Fat and sassy

In one of those rare moments in life when the stars seem to align just right and everything falls into place as if it was meant to be, I found out that Marilyn Manson, one of my all time favorite artists, was going to be playing a show in Portland on my birthday. Suffice it to say that I was thrilled.

I’d recently downloaded his new album, The High End of Low; and the more I listened to it, the more it grew on me. And I definitely wasn’t disappointed. The show itself was awesome, even though Manson himself is now forty and slightly out of shape.

Shakespeare famously wrote, “All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players,” but what does it really matter in the end if you’re not being true to yourself? Whether you’ve tried to act like a saint, or played the part of a sinner, why bother wasting time trying to be something you’re not, something you don’t even want to be, when the world will just as likely turn on you either way?

A few years ago, people hailed Manson as an iconic antihero reflecting our all-American hypocrisy back at us, saying he didn’t “pull any punches.” These same people now criticize him as a fat, washed up has-been who should quietly slink away from the spotlight—as if they’ve done anything remotely noteworthy their entire, pathetic lives and possess some kind of self-appointed authority over when other people should stop being themselves.

And all the while Manson, now noticeably older and slightly overweight, is still doing what he does best—challenging society’s ideas of what’s acceptable while defiantly giving the world the same two middle fingers—with the attitude of, in his own words: “What’re you going to do, punish me? Is there something worse than where I’m at now? Is there a prison that is worse than the one I’m in, that I put myself in?”

Yes, the once tall and slender “god of fuck,” the symbol of rebellion for a whole generation of young social outcasts, has gotten fat. And I love him for it.

9 Comments:

1. Thrax
   17 Sep '09, 4:39 am

   The beautiful peo-- wait...
2. pseudonym
   17 Sep '09, 7:02 am

   I'd get fat too if I broke up with Ms. Von Teese.
3. Shorty
   17 Sep '09, 9:55 am

   Quoting pseudonym

   I'd get fat too if I broke up with Ms. Von Teese.

   +1
4. Cliff_Forster
   17 Sep '09, 3:06 pm

   In rock, some acts age gracefully and others, not so much.

   I'll reserve judgment for Mason because it was never really my cup of joe, but I will say that there is something honorable, okay about changing with the times as well.

   Pearl Jam's newest tune (I can't stand it), is very poppy, almost happy, kind of radio friendly. Does it make Pearl Jam any less artistically relevant if people latch on to the new sound and enjoy it, no, not at all, but for me, I just don't care for it, and I used to be a big fan. U2 is a band that has enjoyed a bit of a strange maturation curve. U2 started as the post punk, new wave of pissed off youth, I was there, a young U2 could inspire you to action, then, they got rich as hell, and on a personal level they had so little to be internally angry about, so they made records that were different in their core theme, and everybody said "sell outs!", but the reality was that things had changed, and they would rather change than fake it. Were they as good? Meh, though I did see them on the Elevation tour shortly after 09/11 2001 and I will say there was a moment in that show that emotionally griped me in a way that was very genuine.

   I guess what I am saying is this. If your up there and being in the moment, being genuine with people, the audience will get that vibe and run with it. If your 40 and just pretending to be 20 you can't really fake it. If you are 40 and you still feel 20 deep inside, you can channel that energy and the audience will buy into it.

   A few weeks ago there was panic amongst Rolling Stones fans that Charlie Watts may have informally called it quits. Imagine a 68 year old man that just wants to retire. He has not officially announced that he has, but if he does I say good for him, you can only be a Rolling Stone for so long.

   Neil Young has embraced so many changes over his career. In fact, Neil Young is the quintessential ever changing artist. From rockabilly to folk to country to grunge rock to commercial pop rock back to folk back to country, he has done it all. When Young followed Freedom which was primarily noted for his return to crazy horse style grunge with Rockin in the Free World, some people did not understand the shift back to a more introspective country folk sound of Harvent Moon, what was amazing, is that Young does what he feels like doing, on his terms, without clinging to any specific image, now that is being a rebel.
5. Jason
   17 Sep '09, 8:25 pm

   Quoting Cliff_Forster

   I guess what I am saying is this. If your up there and being in the moment, being genuine with people, the audience will get that vibe and run with it. If your 40 and just pretending to be 20 you can't really fake it. If you are 40 and you still feel 20 deep inside, you can channel that energy and the audience will buy into it.

   I get the gist of what you're saying, Cliff, and I'm almost inclined to agree with you, but let me ask you this: How are you supposed to act when you're 40 as opposed to 20?
6. kryyst
   17 Sep '09, 8:37 pm

   I think the point he's trying to make is act how you feel and don't try and fake it. It's not about acting your age it's just about being yourself.
7. Cliff_Forster
   17 Sep '09, 8:40 pm

   Quoting Jason

   I get the gist of what you're saying, Cliff, and I'm almost inclined to agree with you, but let me ask you this: How are you supposed to act when you're 40 as opposed to 20?

   Let me just apologize a little. I went back and read what I wrote word for word, and it can appear that I mean to be a little abrasive, I don't. I totaly dig what you are saying about an aging musician that does what he feels is genuine. If Marilyn Manson whats to project the same image he did 15 years ago, or at least a slightly bloated variance of it he is entititled, and he should do whatever he feels is genuine. People that go to his shows will be able to tell if he is giving them something genuine, something real, or if he is just faking it through another show for a pay day.

   So to your question, I think what it comes down to is what the performer feels is genuine about their own personal experience. Some will choose to change their style, and others will cling to their youth, neither one is right or wrong, what matters is if what they are doing is connecting with their audience in a way that feels worthwhile and genuine.
8. Jason
   17 Sep '09, 9:37 pm

   Quoting Cliff_Forster

   Let me just apologize a little. I went back and read what I wrote word for word, and it can appear that I mean to be a little abrasive, I don't. I totaly dig what you are saying about an aging musician that does what he feels is genuine. If Marilyn Manson whats to project the same image he did 15 years ago, or at least a slightly bloated variance of it he is entititled, and he should do whatever he feels is genuine. People that go to his shows will be able to tell if he is giving them something genuine, something real, or if he is just faking it through another show for a pay day.

   No need to apologize, Cliff. There's nothing inherently wrong with what you've said, and I'm not going to be offended even if you say he's a washed-up slob.

   Maybe this is getting too existential, but I wonder if we can ever really know who someone is. Half the time I don't even know who I am!

   (And just to play the devil's advocate, even if he's just "faking it through another show for a pay day," if he really only cares about the money, he's still being genuine to who he is.)
9. -tk
   17 Oct '09, 2:20 pm

   Well said! Most of the so called "rock stars" of the pre-MTV generation were all a little doughy and out of shape, and nobody cared. Hell some of 'em even touted the fact; i.e. Fats Domino, Chubby Checker, etc. Thousands of albums were sold, people came went to shows and everyone was happy.

   I think it's a shame that we live in an era of style over substance, especially in regards to visual artforms. I mean really, who cares what the people on the record look like?! You don't listen with your eyes.

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