the same principles, particularly when it comes to the treatment of the villain in their “story”.
Back in 1972, sociologist Stanley Cohen wrote a book entitled “Folk Devils and Moral Panics.” The book focused on the clashes between two youth subcultures in the UK during the 1960s: the Mods and the Rockers. The Mods were the first generation of teenagers who did not have to go through national service or post-war austerity. Because they had more disposable income and leisure time than previous generations, they made the most of both. Consequently, they were fashion-conscious, known for sharp suits and brand-name scooters.
The Rockers took their influence from the American Rock scene and movie culture. Elvis, Marlon Brando and James Dean were all icons of the style – denim, black leather jackets and brothel creepers. But whereas Mods were frequenting cafes on Italian Vespas, Rockers rode customized British motorcycles known as “café racers,” known as such because of their speed and versatility for quick rides between roadside cafes.
The Mods and the Rockers occasionally clashed. While the incidents themselves were relatively minor, newspapers sensationalized them, presenting the clashes as evidence of a wider breakdown in social order. Cohen observed that the media framed the youth as folk devils—outsiders threatening the values and norms of society. In turn, this media portrayal triggered a moral panic, where public anxiety and moral outrage were far greater than the reality of the events.
What Cohen astutely demonstrated is that in the gap between actual behavior and public perception, media representation plays a key role in the creation of a new folk devil to scare the public. That is because the media has positioned themselves not just as a passive reporter of events but an active participant in shaping social reality, often sensationalising events in order to provoke social outrage.
The problem is that community reaction does not remain passive. According to Cohen, moral panics typically involve three elements: heightened public concern, hostility toward the group identified as the threat, and a consensus that action should be taken. Politicians and regulators then react to moral panics by introducing legislation and regulations that are at best unnecessary and wasteful, and at worst seriously harmful.
In Australia, we have recently witnessed the media’s ongoing appetite for casting Christianity as the folk devil of today. St Peters Lutheran College in Brisbane recently invited a guest speaker to share with Year 7 and 8 students attending the College. According to reports, a parent claimed the sermon alluded to the idea that if they were gay or waited too long to become Christian, they would go to hell. However, according to the speaker himself, he did not target any particular group or sexuality in his sermon.
In a statement issued by the organisation the speaker works for, they said: “The chapel talk delivered at St Peter’s Lutheran College last week was a clear expression of basic Christianity which is cherished by billions of people across the world. It focused on the words of Jesus in Luke 14:15-24 about the heavenly banquet all people are invited to but not all accept. No particular group or sexual identity was targeted or even mentioned, but all the students were urged to repent of their sins and put their faith in Jesus. Although some reports of the talk seem to have been embellished or taken things out of context, the message was delivered in a sincere, loving and straightforward manner.”
In attempting to quell the backlash, St Peters Lutheran College said, in part: “The College does not support any message that could be interpreted as diminishing dignity, respect or belonging for any member of our community, nor do we believe faith should be communicated through fear or shame.” The College had an opportunity to plant its flag on biblical principles but instead chose to distance itself from all aspects of the presentation because of the parental and social backlash. Their actions are a far cry from the boldness of the men whom they have chosen to name their school after.
As stated earlier, the text adopted by the speaker was from Luke 14. Those who have fallen victim to the media’s fairy tale, casting this man as the folk devil of the week, would do well to remember that only two chapters later, in Luke 16, Jesus taught about the rich man and a beggar named Lazarus. In verse 24 of that chapter, the rich man utters a chilling statement: “for I am tormented in this flame.” Though apparently not preaching from this text, the speaker, by all accounts, lovingly warned the students he was speaking to of the realities of eternal punishment while at the same time offering them new life through Jesus Christ.
There should not be anything contentious about a Christian school inviting a Christian man to speak to a Christian audience to deliver a Christian message which was taught by Christ Himself. Yet, because Christianity is the folk devil of the day, the media got hold of the story, distorted the message and provoked outrage in the community.
By peddling fairy tale problems, the media is also peddling fairy tale solutions. In a fairy tale, the villain is overcome by a determined hero, destined to live happily ever after. This is how most unsaved people view life. Consequently, they are deceived into thinking that they are able to live in such a way as to guarantee their everlasting happiness, even after they die. The trouble is, for the unsaved, their fairy tale will soon turn into an everlasting nightmare as the reality of eternal torment is before them. The media claims that it is harmful to preach this warning to people. In fact, it is harmful not to.
