So, I'm just sitting here, dinking around on the computer, and wishing I had my own copy of "The Nightmare Before Christmas." So, I got the bright idea to find "This Is Halloween" by Marilyn Manson on YouTube. I did, listened, and watched a bunch of random pictures of Mr. Manson himself float by. After that, I started watching the video for "The Fight Song." It got me thinking.

You don't really hear about Manson anymore; I guess one might say he's "washed up." New album aside, most of the "hardcore mansonites" that I know are up in arms about its "emo"-ness. Kind of like most of the sane world was up in arms about his image, words, and music in general a few years ago. Then he was shocking; he was immoral, he was everything that parents despised-thus, their children absolutely loved him, from the authentically rebellious to the shock-value wannabe's. I think I might've been the one kid in my school who wasn't obsessed with him.

I think I finally understand his appeal, though. He is one of the few truly "alternative" (as abused as that word is nowadays) RockStars who's made it mainstream, and managed to stay there for quite sometime. He's practically a household name now. He's weirdly beautiful, while at the same time he appeals to our sense of the vulgar and strange. He's just so wonderfullly out there.

I would explain more my feelings on him if I weren't so damned tired and gross from work. But I will say this: I enjoy little of his music (one CD, really), and despise most of which he stands for (mostly on the basis that everyone follows and worships him like sheep). I am also disgusted by the fact that he is so dreadfully normal off-camera and off-stage (hypocritical, in my book-if one leads the masses into something, one had better believe onesself). But I will give him credit for his achievements. I really don't think anyone has been so universally loathed since the first one (from whom he stole his last name), Charles Manson.