Marilyn Manson Marilyn Manson: Pushing the 1st Amendment Marilyn Manson is a name that has been a thorn in the side of society as a moral and ethical issue for the parents and kids of the generation X. He is one of the most controversial artists in the world today, one who chooses to express himself in a way that provokes in the most extreme methods possible. His methods are bizarre and shunned by most of society, as it cannot fathom what he is trying to accomplish. However, further research into his life and beliefs will explain that he is sending a very strong message to the world. A message that is firmly protect by the First Amendment in the American Constitution.
This freedom has unleashed a number of technical issues, as well as indirect damage done by the people who would interpret his message incorrectly. The First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of association (assembly). It also protects the rights of citizens to worship as they please and the right not to be forced to support someone elses religion. The First Amendment also provides for the right to assemble and to demand a change in government policies.
(Bill of Rights, Encarta 1999 CDROM). Manson uses this freedom fully, getting his message across by any means possible, mainly to the younger generation. These younger generations are more accepting of his attitude and beliefs, partly due to the fact that teens are more susceptible to mass persuasion and are easily confused. This has helped Manson conjure up a large loyal following of disgruntled teens that are called Mansonites. How Manson gets his message across has been the center of controversy revolving around the US ever since Mansons rise to stardom.
His moral, ethical and religious actions have been questioned repeatedly. His ethics may be a representation of how disorientated American society has become in the late 1990s. Alternatively, Manson may simply be showing that the media can be used to manipulate the American mind more easily than their own values at heart. God is in the TV (Rock is Dead) Manson screams.
Now, how did this man become what he is today? Where did he form his views about life and society, which would ultimately lead to his notorious antics and cause millions of American parents and city council members to want to cancel his concerts, against the First Amendment? (Politicians Rally against Manson). Marilyn Manson is the band name and the stage name of lead singer Brian Warner, who formed the band in 1989 and whose apparent business savvy and flair for controversy turned into a success. Using androgyny, satanic images and themes of rebellion and death, Manson irked bystanders and proved that outrageous rock was still a viable form of entertainment. (Manson: Rock Star) The name Marilyn Manson comes from a pseudonym of Marilyn Monroe and Charles Manson, two opposites of society. (Manson, 85) Ever since Marilyn Mansons release of his album Anti-Christ Superstar, many people have associated and accused him of influencing teen suicide and Satanism, just because he acted, dressed and performed as an individual brought up by societys mistakes. (Marilyn Manson) It is this kind of media and political attention that Manson has received to become such a big name in controversy in the last decade.
It all depends in how one takes his remarks and viewpoints. If no attention were paid to Mansons antics, there would be no controversy; therefore, his entire essence of being the AntiChrist may have been created by society itself. On moral responsibility: Kids see more from their parents than they would anyone else. Theyre the ones who should set the example.
(Manson on Manson) This is Mansons criticism of all the parents who would criticize him. Parents are the biggest complainers about Manson, partly because they are of the older generation and partly because they can use Manson as a scapegoat for problems with teenage crime and suicide in the US. We talked about the kids inside, the tragedy of hopelessness, the blatant rebellion against God and Mansons part in the whole thing. (Benson, Its only Rock N Roll.NOT). This is where the conflicts within the First Amendment come into play.
Too many people disagree on everything, however everyone is entitled to their own opinion, of course there are more against Manson than for him which is where extreme actions are taken that are either ridicules or unconstitutional. When college students are fined $250 plus court costs for simply wearing a Manson T-shirt, there are definitely problems. (Manson Shirt Wearer Fined). This is a violation of the First Amendment and has been labeled a form of religious persecution. The amount of critics that Manson has is incredible, and society as a whole has been the major instigator of the negative publicity Manson receives. In fact, a bill to shield children from violent and sexual material in music, film, books and games was shot down in Washington.
(Dansby 55) These are some of the extreme measures taken to try to shield the country from the unfortunate popularity of sex and violence in American entertainment. It is this violence and sex, which has helped promote Manson. This negative publicity is helping Manson however, as he is being heard, and the more his is being heard, the more people he can reach out to, no matter what negative connotation there is involved. Recent attempts by conservatives to ban his shows have made him the darling of the left wing and a perfect example of the kind of controversy the First Amendment can bring about. (Manson-Politically Correct?).
Now why is Manson under such heat? The First Amendment does allow him the freedom to say and do what he wants to provoke, but what exactly does he say? Im a controversial artist, one who dares to have an opinion and bothers to create music and videos that challenge peoples ideas in a world that is watered-down and hollow. (Manson 56) Manson has particular problems with the entertainment industry and the way society reacts to the media. It was never more apparent with the Columbine shootings last May. These are the criticisms that have caused the most controversy in Mansons saga. I was dumbfounded as I watched the media snake right in, not missing a teardrop interviewing the parents of dead children, televising the funerals.
(Manson 57). It is easy to criticize someone and put blame on them because they seem like the easiest way out of a problem. Manson even postponed his own concert because of the heat he was taking for the Columbine incident, although there was absolutely no relevance between Mansons viewpoints influencing the two boys. (Eliscu 23). Responsible journalists have reported with less publicity that Harris and Klebold were not Marilyn Manson fans — that they even disliked my music. (Manson 57).
He also accuses the media of being able to manipulate who and what influences the minds of the public. They love you when youre on all the covers, when youre not then they love another Manson sings in The Dope Show as a criticism of the entertainment business. It can be compared to the coverage of the Clinton scandal, which although the media had an obligation to televise, was also overdone, and left part of the American public with a negative image of their leader. However, this does not stop Manson from saying what he thinks, no matter how many people who may have problems with him. Whether you interpret the Bible as literature or as the final word of whatever god may be, Christianity has given us an image of death and sexuality that we have based our culture around.
A half-naked dead man hangs in most homes and around our necks, and we have just taken that for granted all our lives. Is it a symbol of hope or hopelessness? (Manson 57) These views are not accepted because of his differences in religion and moral values compared to most of America, which is predominantly of the Christian faith. No matter how strong of a point Manson would make in his comments, there will always be a large percentage of the population ready to disagree. If Manson were to say he loved God, nobody would object, but because he has different views, and prides himself of it, a majority of society looks down on him. Nevertheless, the nation also gives anybody the right to say what he or she thinks, which is where the line is drawn for interpreting the constitution. There are people who do accept his views however.
Foreigners who do not live under the same kind of society that Americans do tend to have a more liberal view of Manson. In America, the attentions of the Moral Majority and the Fundamentalist Christian constituency outraged by his professed Satanism and sex and drug-obsessed lyrical bent, have ensured his status as Public Enemy Number one. (Mille, Monitor Online). This is just one view from an Irish critic of Manson.
Manson should be allowed to act how he wishes and the observer would have to choice of agreeing or disagreeing. This freedom of interpretation leads to a completely new package of problems and issues. Marilyn Manson comes to the world with a whole collaboration of new philosophies and beliefs. Some people accept them and some do not which is why he is so controversial. The younger generation is typically more accepting of Manson’s values.
The only thing that scares me is to lose the power and strength of my own individuality. I wouldnt want to become like the less creative people. Says Manson in an interview. (qtd.in Marray 77) This is a strong principle of Mansons and a big part of the understanding of the religion of Satanism. I went to God just to see/and I was looking at me.
Sings Manson (The Reflecting God). This is part of how Manson feels of himself. This is the essence of Satanism, the belief that ones individuality should be the sole influence of ones moral and ethical values. (Manson 168) In this way, his kind of intellectual elitism (and mine) is actually politically correct because it doesnt judge people by race or creed but by the attainable, equal opportunity criterion of intelligence. The biggest sin in Satanism in not murder, nor is it kindness. It is stupidity.
(Manson 168) Manson is speaking about his concurrence with Anton Szandor LaVey, the founder and high Priest of the Church of Satan. LaVey was a follower of Nietzsches philosophies and thus transferred them to Manson when they met. (Manson 164) He told Rolling stone Magazine: Its the whole Nietzsche philosophy of you are your own god (Benson, AFA). This philosophy has appeal to people of the younger generations who are often confused about their own ideals. (Benson, AFA). It is obvious that this kind of thinking does not have good connotation with most other religions represented in …
