CNN - The American Edge w/ David Mattingly
Complete interview transcripts with
band leader Marilyn Manson
May 28, 1997
===========================================
(Edited)
DAVID: What's your music all about?
MANSON: The name [Marilyn Manson] really described what
the music was always intended to be: a juxtaposition of opposites.
Taking two things that normally don't belong together, Marilyn and
Manson. At the same time it was also my statement on growing up in
America. Those were two icons that were memorable for me as a kid and
both equally as famous for their own separate reasons. I always thought
that was an interesting look at American culture.
DAVID: You've really tapped into something. What makes this
message so appealing?
MANSON: It's hard to say, probably because it's a common
truth that everyone can relate to. I think these fans realize
that what I'm saying is from the heart and that it means
something to me. As a kid growing up, I was more into a song
because of the personality behind it. I really identified with
icons like David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Alice Cooper and Annie Lennox,
people who were heroes. I think that's important.
DAVID: What's the message behind [The
Marilyn Manson CD] "Anti-Christ SuperStar?"
MANSON: When I finished the record the message I got was believing in
yourself. It's a bit of an autobiography, and it talks about the
disillusionment of childhood and searching for something to believe in.
I think at the end of the story you really find that you're the only
thing that you can count on.
DAVID: Some of your critics say we've seen this before, the makeup,
the onstage persona. How are you different than Alice Cooper?
MANSON: I don't separate myself from my onstage performance. Marilyn
Manson is two different personalities, it's not as easy as onstage and
offstage. That's how I would be different from a lot of the people
that I grew up liking. It's not really a job to me because it's all
that I like to do and there's nothing really else that moves me.
DAVID: The American Family Association criticized you and says that
unlike acts of the past, your makeup never seems to come off. It sounds
like you do that on purpose.
MANSON: I would take that as a compliment. What I'm trying to say to
these people is there are different sides to me. There is this side
to me sitting here and having a civil conversation, there's also a
more sexual or animalistic side on stage that comes out. That's one of
the only things that's fun about being a musician is that you can be
what you want to be, and you don't have to fit into somebody's little
category that makes them happy by being able to define you.
DAVID: People are always trying to put labels on groups, are you
mainstream or underground?
MANSON: I don't think there's anything more subversive than being
mainstream. Because if you're saying something, and you're only
saying it to a limited group of people, you're already preaching to the
converted. I think I've always wanted to be mainstream, that's not to
say that what I'm doing is pop oriented, insincere or I've sold myself
out to become popular. But I think if you believe in something, why
wouldn't you want as many people to hear it as possible?
DAVID: We got into town last night, and talking to people, you
would not believe the rumors around townabout what's going to happen
tonight. I'm going to run down a list, tell me true or false? You
sacrifice animals on stage?
MANSON: False.
DAVID: You perform sex acts on stage ?
MANSON: There has been on occasion in the past a few instances. One
time in Miami, Florida someone ran up on stage naked, to try to
embarrass me. So rather than being the brunt of their joke I grabbed
them and sort of sexually involved myself with them. But that was one
instance which has led people to believe that it's part of the
performance which it's not. The show does have sexual elements to it
but there's no sex performed on stage at any time. Otherwise I would
be in jail every night and tired as well.
DAVID: We've got more here, true or false, you want to bring
about the end of the world?
MANSON: In a sense what I actually have said is that this record was
meant to bring about the apocalypse. Which to me has always been
something that I've seen as a mental armageddon. The idea of killing
off old mentalities, and being born again into an individuality. So
the idea is of destroying old ways of thinking and believing in
yourself. Stop relying on the crutches of religions that have failed us
in the past and believe in yourself.
DAVID: We also heard that you planned to commit suicide onstage?
MANSON: They said that was what I was going to do last night.
But apparently that's false because I'm still here.
DAVID: True or false, you practice self mutilation?
MANSON: I don't know how you practice something like that. There are
certain times in the show on nights when I'm feeling a little more
animalistic than others where I may break a bottle or two over my
chest or something of that nature but I wouldn't say I practice self
mutilation for fun and sport.
DAVID: This is one more, fans actually bring you gifts of prosthetic limbs?
MANSON: Yes that is true. About two years ago I became fascinated with
prosthetic limbs, as pieces of art, because I think some of them
have some brilliant craftsmanship and I started collecting them so my
fans found out and they bring them to me as gifts.
DAVID: One thing that is really setting the woods on fire is your
involvement with the church of satan. Could you explain that?
MANSON: The church of satan has always been misconceived in America.
It's not really my place to set it straight because it's one philosophy
among many, that I base my belief system on. I've never limited myself
to one thing. To make a long story short, the church of satan is a lot
like a modern version of a philosopher like Nietzsche, who had the
idea: God is dead, you are your own god. It's a lot about self
preservation. A lot of people confuse it with devil worship. But as the
Beatles were bigger than Jesus, MarilynManson is bigger than satan.
DAVID: You talk about underground and you can't get any further
underground than satan I suppose?
MANSON: That's the mfascination that everyone has and I touch a little
bit upon an anti-Christ superstar idea. I'm always identified with
the character of Lucifer in the bible because he was cast out of
heaven because he wanted to be God, so he was always the anti hero,
the rebel. But the idea of anti-Christ to me is an element that is in
everyone's personality. It's the part of you that no longer has hope in
mankind. And you realize that you are the only thing you believe
in. That's really bottom line.
DAVID: Is this message getting through the hype? Do you think people
are actually listening when you're up there?
MANSON: I think our fans don't have a problem understanding it,
it's just usually their confused parents.
DAVID: What is it about you that scares people?
MANSON: The most terrifying thing about me is that I'm trying to
encourage individuality. That's scary for people because most people
don't like to accept the burden. Everybody wants to live in a country
where you can say and do what you want, but nobody wants to accept
the responsibilities that go with that -- that you have to say you
can't blame rock and roll for this and that and you can't blame
movies and television, you have to accept your responsibilities.
DAVID: There's a candlelight vigil tonight organized by a reverend
who says in no uncertain terms that you are evil. Are you evil?
MANSON: Not any more evil than he is. I think just like in the
name Marilyn Manson good and evil are just two sides of your
personality like the words God and satan. It's all really
perspectives. What a lot of people don't realize is that generally good
is what you like and evil is what you don't like. I think the most
ironic thing that these people always fail to realize is that the lack
of hospitality that they greet someone like me with is just very
un-Christian, and I think that's the biggest paradox of all. It goes to
prove my point about the hypocrisy because if I were to be approached by
any of them I would greet them with pleasantness. I'm not a closed-minded
person, I'm willing to hear their point of view. They're just not
willing to hear mine.
DAVID: The hype around you is huge right now. Is that causing problems
for you?
MANSON: No. Unfortunately for them [the Christian protestors], usually
all their complaining and protesting ends up selling more tickets.
Sometimes I feel bad for them because they're just going about their
job all the wrong way. If they really didn't want anyone to hear about
it they wouldn't say anything. It's ironic. As a kid I remember all the
bands that I ended up listening to, David Bowie and Black Sabbath
and Kiss, I had heard about all of them through my church because I
was told this was what I wasn't suppose to listen to. So I went out and
bought it immediately.
DAVID: Well you probably saw interviews from back then when people
were asking the same questions that I'm probably asking you right
now. Twenty years from noware people going to be looking at that
wondering why I'm asking you such stupid questions?
MANSON: No, I don't think so. In the past people would always
back down when confronted about the darker side of man's nature,
but I don't think it's something that we should be afraid of or
ashamed of. I think things that some people consider sin are really
some of the characteristics that make you a human being. I think people
are just afraid of things they don't understand. Maybe they're
not meant to understand me. But obviously some people do and that's
important to me.
(
geocities.com/sunsetstrip/studio) (
geocities.com/sunsetstrip)