I don't know who I find more loathsome at this moment, Marilyn Manson or Ted Cruz. Both are rightfully ignominious simultaneously in culture, although that assumes either of them had a shred of dignity before their current disgrace. Frankly, it's hard to look at either of them, let alone take them seriously. They are monsters who should scare all of us.
Then again, maybe I'm not the best judge. When I was eleven-years-old, I pretty much avoided the Rock section of our local LP emporium, Musicland at the Imperial Mall in Hastings, Nebraska. Convinced that Led Zeppelin, the Grateful Dead, and Jefferson Airplane were virtuosos of Satan, it seemed highly transgressive even stepping into the store on my way to the Barry Manilow section.
Hastings had an actual K Mart, and buying my eight tracks there seemed more wholesome and American.
I've put away childish things since then, and have come to truly adore the musical majesty of Zep and the sublime Americana of the Dead. The thing is, I grew up. Plant and Garcia were already great, I just had to listen and learn. Of course, Jefferson Airplane became Jefferson Starship, which is a tragedy too gruesome to describe in this posting.
Neither Cruz nor Manson have evolved into anything more than petulant, soft-core wannabes. Performing for smaller and smaller audiences each must increasingly rely on "schtick...so over-the-top, so campy, so seeped in bad-horror-movie histrionics, so clearly calculated to scare the shit out of the middle class and middle America..." (That's a truly amazing sentence, Jason!)
I hope Marilyn Manson is finished. Found guilty of the accusations would only underscore his monstrosity. Cruz will probably survive his disgrace, but he can't take off his makeup.
Thanks, Sean, for this thoughtful reply! I wouldn't have guessed that Manson and Cruz would be the two biggest villains of 2021, but here we are. Hope the vintage playlist you're putting together for John is coming along well!
Nice piece, Jason. I can relate.
I don't know who I find more loathsome at this moment, Marilyn Manson or Ted Cruz. Both are rightfully ignominious simultaneously in culture, although that assumes either of them had a shred of dignity before their current disgrace. Frankly, it's hard to look at either of them, let alone take them seriously. They are monsters who should scare all of us.
Then again, maybe I'm not the best judge. When I was eleven-years-old, I pretty much avoided the Rock section of our local LP emporium, Musicland at the Imperial Mall in Hastings, Nebraska. Convinced that Led Zeppelin, the Grateful Dead, and Jefferson Airplane were virtuosos of Satan, it seemed highly transgressive even stepping into the store on my way to the Barry Manilow section.
Hastings had an actual K Mart, and buying my eight tracks there seemed more wholesome and American.
I've put away childish things since then, and have come to truly adore the musical majesty of Zep and the sublime Americana of the Dead. The thing is, I grew up. Plant and Garcia were already great, I just had to listen and learn. Of course, Jefferson Airplane became Jefferson Starship, which is a tragedy too gruesome to describe in this posting.
Neither Cruz nor Manson have evolved into anything more than petulant, soft-core wannabes. Performing for smaller and smaller audiences each must increasingly rely on "schtick...so over-the-top, so campy, so seeped in bad-horror-movie histrionics, so clearly calculated to scare the shit out of the middle class and middle America..." (That's a truly amazing sentence, Jason!)
I hope Marilyn Manson is finished. Found guilty of the accusations would only underscore his monstrosity. Cruz will probably survive his disgrace, but he can't take off his makeup.
Thanks, Sean, for this thoughtful reply! I wouldn't have guessed that Manson and Cruz would be the two biggest villains of 2021, but here we are. Hope the vintage playlist you're putting together for John is coming along well!