Obscene Celebrities; A Threat to Society? Hardly.
It goes without saying that Marilyn Manson is one of the most controversial figures in not just rock, but the entire world. He is constantly deemed to be sacreligious and accused of promoting the vulgar and obscene. He has been blamed for the murders at Columbine, saying that his music influenced the 2 boys into shooting up their school, and then commiting suicide. His stage name is said to glorrify serial killers and promote acts of lesbianism. Rumors speculate that his concert antics are violent and abusive. His visual apperance is shocking. Is he truely the threat to society we make him out to be?
NO!
Marilyn Manson is nothing more than the front man of a rock group. A shocking person? Sure. A bit weird? Definitely. Dangerous? Not by a long shot. He's become nothing more than the latest scapegoat for a much bigger problem; denial. We like to deny the fact that, hey, maybe society had something to do with the Columbine shooting. Maybe society has something to do with drug use. Maybe society has somthing to do with teenage sex. So instead? We just find an easy target and take aim.
Marilyn Manson has no children. He is not a parent and in no way legally obligated to make content suitable for other peoples children.You cannot blame Marilyn Manson when underaged children are exposed to his material, it's their parents fault. Until those kids turn 18, their parents are legally obligated to ensure that their children are in a safe environment and exposed to things suitable to them. I have yet to see Marilyn Manson out in the streets beating kids in the head with his CDs, forcing them to listen. His CDs have PARENTAL ADVISORY warnings. If a child's parents are so careless and neglectful as to not monitor the media their child is exposed to, I believe that shows exactly who is to blame for the harmful behavior we see today. Songs are fictional, and anyone who listens to mature music has to be able to see that. If a teenager is unable to distinguish between the reality we live in, and the fictional world of the media, their parents are the ones who failed.
The media has become the modern day babysitter. As long as their kids are busy and entertained, parents don't seem to care what they do, clearly thats the easy way out. But, when something bad does happen, when Little Suzy gets pregnant or Johnny Boy ODs on cocaine, then parents get mad. They have to blame someone else, because they're to naive to realize it was their own fault for being so neglectful. Not Marilyn Mansons. It depresses me to realize how irresponsible society has become.
Society has also devloped the grotesque habit of shunning anything that is remotely eccentric. This is particularly evident with Marilyn Manson's apperance and opinions. The question I have for you is what gives anyone the right to decide what is just and morally ok for another human being? You haven't lived their life and have no idea why they have the views they do. A very elite group of individuals don't conform to the views of the media and what is seen as "ok", and because of that, they are judged. Marilyn Manson falls in the elite group, and for that I have exstensive amounts of respect for him. Anyone who is willing to set aside what others have told them, and be the person they aspire to be is amazing. Personally, I consider that kind of determination a positive rolemodel for kids to look up to. You see, once you actually analyze the things he stands for, you'll realize he isn't the awful person the media makes him out to be.
The media choses to fequent his character because it draws attention, and they thrive off of it. There is a thousand little pop stars out their singing about sex and drugs, and promoting a horrible image that everyone has to wear name brands and be a skinny twig, but thats ok for kids to learn from, because they come in large numbers. Marilyn Manson is individual, singular in other words, and easy to target. He forms his own views, and is very inteillgent but it's almost as if this is seen as something negative now.
I used Marilyn Manson as an example because I figured that he would be someone most people would know about, we know the way the media portrays him. But the things I said could apply to virtually any celebrity who is blamed for somthing. It isn't their fault, and the longer society stays in denial and keeps blaming them, the harder it will be for us to fix our cultural downspiral. I apologize for the length of this blog, but it was necessary to say everything I wanted to on an issue I feel so strongly about.
NO!
Marilyn Manson is nothing more than the front man of a rock group. A shocking person? Sure. A bit weird? Definitely. Dangerous? Not by a long shot. He's become nothing more than the latest scapegoat for a much bigger problem; denial. We like to deny the fact that, hey, maybe society had something to do with the Columbine shooting. Maybe society has something to do with drug use. Maybe society has somthing to do with teenage sex. So instead? We just find an easy target and take aim.
Marilyn Manson has no children. He is not a parent and in no way legally obligated to make content suitable for other peoples children.You cannot blame Marilyn Manson when underaged children are exposed to his material, it's their parents fault. Until those kids turn 18, their parents are legally obligated to ensure that their children are in a safe environment and exposed to things suitable to them. I have yet to see Marilyn Manson out in the streets beating kids in the head with his CDs, forcing them to listen. His CDs have PARENTAL ADVISORY warnings. If a child's parents are so careless and neglectful as to not monitor the media their child is exposed to, I believe that shows exactly who is to blame for the harmful behavior we see today. Songs are fictional, and anyone who listens to mature music has to be able to see that. If a teenager is unable to distinguish between the reality we live in, and the fictional world of the media, their parents are the ones who failed.
The media has become the modern day babysitter. As long as their kids are busy and entertained, parents don't seem to care what they do, clearly thats the easy way out. But, when something bad does happen, when Little Suzy gets pregnant or Johnny Boy ODs on cocaine, then parents get mad. They have to blame someone else, because they're to naive to realize it was their own fault for being so neglectful. Not Marilyn Mansons. It depresses me to realize how irresponsible society has become.
Society has also devloped the grotesque habit of shunning anything that is remotely eccentric. This is particularly evident with Marilyn Manson's apperance and opinions. The question I have for you is what gives anyone the right to decide what is just and morally ok for another human being? You haven't lived their life and have no idea why they have the views they do. A very elite group of individuals don't conform to the views of the media and what is seen as "ok", and because of that, they are judged. Marilyn Manson falls in the elite group, and for that I have exstensive amounts of respect for him. Anyone who is willing to set aside what others have told them, and be the person they aspire to be is amazing. Personally, I consider that kind of determination a positive rolemodel for kids to look up to. You see, once you actually analyze the things he stands for, you'll realize he isn't the awful person the media makes him out to be.
The media choses to fequent his character because it draws attention, and they thrive off of it. There is a thousand little pop stars out their singing about sex and drugs, and promoting a horrible image that everyone has to wear name brands and be a skinny twig, but thats ok for kids to learn from, because they come in large numbers. Marilyn Manson is individual, singular in other words, and easy to target. He forms his own views, and is very inteillgent but it's almost as if this is seen as something negative now.
I used Marilyn Manson as an example because I figured that he would be someone most people would know about, we know the way the media portrays him. But the things I said could apply to virtually any celebrity who is blamed for somthing. It isn't their fault, and the longer society stays in denial and keeps blaming them, the harder it will be for us to fix our cultural downspiral. I apologize for the length of this blog, but it was necessary to say everything I wanted to on an issue I feel so strongly about.
Comments
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I really like Marilyn Manson. He seems like a totally real person.
ROSLYNN, May 23rd, 2008 at 07:44:35pm
YOU TELL 'EM, KURTNI!
MikeIsMine!!!, May 22nd, 2008 at 09:47:03pm
Fab blog, Kurtni. I agree with everything you say.
worn-out astronaut., May 22nd, 2008 at 08:50:27am
Thank you blarg and Mary =] And don't worry who.killed.caustic, , your blog didn't offend me.
Kurtni, May 22nd, 2008 at 07:52:18am
Kurtni, this gave me chills. You're amazing.
Ol' Blue Eyes., May 21st, 2008 at 11:43:51pm
i didn't mean to imply that jeffree star is to blame for todays self harming
youth. but i do believe that to a certain extent the media does play a part
in todays youth. you say that parent's should monitor their kids, but so
many parents in this generation are battling addictions. i hate it when parents
blame the media for their kids, because they should be watching their own
flesh and blood more carefull, but again many people have addictions. i just
think that "offensive" artists such as marilyn manson and jeffree star should
be taken off myspace and the youtube, and put on mature websites whose
audiences are able to listen responsibly. i am sorry if i offended you in any
way.
get famous, May 21st, 2008 at 11:29:42pm
Theres no possible way in heaven, hell or earth that a parent can raise a child correnctly without proper communication. Its dam near impossible for a parent to watch, know and censor everything their child/children do. If they do? Their child will go into the world blind, and will not live a healthy life.
The key is proper communication. That means talk to your kids. Don't just sit them in front of a violent movie and forget about them for an hour while you relax. That will cause them to possibly get the wrong idea that killing is fun and justifyed in all cases. So don't let them watch the violent movie? That won't work either. If you are too overprotective on your kids, when they leave you and go off to collage, they won't know a dam thing about the world, it's fun, and it's true evils.
What I'm saying is, by all means, let your kids watch the violent movie (if they're old enough), and let them listen to Marilyn Manson (if they're old enough). Just be sure to wait untill they're old enough to understand that having fun is great, but having sex, doing drugs and shooting up the school is not fun for anyone.
TALK TO YOUR KIDS DAMMIT! Make sure they know the difference between fiction and real life. I know it may seem stupied, but it really is for the best. Besides, you never know what you could be preventing.
Blarg!, May 21st, 2008 at 10:41:54pm
If they can't control it, how can you hold them accountable for it? Thats like saying we can't sell cough syrup anymore because people use it to make meth. Are people aware it gets used to make drugs? Well yeah, but that isn't to be blamed on the people who make cough syrup and they can't fix it.
And I hardly think a parents ignorance is any excuse, it wouldn't be in any other situation, raising kids is no different.
Kurtni, May 21st, 2008 at 10:03:15pm
A celebrity has no control over what appeals to kids and what doesn't.
yes but they're obviously aware of it, because that's who it sells to, whether they claim it's targeted towards adults or not.
If their parents didn't pick up on their behavior, they have no excuse, they were simply neglectful and unobservsant.
Tons of kids pretend to be feeling okay when they actually weren't. I know this from experience. And my parents are caring and involved parents- they simply can't see everything.
Miley Cyrus, May 21st, 2008 at 09:51:30pm
They don't have to watch them every minute of every day. It isn't that hard to see when someone is upset. I don't believe kids randomly go to school one day and shoot the place up because they listened to a Marilyn Manson song. If their parents didn't pick up on their behavior, they have no excuse, they were simply neglectful and unobservsant. You don't have to be there every minute of the day.
Not to mention that I don't think sheltering kids from the media is the solution, but teaching them how to handle it. I specifically said "If a teenager is unable to distinguish between the reality we live in, and the fictional world of the media, their parents are the ones who failed" They don't have to take the media away, but part of being a parent is making sure your child can handle the media.
Just because celebrities say it's not targeted to kids, often it clearly is. Risque and edgy things appeal to a lot of kids because they're not allowed to do it or have it.
A celebrity has no control over what appeals to kids and what doesn't.
Kurtni, May 21st, 2008 at 09:44:21pm
Parents really can't watch their kid every hour of the day. They're at work making a living for their kids while the kids are at school. They go out to walk the dog, buy groceries, etc. They're not lazy just because they miss the 10 minutes a kid goes on to youtube a day.
Just because celebrities say it's not targeted to kids, often it clearly is. Risque and edgy things appeal to a lot of kids because they're not allowed to do it or have it. I never said they should have to completely censor themselves, but it's really up to them to decide that they're negatively effecting kids. I'm not telling them to keep their mouths shut because I don't like it, I just definitely don't approve.
Miley Cyrus, May 21st, 2008 at 09:36:16pm
Parents are responsible for what their kids do, but what parent is watching a kid 24/7? What parent should have to do that?
All of them perhaps? No one said being a parent is easy, but you don't get to be a parent 12 hours a day or 10, it's a full time job. Until they turn 18, you're held accountable for your child legally in every aspect of their life. If you don't have to show an ID (you do where I live), that certainly isn't the celebrities fault. They clearly stated their content was mature, but they can't change laws.
but they're looked up to and they should be careful of the kinds of messages they send out.
Why should they be held accountable for children that aren't theres? They aren't making content for children,and the messages they send out aren't aimed at kids. If they are exposed to them, well thats not good, but they shouldn't have to censor themselves to compensate for lazy parents.
Kurtni, May 21st, 2008 at 09:29:19pm
I agree on one level, that we cannot blame celebrities for how society is, but in another respect I don't agree. Parents are responsible for what their kids do, but what parent is watching a kid 24/7? What parent should have to do that?
You don't have to show an ID to buy a parental advisory CD and you never have to confirm you're 18 or 14 or however old you need to be to get on these sites. You can say then it's the kids fault for ignoring clear warning signs, but no kid is thinking about the consequences of watching a certain video or listening to certain music.
In addition, celebrities are everywhere. You can't ignore them just because your mom says that you shouldn't listen to or watch them. And thus their opinions will influence kids whether the kids want them to or not. I'm all for free speech, but they're looked up to and they should be careful of the kinds of messages they send out.
Miley Cyrus, May 21st, 2008 at 09:21:18pm
Agreed in every aspect. Conservative society takes its scapegoats in mainstream media and that's by no means good.
Chile D. Guy, May 21st, 2008 at 09:02:52pm
I also concur.
People really do need to take responsibility for their own actions and not blame anyone else. It annoys me that parents blame celebrities or music for the actions of their children. Perhaps they should have been more involved in their child's lives instead of being too absorbed in their own. But that works both ways sometimes, kids often try to shut their parents out too. Neither scenario is healthy.
Grandma, May 21st, 2008 at 09:02:36pm