File spoon-archives/puptcrit.archive/puptcrit_2003/puptcrit.0308, message 177


From: "Rocky" <howler-AT-obscure.org>
Subject: PUPT: Devil's Work (belaboring a bit)
Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 07:52:27 -0400


Supplements to Mathieu's wealth of Devil dealings-


> You can't give him your soul if you already sold or given it to someone
else.
> (also seen on the simpsons, Homer had written behind a photograph that he
> was giving Marge his soul, as a gift)



That's beautiful.  FINE PRINT is a modern way to cause contract disputes.
Speaking of-- Futurama (created by Simpson's creator) had Mr. Frye exchange
hands with the Devil in order to be able to play an instrument.  There were
so many deal-technicality twists I can only remember one - the Devil later
has Leela sign a contract for her hand, not reading the fine print, "...in
marriage."



> There's a Primus song called "The Devil Went Down in Georgia".The hero got
> in a violin-playing challenge with the Devil. I think the hero won just
> because he was that good.


Never heard the Primus version.  The original was Charlie Daniels.  At least
that's the first I heard of it, circa 1979?



> In the movie Bedazzled, the guy has wishes he's got in exchange for his
> soul. He uses his one last wish for something completely selfless (namely,
> the happiness of the woman he wanted to seduce). That was a loophole in
the
> contract. selfless act.



This reminds me of one of the more moving episodes of The X-files, where
Mulder meets a genie.  He knew the only wishes that turn out right are
selfless ones. He tries wishing for world peace but that destroyed the
population and he was the only one left in the world.  He had to use his
second wish to undo that.  The third wish is probably irrelevant to this
conversation and I would not dare tell.  Worth seeking out.


Speaking of puppets and the Devil- Iron Maiden (rock band) was in town
recently but I didn't go.  They might hold the record for unlikely use of
puppetry.  Their mascot, Eddie, a rotting zombie, closes their shows as a
double/triple human size puppet flailing about, apparently coltrolled by a
team standing behind him with poles.  Also see Iron Maiden's puppetry themed
album cover, where the Devil conrols Eddie via marionette strings but little
does the Devil know--
(you have to imagine strings; the reproduction isn't that good...)
http://cdcovers.iespana.es/cdcovers/PaginasI/pgsIronMaidenTheNumberOfTheBeas
t.htm


Another idea from modern times: I know a few poeple, personally, whose
defense against the devil is to label him a product of christianity, a
religion whose legitimacy they reject.

Also, I can't remember whether this was this was an 80's Twilight Zone or an
episode of Insight.  Sherman Hemsley plays a professor (of math?) who is
visited by a demon who challenges him to name a thing the demon ca not do,
as the demon claimed to be able to do everything.  The episode ends when
Sherman says, "get lost," and the demon screams his way into oblivion.

In Star Trek, Kirk destroys a robot in a similar way of creating a paradox
but I forget the details.

Rocky




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