November 24, 2007

A child's skeleton, masks made of human skin, stuffed animals, Nazi memorabilia...

Things Marilyn Manson bought using his band's money, according to a lawsuit filed by keyboardist Stephen "Pogo" Bier. Showing a tin ear for public relations — or a keen ear for what pleases a certain niche fan — Manson said:
"The fact that he's claiming that I've treated him unfairly, financially, is really ridiculous."

Don't you realize that all this creepy stuff is the reason we've made so much money. Prove it's a waste!
"And I would never spend my money on a Chinese girl skeleton. That would be crossing the line. It's a Chinese boy, for the record."

Dead child humor.

29 comments:

Tim said...

The child's skeleton is all part of the "artist's" "art" - so we're not supposed to pass judgment, other than on it's artistic qualities - although his collection of Nazi memorabilia and stuffed animals is clearly beyond the pale, as the purveyors of PC taste have trained us to reject those.

reader_iam said...

Putting aside the issue of alleged illegality in the case of some items (alleged, because I don't know the laws):

Is the problem that this is Marilyn Manson doing the collecting? Or that it's an individual doing the collecting?

These same items collected in museums etc.--is there an inherent problem with that? Or is it different when the collecting is instititutional?

I couldn't care less about Marilyn Manson, the man or the group: emphatically not my cup of tea, and so I've ignored it (them). But I do think it's darkly humorous that one of its members is complaining about anything on the basis of "sick and disturbing". It's not as if Pogo spent his career playing with the Trapp Family Singers (not that they don't have their own skeletons).

Althouse's PR point is, well, on point.

reader_iam said...

Did ever I mention how many hours and hours we had to wait to get into the Tutenkamen exhibit in Philly this past summer? And, at the end, how many people in the crowd were bitching at how long they had to wait, and in the end they didn't get to see Tut's mummy, in the flesh, so to speak?

Not quite as an aside, the protesters outside the museum that day were complaining about, among other things, grave-robbing and disrespect.

Daryl said...

On the scale of dead child jokes, those are very tame, because the kid is already dead (and so far decomposed that there's just a skeleton left).

A real dead child joke should involve the wanton, unnecessary (and unnecessarily unpleasant) death of a child.

Unknown said...

There's nothing wrong with making fun of dead people. They're dead.

AmPowerBlog said...

Unfunny dead child humor.

Maxine Weiss said...

Watch this first:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06_Sez2tEOk&feature=related

---Then watch this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfN7-NpSwAU

knox said...

On the scale of dead child jokes, those are very tame, because the kid is already dead (and so far decomposed that there's just a skeleton left).

It's from China. Who knows if the child was "legitimately" dead before her skeleton was sold? There's a thriving body parts market in China, and (some) people there still consider female offspring expendable. Manson says the skeleton is male, but...?

Ann Althouse said...

Downtownlad, don't tell me, let me guess. You never had a child who died or were very close to someone who did.

Joe said...

Include me among those who fail to see why the dead should be respected. (And yes, I've had a child who died, so there.)

blake said...

As Mike Nelson once ranted:

"When I was your age we didn't have Emo, we had GOTH and we LIKED it that way!

And we didn't have no Marilyn Manson either! We had Alice Cooper and he was perfectly satanic enough for us, thank you very much!"

Steve M. Galbraith said...

There's nothing wrong with making fun of dead people. They're dead.

Isn't that (sorta') Fred Phelps' defense?

Make fun, celebrate. No difference; they're dead, right?

reader_iam said...

There's nothing wrong with making fun of dead people. They're dead.

From my POV, of course there is.

My point, however, was where and how the line is drawn, and who draws it, and if it's to be drawn as a matter of "taste," whose taste. and what's the consistent, coherent standard even within narrow constraints, much less broadly drawn prescriptions and proscriptions? And does ... whatever ... apply to individuals and institutions alike, or does this differ, and if so, why?

blake said...

Something wrong with making fun of dead people?

Q. What would you get if you crossed George Washington with cattle feed?
A.The Fodder of Our Country!

Must be a statute of limitations....

Anonymous said...

Good evening fellow republicans, how is everyone this evening?

Thanksgiving was fine. The meal was fine, the caterers were not attractive so no story there.

My best friend and I took our annual pilgrimage to the Berkshires (fabulous). If you haven't gone, you must. Jacobs Ladder, Tanglewood, Spas, a combinaation of Boston and NYC society-believe me you can't go wrong.

My friend and I listened to the Best of Grace Jones there and back. Love her. Some of her great songs are: I need A Man; Pull It Up To The Bumper; Slave To The Rhythm; Nightclubbing; Leatherette-all absolutely fabulous.

We went to The Canyon Ranch for spa treatments; stayed at the fabulous Cranberry Inn, went to Williams College and the MFA in Williamstown which is absolutely fabulous and went to the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge. All in all it was great fun.

Althouse, I recommend you plan a weekend there before you leave NYC. There are great restaurants, beautiful environment and like minded fabulous people. A nice combination of Boston and NYC society and you really can't go wrong with that group.

Love the vlog, thanks for answering my question, continue to wear black, get your ass back to NYC, love to Lola, etc.

Hugs, everyone.

Also I read while I was away. That poor realtor in NYC who was killed by her assistant. I think it was Linda Stein. Fascinating story and life with a sad ending. If you haven't everyone read NY Magazine which has a nice article about her.

Hugs,

Anonymous said...

Also, we watched Casino this weekend on TCM while drinking wine. Sharon Stone is absolutely fabulous in that role. She really should of won the Oscar. Love her costumes. Could she of been any more beautiful in that movie. When she threw the chips all over the casino my friend and I of course screamed.

Also, I will be leaving for Scottsdale this week so won't be able to correspond until Friday. I am staying at the McCormack Ranch which is supposed to be fabulous.

Now where is that Frank Rich op ed so we can go off.

Sorry I actually can't go off. After Bikram Yoga this weekend my chakras are aligned and I am currently looking at my third eye. In other words I have no ability for any type of debate.

Also, the rare dogs were with us and they each got doggy massages too. Isn't that fabulous?

Namaste.

reader_iam said...

Blake: Well, of course it depends on what sort of dead people--the father of our country is quite abstract for most, now, for example. Time, itself an abstraction, is just one element (and there are so many, after all) in the equation (wait--which one?).

Ann Althouse said...

titus: "Althouse, I recommend you plan a weekend there before you leave NYC. There are great restaurants, beautiful environment and like minded fabulous people."

Like minded? What does that mean? They agree with each other... or they're like me? I can't imagine how they could be like-minded to me. What would that even be? I never run across such people and doubt if I'd find them in the Berkshires.

"Love the vlog, thanks for answering my question, continue to wear black, get your ass back to NYC..."

Why? What difference does it make if I'm in NYC? You don't have to go to NY to wear black.

"Also, the rare dogs were with us and they each got doggy massages too. Isn't that fabulous?"

What sort of rare dogs are we talking about?

john said...

Titus:
Birkshires = money plus class, good taste? Perhaps.

Scottsdale = money plus nothing else? Absolutely. Have fun.

john said...

Ann - rare dogs are the clumbers. Pay attention, please.

john said...

Titus,

Keep in mind that a fellow republican in Arizona "just wants the gov'ment to keep its hands off my medicare".

Anonymous said...

Althouse I meant fabulous people when I meant like minded people.

You know, cultured, appreciate art, and all that crap.

I don't know what the hell it is all about but I pretend to understand to look fabulous.

You like art, right? Or pretend to? I do too. Also, I go to fabulous restaurants and museums when I prefer to be eating all you can eat beer battered fish and bowling.

I do make a lot of money though so because of that I guess I should be running with the fabulous crowd.

Although, I am a little hesitant because I am on this trip with a bunch of married with children men. What the hell am I going to say to them on our down time? I am wearing Prada thanks for asking? I am actually nervous about that. Do you think they know I am gay? I asked a friend of mine that same question and he said "oh please". I was actually offended.

Also, Althouse the Berkshires are very beautiful and I believe you will enjoy the beauty of the environment.

Anonymous said...

Althouse, because you belong in NYC. Okay.

It is the center of the world. Admit it, there is something addictive about walking the streets and thinking to yourself I am at the most amazing place in the universe.

That's why us New Yorkers want a Rudy Hilary matchup. Fabulous for us but for the rest of you poor slobs not so fabulous.

Anonymous said...

Speaking of food I spoke with my mother and it is lutefish and lefse time in the midwest.

My mom went to her annual lutefisk dinner and made me lefse (spelling) for the Christmas to come.

If you haven't had lefse (spelling) you need to it is amazing flat bread that the norwegians wrap their lutefisk in.

Anonymous said...

Lastly, the rare dogs are a success whenever they go somewhere fabulous. Whether it be Kennekbunkport, the Berkshires, Ptown, Ogunquit, Northampton they aways receive rave reviews.

God bless the rare dogs. They definitely show I have taste. Them and my shoes are a good indicator.

Also, we went to Northampton, which is absolutely precious. Lesbian Central and absolutely.......fabulous. Go to Northampton fellow republicans. You won't be disappointed. Small town with big city appetites. I found Kehls there-hello???? Need I say anymore.

I said to my friend what other small town can you find that has a store that specializes in Kehls products. Also, the Kehls Sales Girl was a queen. Hello, maybe when I am older I will be living in Northampton. Also, I read a fascinating book about some professor there....can't recall his name but he was boyfriends with Truman Capote. He ended up going crazy and was in the mental institute because the post office found some beefcafe magazines that he had in his apartment.

Is that not fabulous?

Anonymous said...

Sorry it is Kiehls correct spelling. Also, Northampton has three gay bars and only a population of around 10,000.

I think it is because of all of those Smith lesbians, which by the way is an absolutely lovely campus.
Hopefully, David Horowitz will get there soon to rid them of their evil ways. Or maybe Dr. Helen?

KCFleming said...

Wow.
I didn't know I was in Manson's band all this time!
I must have been soooo wasted, dude.

Derve Swanson said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
AnotherMike said...

Wow. I was starting to be interested in Marilyn Manson. I kind of appreciated his style of being intentionally taboo to a certain point, but knowing that he really purchased a child skeleton, he just lost a LOT of respect.