Musings of a Dead Parrot

We are one week and a few days from June 6, 2006, or 6/6/06. Some might consider that date to be apochryphal. Conservative or evangelical Christians certainly view the number 666 with some amount of concern and trepidation. They consider it to be the mark of the Antichrist. According to my Biblical research, this stems from a single passage in the Book of Revelations:

"And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six." Rev. 13:16-18

Hollywood exploited this situation in 1976 when they released The Omen, thereby subjecting everyone named Damien to years of teasing and ridicule. Trivial aside - according to IMDB, "as part of its pre-release publicity campaign, and to point out the significance of "the three sixes" as The Sign of Satan, the movie was sneak-previewed nationwide in the US on June 6, 1976. While audiences inside the theaters were being scared witless by the film, theater employees were out front, busily putting up specially made posters declaring: 'Today is the SIXTH day of the SIXTH month of Nineteen-Seventy-SIX!' Hokey though it was, the gimmick worked quite well, as many a theater patron literally 'freaked-out' upon seeing those posters as they left the previews."

This year, Hollywood will exploit the calendar again when 20th Century Fox releases the remake of The Omen on June 6. The advertising makes no mistake about the audience it is trying to reach - "The prophecy is clear. The signs are unmistakable. On the 6th day of the 6th month in the year 2006 his day will come."

Let's not be cynical in our critique of Hollywood's exploitation of the fervency of conservative evangelicals. Conservative columnist Ann Coulter plans to release her new book, Godless, about modern liberalism’s rejection of Christianity on that day. And the latest book in the Left Behind series - The Rapture: In the Twinkling of An Eye, Countdown to the Earth's Last Days - will also be released on June 6.

It may be an urban legend but I have heard stories of pregnant women who will not allow their doctors to induce labor or perform C-sections on June 6 to ensure that their baby does not have that as a birthday. Perhaps they should be reminded that the world has survived many prior instances of 6/6/06 (most recently, June 6, 1906 as an example).

Personally, I would recommend that instead of going to the theater to see a remake of The Omen, you should rent the original and watch it as a triple feature with Rosemary's Baby and The Exorcist. Or perhaps you would prefer to witness the ultimate fight between good and evil in person when the Angels play the Devil Rays (yes, major league schedulers paired these teams to play on 6/6/06 - a very clever feat).