The Devil is Everywhere…Commercial Attempts to Hide Evil References

In a world where we are constantly making sense of good and evil, the Devil plays an important role in reminding us that there is something out there working against positivity. In many cultures and religions, the personification of evil and the opposite of what God represents is often referred to as the Devil. In the Spanish language, the Devil is called Diablo, and through the commercialization and marketing of this name, the Devil consistently desensitizes the world to the possibility that Satan really does exist. People start to view him as an imaginary character or marketing ploy instead of a religious figure from the Bible.

From time to time, commercials for Diablo III are shown in-between television shows. It is products such as the Diablo computer game series (which is referred to as a dark fantasy title) that helps weaken the fear of the Devil. Various classes of demons and monsters are a part of the storyline, as humans fight to defeat Diablo. The first title of the wildly popular action role-playing game was released in 1996. In mid-2012, a third installment emerged and was known as one of the fastest-selling PC games of all time. In 2013, the game had reached the number one spot on a list of all PC games with a score of 9.6 out of 10.

In the comic book world, characters named Diablo have represented both good and evil. Appearing as a supervillain that fights against the Fantastic Four, Marvel Comics depicted a villain named Diablo as an evil alchemist who supposedly sold his soul to a demon so that he could enjoy a longer life. He first made an appearance in 1964, and was later associated with a group of characters known as the Masters of Evil. On the other hand, D.C. Comics had a hero character that emerged in 1970 that was named El Diablo, which translates into The Devil.

Disney is also guilty of incorporating the Devil reference into one of their productions. In the 1959 film version of ‘Sleeping Beauty,’ a fictional raven is named Diablo. The bird is the pet of Maleficent, who is responsible for laying the curse upon an infant Aurora. It is no coincidence that a raven would play the role of the antagonists’ pet, as this creature is often associated with evil, darkness, mystery, and bad omens.

It’s also kind of interesting that the Italian automaker Lamborghini chose ‘Diablo’ as the name for a line of their high-performance sports cars. With a production run from 1990 to 2001, several different variations of the car were created, including the Diablo SV and the Diablo VT Roadster. Known for their high price tags, this model of Lamborghini is certainly an item that only members of the elite were typically wealthy enough to afford.

The name ‘Diablo’ is also embraced by those who wish to stand for lawlessness or the spread of negativity. For example, a Finnish metal band named ‘Diablo’ is known for producing death metal and thrash metal tunes, such as ‘Damien.’ With chapters in cities all over the U.S., there is also an outlaw motorcycle club called the Diablos MC (Motorcycle Club), who refers to themselves as ‘one-percenters.’ This reference stems from the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) comment stating that 99% of motorcyclists were law-abiding citizens. Patches worn by such outlaw motorcycle crews have included skull and crossbones, as well as have embraced the motto “Respect Few, Fear None.” It is not uncommon for the Diablos MC to be connected with drug trafficking, murder, and other acts of violence.