Goblins in Appalachia, Woke Brands, and Hail Satan

Welcome to Sunday Curiosities: the blog series where I bring you the bizarre and fascinating tidbits that I’ve uncovered through the week.

Goblins in Appalachia

I love weird shit, and I recently stumbled upon a veritable goldmine of weirdness in the documentary series Hellier: a beautifully made documentary about paranormal investigators searching for Goblins in Appalachian caves.

I am a skeptic, but I absolutely love the paranormal. I love entering other worlds of possibility, suspending my disbelief, and getting spooked. What I love the most about Hellier is how it is was made with a complete lack of cynicism or irony. The people in the series truly believe in tiny underground goblins, and we get to see in real time how they interpret seemingly disconnected events as being part of some huge, ineffable, paranormal web of meaning. It’s a great case study in worldview, and I enjoyed it enormously.

Hail, Satan?

I am, much to the agitation and bafflement of some of my followers, a fan of the Satanic Temple. I support their work, and think they represent a positive movement towards nontheistic religion in America. And, more than that, I think they are a legitimate New Religious Movement. I’ve had several disputes over whether or not TST is a “real” religion, and despite their occasional gimmicks, I am convinced that they are. 

All of this is validated by the new trailer for a documentary about the Satanic Temple called “Hail, Satan?” I am unreasonably excited about this film, and I hope that many people see it, and are willing to confront their preconceived notions about religion, Satanism, and American politics.

Hbomberguy Breaks down Woke Brands

Leftist youtube has been turning out some excellent content lately, and hilarious Hbomberguy recently did a thorough undressing of “woke advertising,” like the recent Gilette “short film.” 

I was not in the thrall of the Gillette commercial when it hit the internet. I was mildly pleased that they were challenging toxic notions of masculinity, but I was skeptical of its sincerity. Hbomberguy reconfirms my cynicism, as he breaks down the new marketing methods of enormous companies by preying on our political divisions. It’s a long video, but every minute is worth it.

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