In C.S. Lewis’ The Last Battle, the Calormene villain Rishda cynically worships and promotes the human-sacrifice god Tash for political gain but doesn’t believe he is real. Eventually, to Rishda’s horror and surprise, Tash shows up, seizes him, and is then banished from Narnia in the name of Aslan. As he leaves, Tash takes with him the suddenly believing Rishda, who is most likely eaten.
This is somewhat of a recurring theme in Lewis’ fiction. Think of the N.I.C.E. scientists in That Hideous Strength, strict materialists who think that through their technology they have reanimated a severed head and created “god.” They worship the thing, which isn’t actually animated by their technology but by demonic forces, and eventually turn on one another in a murderous spasm when the demon commands them, “Give me another head.”
Lewis’ point is that cynically dabbling in the demonic is no shield from the danger such dabbling inevitably brings. That point came to mind Friday when I saw a post on X, formerly Twitter, about Doja Cat’s music video for her latest single, “Demons.” The video features Christina Ricci as a new homeowner who quickly discovers the place is haunted by a demonic, black-clad Doja Cat, replete with horns, sharp claws, spiked tail, and glowing red eyes.
Everything about the video, right down to the font of the title cards, exudes a self-consciously ironic, throwback vibe. It’s not meant to be scary, exactly, more like a tongue-in-cheek indulgence in demonry that mocks the “satanic panic” of the
