From Christie’s Music News today:
WA move to ban Manson!
There are moves in Western Australia to stop Marilyn Manson playing in Perth in October. It’s his first show there since 2003, and half the tickets for his October 5 date at Challenge Stadium have already been sold, reports promoter Michael Coppel Presents. Shadow minister for child protection Sue Ellery told the “West Australian” that Manson’s glorification of violence and self-harm is sending the wrong message to fans, and asked them not to buy tickets. Gillian Gonzalez, vice-president of the Australian Family Association, said her organisation would consider lobbying the Federal Government to deny the group visas.
Being a metalhead, I am never surprised at the lengths to which ignorant people will go to vilify music and musicians that they just don’t understand. I’m not a fan of Marilyn Manson’s current work (not since Antichrist Superstar back in the day), but I would fight tooth and nail against prejudice and ignorance of this extreme level.
It’s always a stupid woman who works in a field like ‘child protection’ or ‘family associations’, a church, or ‘day care’ or some other sappy, utterly ridiculous thing, that stands up and makes a complete arse of herself regarding matters like this. (Of course I’m not saying that real child protection is a ridiculous thing, but you know what I mean).
Here’s a heads-up to all those stupid mothers out there who are acting like spoilt girls who don’t get the joke: Stop Doing It! You make the rest of your gender look stupid! Stop being such ignorant, sheltered mother ducks. For christ’s sake!
The thing that really gets me is that, while some people wet their pants over what Manson looks like, not one person would buy a ticket and go to a show like that if they weren’t into the music. Manson might be a weird, arrogant sort of dude, and I might be too far outside the mainstream myself, but ‘glorification of violence’ isn’t a Marilyn Manson show: that is watching the US Army on the five o’clock news. Does Manson glorify self-harm? Of course. And I’m really Pope Benedict; I just didn’t want to reveal that because of my fascination with “satanic” metal. Think of all those Manson films where he glorifies violence and self-harm to such an extent that it’s damn near preaching it. Lock up your virgins, everybody!
Clearly this ‘child protection’ idiot in WA couldn’t really give a stuff about things that matter, or she would have fought to shift all violent images on television, and all remotely sexualised images in the media, to places where ‘children’ can’t reach them.
It’s time, young Australia, to stand up and tell these idiots to pull their heads in. If WA are putting up a fight about Marilyn Manson, then what are they going to do about Cannibal Corpse? Fucking hell, the mind absolutely boggles.
Just to prove my point about the ridiculous nature of this type of censorship, here’s a clip from The Chaser to watch before you go:
-his band drinks his piss
– he and his band has se.x with children and people from concerts
– he is charged with many crimes
– he is a freak
– he had breast implants then later removed them
– he boasted about having oral se.x with himself by removing his bum bones
– member of church of satan
– burnt crosses, mocks chrisitanity,
-supports suicide
who wants to listen to this freak? god have mercy on all of you people
sue.ellery@mp.wa.gov.au
send her a protest!!!
I dont support banning bands of any genre cos its every artists right to play where they want for who they want. Ignorant parents will always exist (my parents while i was growing up where prime examples). What i find totally hilarious is that bands can come here like Immortal, Deicide or Cannibal Corpse and (usually) have no dramas what’s so ever with their tours even though lyrically they are a lot more intense and extreme but Manson gets harassed cos the guy looks weird … but in saying that, i hate Manson with a passion and the shit and ignorant fans that go to the gigs … for all i care, the dude can stay over there.
Peter, I’d like to point out that the most puerile activity I’ve ever seen has been in watching instances of parliament – such as you get on Order In The House. I would also like to point out that the words that come out of the mouths of so many of our voted in representatives do actually come from the hands and minds of “advisors” whom none of us votes for. Just look at Malcolm Turnbull’s ridiculous believe-anything-his-advisors-tell-him stance; it’s not much different at State level.
Metalbeast makes a very good point that last time church groups were active against Manson. It would not surprise me, in Australia’s current political climate, if this woman in WA had vested interests of a religious type, or was acting in stereotypical ‘mother’ or ‘church-going’ mode, and allowing it to affect her public responsibilities.
Alan’s and Foss’s comments about publicity are also right on the money in this instance. As is Foss’s very pertinent point that every generation has fought against what its elders consider obscene. We don’t consider The Beatles offensive, but back in the day an absolute shitload of people did! Just because the genre’s different, it’s no less misunderstood.
Chris’s argument about parents, parental responsibilities and political drawcards is also equally valid.
How do you, Peter, respond to these points? It seems to me that you believe anybody who might respond to this post is a Manson fanatic. In fact, I think you’ll find that many couldn’t give two shits about Manson, but are very passionate about issues of censorship. Clearly you aren’t fussed about censorship.
Concern is one thing, outright censorship and political power-pulling is something entirely different. Love to hear what you think.
Indeed Peter, he would suffer no indignity – it would only help to sell tickets. I myself wouldn’t go to see him as I’m not particularly interested in either Manson or his music. His fanatics also bore me.
Politicians do have a right to be concerned, but they should be under an obligation to be informed – not knee-jerking reactionists. Lets remember how ‘sinful, wicked and degrading’ our elders found jazz, The Beatles, Tiny Tim for Christ’s sake! The same outraged citizens were the same who owned the venues, promotion companies etc. Not much changes but the generations.
Although it must be noted the baby boomers are doing their utmost to keep a strangle hold on most industries – especially entertainment. Just listen to your average radio station – is it really still 1987? It seems to them it is! No offence but it’s time to move on. Some people will do anything to make money. The more outrageous, the more free publicity – talk about playing into their hands!
Metalbeast, I agree with you! Just how many of these parents who are so outraged and concerned with Mansons ‘antics’ have actually sat down with the lyrics or even attempted to see what he is all about rather than taking him on face value, declaring him unfit for public consumption and then making a decision on everyones behalf by attempting to ban him?
If you dont want your children to go, you can stop them and them only but anyone over 18? they have the right to make their own choices but outright banning and saying NO ONE can see him is power tripping at the highest level – If they succeed, where to next? SHould we ban the Wiggles for getting children to behave in a cult like manner at their live concerts (thousands of kids waving their hands in unison while having a good time – sound familiar) might as well band books, movies, theatre or anything else with subject matter that doesnt fit a G timeslot – Zoo magazine for showing enhanced women lying over cars or each other on newsstands at eye level to 3 year olds?
Manson will play to about 30 000 people on this tour if he is lucky, hardly a mass market audience – Are these 30 thousand people freaks, outcasts, evil bastards or child molesters? Hardly – if there were would they be paying over a hundred bucks to go an see him prance around on stage for 2 hours? Its entertainment – just like the rocky horror picture show, only louder – Fuck off and go back to your sheltered lives whingers!
we’ve been down this road many times before and its far from over but we always need to stand against any kind of censorship as it opens th floodgates to be take advantage of – He is an obvious and easy target nothing more –
Manson would be loving this – you can’t buy publicity like a religious emphatic trying to ban your stuff. I sent a copy of my first book to George Pell in the hope that he’d try to ban it as blasphemous!
Seriously, this is a media feeding frenzy that will have a few minutes in the spotlight and make no difference to Manson or his fans or the tour. They refused Snoop Dogg entrance to Australia on grounds that he had a drug related criminal record and everyone had a fit about it. Next thing you know he comes in. The news was all over the original ban and hardly a mention when he came in anyway. The less time we spend pandering to idiots like this WA twat, the better.
Sorry Peter, but since Manson has been here many times before (and it was church groups who got upset last time), but didn’t actually have any trouble getting in, why is there a fuss now? Because someone has decided that they need to make an issue of a non-issue.
And lets not result to calling anyone who wants to see him a fanatic. I would be equally pissed if it was any number of groups who I listen to. There is *nothing* illegal about what he does, so why the call to ban him? It’s a moral issue, and not a legal one – in which case it should be a non-issue. Let parents be outraged – here’s a clue, how about they actually play the role of a parent, instead of letting the government do it for them?
I personally find religion offensive – is that any less valid than a religious persons offense at Manson?
I find it hard to believe that the Manson fanatics do really believe their somewhat illogical and puerile vitriol about people who are concerned by Manson’s music and themes. If they do, heaven help us!! People, including politicians, do have a right to be concerned about supposed “entertainers” promoting ideas that many find most offensive. To suggest that a shadow minister for child protection in Western Australia has any power over events that occurred in California is plain stupid. If such offences occurred in Australia, it might be that a very different judicial outcome would have been obtained. Also, who are the quiet money makers raking it in behind the scenes? Have you ever thought that Manson’s music and image is his less than noble attempt to make money by being as offensive as he can possibly be. He should be grateful that the Manson fanatics are prepared to pay for his body of work. My view is that he would be better off if he chose not to come rather than have the indignity of people trying to ban him from touring.
Yet another case of a political nobody trying to make a name for themselves. It’s bullshit, this country is turning into a church driven nanny state.