Marilyn Manson-love him or hate him-we have all heard of him and we all have opinions and im asking you yours... But more specifically I want to ask you if you think Marilyn Manson is responsible for the Columbine High School massacre-Here are sketchy details but you can look it up at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbine_High_School_massacre --------------------------------------------- So on Tuesday, April 20, 1999 Two senior students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold (attending Columbine High School) embarked on a massacre, killing 12 students and one teacher. They also injured 21 other students directly, and three people were injured while attempting to escape. The pair then committed suicide in the school library Early stories following the shootings charged that school administrators and teachers at Columbine had long condoned a climate of bullying by the so-called jocks or athletes, allowing an atmosphere of outright intimidation and resentment to fester which, they claimed, could have helped trigger the perpetrators' extreme violence. Reportedly, homophobic remarks were directed at Klebold and Harris. Blame for the shootings was directed at bands like Rammstein, Marilyn Manson, KMFDM, and other mainstream 'dark' music groups, which was detailed in Michael Moore's documentary Bowling for Columbine. Lead singer Manson stated on a VH1 interview that the band had cancelled three concerts in memoriam of the tragedy. When asked what he would have said to kids at Columbine or to the people in the community, Manson replied: "I wouldn't say a single word to them. I would listen to what they have to say, and that's what no one did." --------------------------------------------- So there are sketchy detail but read up for yourself-I personally dont agree Manson is responsible but you tell me your opinions.....
"We were allowing the more socially privileged and popular members of our school to cultivate an environment of oppression and enmity towards these two. That may have had something to do with it. But I really think it's these bands we don't understand!" Does anything more need to be said? I mean, really. Artists make music because they want to express themselves and connect with people, not to inspire people to commit homicide/suicide. I think Manson's response to this tragedy sends a clear enough message about that. And he's absolutely right, by the way.
Nova has a point. I personally think that the Columbine School shooting had nothing to do with Manson and if they were to blame anybody, they should probably blame the students that oppressed these kids and the adults that allowed it.
So if you listen to dark music such as Manso, you're suppose to commit homicide and suicide? Does that mean if I listen to Britney Spears i'm going to go off the rails, join Kabbalah and end up with a kid I can't properly take care of? If that did happen she'd be the last thing on my mind.
if marilyn manson is guilty im Bigfoot. he does have a point in his statement however he did let them know what they did wrong.
I kinda recall hearing that the two were not huge Marilyn Manson fans. Anyway, saying that music and those god awful video-games cause school-shootings and other violent outbursts is ridiculous. People should concentrate on funding mental health-care for youths, in stead of wasting time, money and energy on something so trivial.
I read a paper on 'The signs of a School Shooter' or something similar. And nowhere does it mention media influence as a factor or sign of a persons intent to start violent situations. It mentions the main cause is the school as a hierarchy, where School Shooters feel they are at the bottom of the food chain, are being picked on, and so on, and release these feelings by proclaiming acts of violent, turn to secretcy, boast about wanting to kill, until one day something triggers them to bring in a gun and start killing. It's sad we blame other, indirect influences as the cause of death. They weren't? Huh, never knew that... I believe that to honour them, though, he created the song 'We are the Nobodies'
I love how people condemn artists like Marilyn Manson by saying his music promotes this kind of behavior when in reality he actually condemns this. His music post-Portrait of an American Family is all pretty much his issues that he's faced and his opinions on certain issues.
Unless he supplied the kids with weaponry, killed anyone at Columbine, or had any actual involvement with the shootings, he should just be left alone.
I cannot see Marilyn Manson or any of the other musicians as responsible for what those teens did. I would say the people responsible are the teens themselves as no one forced them to do what they decided to do. I can sympathize with why they finally wigged out due to the peer pressure, the condemning natures of elitist personalities that were let to fester etc, but they handled it poorly; just as any spree killers do. Blaming music and other sources for the behaviors of actual people in their lives that were making them miserable, and themselves seems like a desire to toss off the actual condition that is the real problem. Had parents and staff disciplined those other students, maybe things would have been different. Had society taken notice of these troubled teens and tried to help better their environment, maybe things wouldn't have happened this way. There's a higher chance that things would have changed had some people actually cared to do things in their lives rather than write them off, rather than worrying about what music they listened to. It's easy for people to not want to blame themselves for what happens that is negative out there but even Marilyn Manson commented on the one thing people could have done to fix things and prevent a tragedy. He wouldn't have talked... he would have -listened-. Many tragedies in life can be averted early on if people just did that a bit more.
I remember reading about the same issue not so long ago from a book entitled 'The Goth Bible'. It was a book dedicated to documenting the Goth lifestyle, written by a Goth to educate people about what they are like beneath the stereotype place on them. Its an interesting read, and quite funny in parts. Back on topic. Its interesting that another side effect of the shooting was not just Mansons completely unjust blame, it also sparked distrust of the darkly inclined. More than ever people who just want to express themselves differently through music, film and fashion that is not mainstream are written off as wierdos, potential pyschopaths and devil worhshippers.
Perhaps they were drawn to Mason because of their personality, as opposed to being healthy young men who listened to a song and decided to shoot up a school because of it. I'm not denying that Mason may have had an influence, but in no way could he have been the tipping factor. I'd pin the blame on the enviroment, and those who made it so.
There was a similar issue with another famous band, My Chemical Romance... This girl, was a real big fan of them, and happened to have been the subject of bullying at her school. Since most of the subject matter in MCR's songs do mention cutting and sucide in some form or another, she did that, she killed herself. Now, it wasn't MCR's fault for this, she took there message a bit too far. But a bunch of people blamed them for this because they were such an influence on the young girl, Sometimes you have to wonder if art causes people to do drastic measures in order to connect with it. I'm not saying it was their fault at all, though.
You listen to Skillet and you become a Christian. Listen to a rapper, and you're going to get nice cars. Listen to country, you're going to lose your dog. While some artists may not be agreeable, it's not their fault people take things too far. It's like with some drugs. Can't pin all the blame on them when someone just has an addictive personality.
Rayku-Yes Ive heard and read about Hannah Bond-who was only 13 at the time-it was trgic and a perfect example of how the media turns everyone against bands that seem odd-Ive seen one or two pictures of Hannah-she seems "Chavy" based on her poses and such-so why didnt the media blame Chav music groups?? Snow Villiers-Exactly-Nicely Said! Everybody-I would like to tell everyone before the topic becomes Really one sided that Marilyn Manson had a huge effect on me as a person-I actually one tried to kill myself while listening to his cover of Tainted Love I've found this topic to be one sided in KHV-but unlike the Media-it has strong reason behind the opinion.
As a fan of their music I have to say I think that girl misinterpreted the music. Every single time they mention that, there's usually a story behind it. They're not encouraging suicide-just telling a story. Like the criminal lovers in Bullets who ended up having to kill themselves because they were caught. I don't think they were trying to be depressing either, it kind of had a happy ending when they were together in the afterlife. "Like Phantoms, Forever". And that infamous song Cemetery Drive with the lyric "Back home, off the run, singing songs that make you slit your wrists," while incorporating parts of a concept, it was actually a song about the band's friend who killed herself. The song was full of lamentations, saying over and over again "I miss you." They never PROMOTE suicide or cutting. But at any rate, there are many people and artists who do encourage things like that. But it's just a matter of who's going to take it seriously. I wouldn't say it's ANYONE'S fault.
I am a fan of their music also, but it's also sad that a young girl killed herself, even if she might of been stressed before the music, that she took their lyrics to heart. It depends on how people take it.
-facepalm- Did he directly go up to the guys and tell them to do a schools hooting, and supply them with weapons? No.
