Satan shows his face in WTC attack.

September 13, 2001 1:33 PM

Satan shows his face in WTC attack. Verified as original and unedited, this photo is scary to view. But, people see what they want to see, how else to you explain Jesus' Face practically everywhere.
posted by da5id (54 comments total)

Gee, that might be scary if I... believed that Satan was a real person! Come on! This situation is bad enough without attributing it to supernatural powers and hokum like that. This is as bad as the Nostradamus shit.
posted by starvingartist at 1:39 PM on September 13, 2001 [1 favorite]

saw that on filepile, between the kittens and porn. does count as freaky, especially for us athiests.

...oh wait, i'm sorry! that's not even the good one! there's a better one out there, which looks even more like a face.

much different from the good old days, when you'd watch clouds and see elephants and volkswagon beetles.
posted by mich9139 at 1:43 PM on September 13, 2001

People have a tendency to create patters out of seemingly random things, especially out of something so unbelievable as this. Next people will be telling me there's a face on Mars..

Is that a credible newspaper? Doesn't seem to be if it has such an article.
posted by mkn at 1:44 PM on September 13, 2001

Ever see the movie Pi? Seems like a case of you-find-what-you-look-for, but it scared the feces out of me. Perhaps my Italian superstition is shining through. *shudder*
posted by adampsyche at 1:45 PM on September 13, 2001

Looks more like Thor to me.
posted by crunchland at 1:46 PM on September 13, 2001

Is that a credible newspaper? Doesn't seem to be if it has such an article.

Same kinda paper as the New York Post.
posted by adampsyche at 1:47 PM on September 13, 2001

I can't believe that language like this made it into a newspaper:

The higher-contrast version (right) of the photo seems to bring into focus the
face of the Evil One, complete with beard and horns and malignant expression,
symbolizing to many the hideous nature of the deed that wreaked horror and
terror upon an unsuspecting city. What do you see in the photo?

The world's going non-linear...
posted by icathing at 1:48 PM on September 13, 2001

I think that's Burl Ives actually. Nice to see the old Ives-ster finally getting some work.

Seriously, this is Weekly World News stuff, almost verbatim. Whatever media prints this crap should be ashamed of themselves.
posted by Kafkaesque at 1:49 PM on September 13, 2001

Here's the other photo.

I think the pitchfork and tail are a bit much, don't you?
posted by anastasiav at 1:49 PM on September 13, 2001

complete with beard and horns and malignant expression

It looks like Satan's feeling a little constipated to me.
posted by Dirjy at 1:51 PM on September 13, 2001

heh, tail indeed... hmm, anyone think the day of judgement is nigh? everybody has been talking about turning points...

I remember as a kid looking at clouds and identifying horsies and stuff.. big grey ominous clouds looked like that sometimes..
posted by Mossy at 1:54 PM on September 13, 2001

AIM: AndreTorrez

Don't ever message me a bunch of crap and then sign-off like a coward.

Post your thoughts here under the posting. Don't send them to me. I didn't write the article, I didn't take the picture. Freak.
posted by da5id at 1:55 PM on September 13, 2001

"The higher-contrast version (right) of the photo seems to bring into focus the face of the Evil One...."

The "Evil One"? I'm sorry, did we just regress a thousand years? Geez. This is worse than that apocryphal Nostradamus quatrain that's been making the rounds.
posted by donkeyschlong at 1:56 PM on September 13, 2001

Gah. I don't know which offends me more... these, or the cutesy-poo patriotic e-mails I keep getting from well-meaning coworkers and friends. Weeping eagles, intact towers with red cartoon hearts busting out all over, and now the devil himself in clouds of asbestos. I want to go home and bite my pillow.
posted by kittyb at 1:57 PM on September 13, 2001

Looks like the Napster head, if you ask me.....maybe this whole thing was staged by the RIAA.
posted by briank at 1:58 PM on September 13, 2001

another headline from the same paper:

"INTERNET IDIOTS CHAT ON"

something tells me this ain't the NY Times.
posted by Kafkaesque at 2:00 PM on September 13, 2001

Hey! That second one looks like the BSD Devil.
posted by adampsyche at 2:00 PM on September 13, 2001

Here's another one from a different angle
posted by riffola at 2:00 PM on September 13, 2001

The one on Art Bell's web site looks like the 5th Teletubby. Tinky Winky's gay lover perhaps?
posted by gazingus at 2:02 PM on September 13, 2001

lol donkeyschlong i was just about to post the same thing... its like timetravel i swear... like humanity just regressed about a century or so.

ugh. what next - evidence from a black box that the world is flat? what a fucked up week
posted by skinjob at 2:02 PM on September 13, 2001

It's the Philadelphia Daily News.
posted by luser at 2:03 PM on September 13, 2001

Maybe it's an ad for Underwood spread.

Coincidence? I think not! The downfall of humanity can be directly linked to the rise of spreadable meat products.

As an aside I'd like to thank da5id for providing one of the first things that's made me laugh since Tuesday.
posted by Kafkaesque at 2:04 PM on September 13, 2001

damnit. that's not satan. that's our WIL WHEATON!
posted by jcterminal at 2:09 PM on September 13, 2001

It looks like Snow Miser to me.

We see faces in everything! Car headlights, electrical outlets... The number of images of smoke that have been generated were bound to include some with 'faces'. See also: the Face on Mars.

I'm looking for a smoke picture with a clear vision of Dick Cheney, myself.
posted by s.e.b. at 2:09 PM on September 13, 2001

Oh, and that second photo? You're telling me Satan is a Shmoo with horns?
posted by s.e.b. at 2:14 PM on September 13, 2001 [1 favorite]

Well, at least now we know for sure who did it and the war can begin... Nuke Satan!
posted by spilon at 2:14 PM on September 13, 2001

at times of extreme suffering, like this, papers lose most credibility and people revert to religion.

take for example the three men stopped with the van loaded with explosives. reported as fact several times over, and often repeated, the fact that it was a complete mistake was barely mentioned.
posted by mich9139 at 2:17 PM on September 13, 2001

the second one looks like pokemon #151: Mew, the little bastard.
posted by tolkhan at 2:18 PM on September 13, 2001

Adding to the list of inane comments...

The first thing I thought when I saw Art Bell's l'il devil was that little pudgy, round-faced little dervish from Richie Rich (or was it Casper, the Friendly Ghost, I forget?).
posted by Dennis Hopper at 2:19 PM on September 13, 2001

Excuse me, what kind of newspaper is this? (I'm serious, there's zero irony in my post)
posted by matteo at 2:20 PM on September 13, 2001

The more I see crap like this the more I think there are a number of people who desperately need to be bitch-slapped.

My favorite email today was one encouraging everyone to put candles in their windows at 7:00 EST. Oh, sure, that'll look brilliant on the West Coast...
posted by mrbula at 2:24 PM on September 13, 2001

nah, he likes the heat... anyone noticed the BBC is leading with that picture behind the newscaster???? Its very disturbing actually..
posted by Mossy at 2:24 PM on September 13, 2001

This rocks! I can't wait until the "man never landed on the moon!" and the "face on Mars" freaks start putting up their "proof of satan" websites!
posted by bondcliff at 2:35 PM on September 13, 2001

If you think the Philadelphia Daily News' credibility is at stake, check this out: The CBS Early Show read the Nostradamus quote as fact this morning without debunking. Now that's scarier than the devil face!
posted by girard31 at 2:35 PM on September 13, 2001

Yeah, and God looks like an older gentleman with a long beard and hair. I saw him in my cereal bowl this morning. He looked like Santa.

Oh my gosh..Santa, Satan! Why hasn't anyone seen this before!!!
posted by jaustinspace at 2:44 PM on September 13, 2001

I don't know what everyone's so worried about. It's just a widdle bunny wabbit!!!


posted by jpoulos at 2:47 PM on September 13, 2001

someone emailed me a version of this earlier today.

myself, I think the smoke and fire and explosions are plenty scary by themselves. we don't need no steenkin' Satan.
posted by Sapphireblue at 2:50 PM on September 13, 2001

It turns out the constellation Orion was an early pre-Internet hoax. My cousin Jerry in Iowa has the originial mimeograph. Federal investigators expect to wrap up their investigations of The Big Dipper and most of the Zodiac before the end of the year.
posted by joemaller at 2:54 PM on September 13, 2001

jpoulos... out of deference to the dead, i've been trying not to laugh for two days. i don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing that you've gone and fucked that up.
posted by Sinner at 2:59 PM on September 13, 2001

Also, for those who are questioning the veracity of "World Tribune" reports, see an earlier post of mine.
posted by Sinner at 3:01 PM on September 13, 2001

Not to smack down someone's else view, but I find it hard to believe the Forces of Evil are going to jump out in smoke (a la The Mummy) and proclaim "Ha! Look what we did! You're all going to get it."

Like someone said, you sometimes see what you look for.
posted by Cavatica at 3:05 PM on September 13, 2001

Thank you all.... Every link I've clicked on today has been grim and depressing. This post and the responses have made me laugh for the first time all day...

I'll be suspiciously watching the clouds on my way home tonight...
posted by mattpusateri at 3:05 PM on September 13, 2001

jpoulos, I've just e-mailed your link to everyone I know. Thank you for making me laugh for the first time in about three days.
posted by likorish at 3:06 PM on September 13, 2001

Gawd, jpoulos, cut it out. I think I just wet my pants. Thanks for helping to ruin a nearly unblemished record of workplace continence.

I'm going home to change my skivvies.
posted by UncleFes at 3:23 PM on September 13, 2001

Isn't that Marlon Brando up in the cloud?
posted by kirkaracha at 3:27 PM on September 13, 2001

Oh man, thanks jpoulos. And just a couple of hours ago I said to someone, "I need a break from this. Can we talk about bunnies or something for a minute?"
posted by spandex at 3:33 PM on September 13, 2001

hello, pareidolia.

or maybe photoshop. remember all the weekly world news photos over the years? satans face has been seen in smoke many times. Especially once the "contrast" is inhanced.
posted by th3ph17 at 3:34 PM on September 13, 2001

Someone needs to tell the folks behind the Satan-spotting that "the Evil One" carries a pitchfork, not a scythe.
posted by MegoSteve at 4:21 PM on September 13, 2001

I think that after an eternity with the pitchfork, the Prince of Evil couldn't be faulted for updating the wardrobe.

Besides, scythes are this year's orange.
posted by fooljay at 4:56 PM on September 13, 2001

I seem to recall having lunch with some psychology geeks who were talking about the innate human ability to perceive eyes and teeth. The working theory being that it is a deeply ingrained survival trait. Of course it doesn't help that the higher proportion of rods in peripheral vision, meaning that in low light you're more likely to catch something in the edge of your vision.
posted by plinth at 5:17 PM on September 13, 2001

hello, pareidolia.


Exactly, though I don't like the link to the skepdic as they tend to go overboard after a simple conclusion. Like using this to explain away visions, that's a whole different ballpark. Its one think to see a fleeting face in smoke and another to be chatting with a 3-D stranger in your living room.

So far I've seen about 5 faces in the rising smoke and I've been avoiding the TV. I see them in clouds, nebulas, and I even see them in x-rays (those are the creepiest). Anything messy enough, especially with curves will produce a pattern illusion. Just a mild hallucination like any optical illusion. We are hard-wired to bring order to chaos.

No photoshop required.
posted by skallas at 5:22 PM on September 13, 2001

You see what you want to see...more news whore paranoia.
posted by {savg*pncl} at 6:53 PM on September 13, 2001

Hey, I posted this story earlier today and nobody even noticed. My timing is always off.
posted by Hildago at 8:49 PM on September 13, 2001