Loudwire's Exclusive Interview with Manson

Our saga with the enigmatic icon Marilyn Manson continues with part three of our exclusive interview. We’ve posted our discussion with Manson about his upcoming album ‘Born Villain’ in both part one and part two of our introspective with the artist, and we continue into new territory with part three.


In this chapter, we ask Manson about how his appearance in the documentary film ‘Bowling for Columbine’ shifted the public’s perception of the artist and how the concept of the “villain” acts as the foundation for Manson’s latest transformation.


Manson has served his time as the media’s sacrificial lamb following some of America’s most publicized tragedies. Those looking for quick and easy answers to the complexities of the teenage minds behind events such as the Columbine school shootings, immediately labeled Manson as the villain — much like Judas Priest, Twisted Sister and Ozzy Osbourne in the past.


We spoke with Manson about the issue, his thoughts on ‘Bowling for Columbine’ itself, his adaptation of the “villain” concept and much more. Loudwire presents part three of our intimate discussion with Marilyn Manson below:a


When you appeared in ‘Bowling for Columbine,’ it felt like some kind of a catalyst for the way that you were to be perceived by the public. Suddenly the thing to say about Marilyn Manson was that you were a smart and thoughtful person. Do you see any parallels between that sort of automated mindset and the mindset of those who so quickly pointed the finger at you after events such as Columbine?
Well, it goes to show you how … I’ve said it before — people don’t know what I was going through that day that I did that interview, because that interview was about two-and-a-half hours long and it was before I walked into a stadium after so many death threats that I had 30 or so undercover cops guarding me. I knew walking into that stadium — everyone I knew told me not to do it, and I had to do it. If you can’t live without what you do, then you have to be willing to die for it. I don’t want to f—ing die, but I had to do it.