6/6/06 not apocalyptic, but a marketing paradise
Updated Mon. Jun. 5 2006 11:01 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
As with most holidays, even tomorrow's devil of a date -- 6/6/06 -- has
become commercialized.
Capitalizing on the once-in-a-lifetime Satanic sentiment in June,
authors, filmmakers and even online bookies are hoping to cash in on
Tuesday's hype.
The dark association with the number 666 stems from Revelation 13:18 in
the Bible, where it calls the number the mark of the beast.
Hollywood executives, some of whom may be arguably spawned from the
beast, have been promoting the day for weeks on billboards.
Instead of releasing The Omen on Friday, 20th Century Fox decided to
release its new remake of the 1970's classic thriller on Tuesday, or
6/6/06 day.
The movie, which cost more than $60 million to make, is about an evil
child named Damien who turns out to be the Antichrist.
The "6 + 6+ 06 Heed the Omen" posters even prompted some concerned
calls.
The 1980s heavy metal rock band, Slayer, is also hoping to profit from
their fans' fascination with satanic culture.
The California rock band is launching their tour, "The Unholy Alliance:
Preaching to the Perverted," on 6/6/06, featuring its own brand of
"satanic speed metal music."
It's not all darkness, though, on this day of the beast. Popular
Christian writers Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, chose to release
their new book The Rapture on June 6.
The pair are signing the book at 6 p.m. on 6/6/06 in Littleton,
Colorado. Some Christian book stores have even agreed to sell other
paperbacks by the authors for ... $6.66.
LaHaye and Jenkins are not the only authors to capitalize on Tuesday's
infamous date.
Conservative pundit Ann Coulter's new book, Godless: The Church of
Liberalism, will also hit bookstores on Tuesday.
While appearing on Fox News, Coulter said that the release date was her
"little tribute to liberals, to have it come out on 6/6/06."
The date has even prompted expectant mothers to induce on another day.
"Since I was given a choice I'd rather take that option," one mother
told CTV News of her decision to switch days.
But for horror writer "Spooky Dan" Walker, who has a coffin in his
backyard and a black cat, the date doesn't mean much.
"I think it's a cool gimmicky number, it's kinda bitchin," Walker said.
"But no, it doesn't really mean much."
For gamblers though, there is an opportunity to earn a little extra
cash if the world does come to an end on Tuesday.
The online gambling site, BetUS.com, is offering up odds on whether the
apocalypse will actually happen on 6/6/06.
The site is posting 10-1 odds that the apocalypse will indeed happen on
Tuesday. With those odds, a $100 bet that the world will end will earn
a whopping $1,000 US.
Good luck collecting, though.
With a report from CTV's Graham Richardson
ctv.ca
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