Parodies of the ichthys symbol

The traditional ichthys symbol

The ichthys symbol, or "Jesus fish", typically used to proclaim an affiliation with or affinity for Christianity, is sometimes a subject of satire, especially when adorning the bumpers or trunks of automobiles. Most such ornaments are adhesive badges made of chrome-colored plastic. The following are some examples of these satires.

Darwin fish

A Darwin fish is an ichthys with stylized legs

The Darwin fish is an ichthys symbol with "evolved" legs and feet attached and often with the word Darwin inside (like the ΙΧΘΥΣ or Jesus found in some Christian versions). It symbolizes the scientific theory of evolution, for which Charles Darwin laid the foundation, in contrast with Creationism, which is often associated with Christianity. The Darwin fish bears a stylized resemblance to Ichthyostega, which is a major example of a transitional fossil. Related to the Darwin fish is a fish with legs, the word 'evolve', and a hand that is holding a wrench.

Rhetorical scholar Thomas Lessl has conducted a questionnaire survey of users of the Darwin fish emblem. Based on their responses, he interprets the symbol as scientific "blackface," a parody that is one part mockery and one part imitation. While users frequently explain the symbol as a rebuke against Creationism, Lessl suggests that the emblem represents a metaphor for cultural progress.^[1]

The Darwin fish has led to competition among bumper stickers. A design was made with a larger "Jesus fish" eating the Darwin fish. Sometimes, the larger fish contains letters that spell the word "Truth." A further step shows two fish, one with legs labelled "I evolved", the other without legs labelled "You didn't". Another variant has a Darwin fish with a mouth, carrying away a smaller, dead Jesus fish by its tail. Yet another variant is the "ixnay" fish (from the Pig Latin for "nix", and punning on ΙΧΘΥΣ).^[2] Other variants depict an "Evolution" or "Darwin" fish swallowing an "ΙΧΘΥΣ", "Jesus" or "Truth" fish; another version has a "Science" fish swallowing a "Myth" fish.

Origin

In 1983, two friends involved in the southern California atheist and freethought movements, Al Seckel and John Edwards, co-created the Darwin fish design, which was first used on a freethought leaflet entitled "Darwin's Views on Religion" for Atheists United in 1984. It was then sold by Atheists United and other freethought groups, which got free permission from Seckel and Edwards throughout the 1980s, to be used on bumper stickers and t-shirts.^[3] Chris Gilman, a Hollywood prop maker, claimed not to have seen Seckel's and Edward's design, joked of the idea as an "advertising" alternative to the "Jesus fish" in 1983 while working at a prop shop in Hollywood, when the employees' conversation turned to a court case involving teaching evolution versus creationism. He manufactured the first plastic car ornaments in 1988, and started Evolution Design 1990. Evolution design moved to Austin, Texas in 1994.^[4] Evolution Design's fish faced right, while Seckel and Edwards' design faced left, like the Christian symbol. When Evolution Design was at risk of losing its trademark on the design, Evolution Design began threatening to sue creators of look-alike Darwin fish emblems and unlicensed products.^[4] Recruited by one of the sellers of unlicensed products, Seckel and Edwards in turn sued Evolution Design for copyright infringement. Seckel and Edwards did not seek royalties, but wanted Evolution Design to allow free use of the design by anyone authorized by them. Seckel and Edwards felt that in the spirit of parody and free speech, their design predated Gilman's claimed origin of 1988. During the discovery phase Gilman was not able to offer any proof that he had created the design during the 1980s (which during that time was widely distributed), while Seckel and Edwards were able to supply postmarked and dated material containing their Darwin fish design from as early as 1983. The suit was settled when it became apparent that Seckel and Edwards had not properly protected their design.

Darwin Awards fish

The Darwin Awards fish is a "dead fish" floating belly-up, with the words Darwin Awards inside, indicating that in natural selection, the less-fit die out.

Edible fish

One parody of the symbol is a fish with the word "Gefilte" written in letters stylized to resemble Hebrew letters. This refers to gefilte fish, a common dish in Jewish cuisine; used on an automobile, it indicates that the driver of the car is Jewish.

Another parody, most commonly seen in areas populated by those of Norwegian descent, is a fish containing the word "Lutefisk".

Yet another parody on this fish, shows only the lower tail fin, and inside the fish reads "n'Chips", a play on "Fish and Chips".

"Sushi" written inside the ichthys is one more variant.

Star Trek

The "Trek Fish" was designed by Eugene "Rod" Roddenberry Jr., the son of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry. His motivations for doing so were as follows:

“

Over a year ago I came up with the idea of a TREK FISH while noticing all the religious fish symbols on everyone's car. I notice there were a number of variations that preached "Creationism" and others that supported "Darwinism". I felt that the two were in conflict and a happy medium was needed. TREK FISH does not preach or support one over the other. To me, it simply says we can continue to discuss our origins but, as a species, should focus on the future...

”

-- Eugene "Rod" Roddenberry Jr.^{[citation needed]}

Its design evokes a starship as seen on the program with the legend "TREK" inside.^[5]

Pastafarianism

The FSM logo is a parody of the Ichthys or "Jesus Fish"—it contains the basic body shape of the Ichthys.

Advocates of the Pastafarianism parody religion, which was created in 2005 to protest the decision by the Kansas Board of Education to require the teaching of intelligent design, have designed their own version of the Ichthys, with the Flying Spaghetti Monster's characteristic "noodly appendages" and eye stalks. Another more complicated design features the above mentioned "Jesus fish eating Darwin fish" with the Flying Spaghetti Monster in turn attacking the "Jesus fish".

Cthulhu

Cthulhu has been depicted in a parody of the Ichthys bumper ornament.

Cthulhu is a fictional giant creature, one of the Great Old Ones in H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos. It is often cited for the extreme descriptions given of its appearance, size, and the abject terror that it invokes. Cthulhu is often referred to in science fiction and fantasy circles as a tongue-in-cheek shorthand for extreme horror or evil. It also has been depicted in a parody of the Ichthys. In the novella The Whisperer in Darkness, the main character and narrator refers to "the amusing 'sacred codfish' device". ^[6]

Other fish

Headless ichthys

Hanged ichthys

These parodies have spawned a number of niche markets for fish symbols. A "Viking" fish carrying a shield and wearing a horned helmet, with two icthys at the end of a spear, (among other variations) is sold on T-shirts and coffee cups. Star Wars fans may choose the "Yoda Fish", which has two top tail sections on either side of the body section,representing Yoda's ears. Buddhist, Hindu, and neopagan examples exist, and a number of non-religious examples have proliferated from political, technical and other fields.^[7]

Artgemeinschaft

The German Artgemeinschaft group, promoting racist neopaganism, uses a registered symbol showing an eagle catching an ichthys fish.^[8][9]

References

1. ^ Thomas M. Lessl, "The Culture of Science and the Rhetoric of Scientism: From Francis Bacon to the Darwin Fish," Quarterly Journal of Speech 93 (2007): 123-49.
2. ^ http://www.chromeautoemblems.com/product_info.php/ixnay-fish-emblem-p-494
3. ^ Sarah Lubman (December 26, 1995). "Fish fight looms over bumper ornament". Albany, NY Times-Union (via Knight-Ridder News Service). 
4. ^ ^{a b} (Christopher Gilman Sept. 2008)
5. ^ Image of the Roddenberry "Trek Fish" from the Roddenberry website
6. ^ H. P. Lovecraft, The Whisperer in the Darkness (Chapter 6), 1931
7. ^ A library of fish emblems from evolvefish.com
8. ^ Artgemeinschaft.
9. ^ Registration.