“I Am Your Faggot Anti-Pope”: An Exploration of Marilyn Manson as a Transgressive Artist
This article explores how Marilyn Manson functions as a transgressive artist, in order to demonstrate how his persona, music, and music videos cross social, cultural and moral boundaries. In contrast to existing definitions of transgression as a synonym for the breaking of taboos, commonly used in c...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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European Association for American Studies
2017-08-01
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| Series: | European Journal of American Studies |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/ejas/12098 |
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| author | Coco d’Hont |
| author_facet | Coco d’Hont |
| author_sort | Coco d’Hont |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article explores how Marilyn Manson functions as a transgressive artist, in order to demonstrate how his persona, music, and music videos cross social, cultural and moral boundaries. In contrast to existing definitions of transgression as a synonym for the breaking of taboos, commonly used in critical interrogations of extreme music, I define transgression as the (re)construction of social order by means of boundary negotiation. I therefore do not read Manson’s work as political radicalism or anti-social shock, but as a creative process which (re)constructs the ideologies it appears to attack. The article explores three areas in which this (re)constructive aspect of transgression is most evident. Firstly, I explore how Manson’s work functions as a liminal rite-de-passage for adolescents to facilitate a successful transition into adulthood. Secondly, I study how Manson crossed over into the mainstream during the Mechanical Animals-era, and how his relationship with the media affected his negotiation of the mainstream-underground boundary. Finally, I trace how his flirtations with Satanism (re)construct and maintain social order. Manson’s transgressive quality, I argue, lies primarily in his ability to expose how American society is (re)constructed and maintained through the crossing and renegotiation of its own limits. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7b6d6c3b1e814c128f0ef50ad84f8ae1 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1991-9336 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2017-08-01 |
| publisher | European Association for American Studies |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of American Studies |
| spelling | doaj-art-7b6d6c3b1e814c128f0ef50ad84f8ae12025-01-06T09:09:36ZengEuropean Association for American StudiesEuropean Journal of American Studies1991-93362017-08-0112210.4000/ejas.12098“I Am Your Faggot Anti-Pope”: An Exploration of Marilyn Manson as a Transgressive ArtistCoco d’HontThis article explores how Marilyn Manson functions as a transgressive artist, in order to demonstrate how his persona, music, and music videos cross social, cultural and moral boundaries. In contrast to existing definitions of transgression as a synonym for the breaking of taboos, commonly used in critical interrogations of extreme music, I define transgression as the (re)construction of social order by means of boundary negotiation. I therefore do not read Manson’s work as political radicalism or anti-social shock, but as a creative process which (re)constructs the ideologies it appears to attack. The article explores three areas in which this (re)constructive aspect of transgression is most evident. Firstly, I explore how Manson’s work functions as a liminal rite-de-passage for adolescents to facilitate a successful transition into adulthood. Secondly, I study how Manson crossed over into the mainstream during the Mechanical Animals-era, and how his relationship with the media affected his negotiation of the mainstream-underground boundary. Finally, I trace how his flirtations with Satanism (re)construct and maintain social order. Manson’s transgressive quality, I argue, lies primarily in his ability to expose how American society is (re)constructed and maintained through the crossing and renegotiation of its own limits.https://journals.openedition.org/ejas/12098popular cultureMarilyn Mansontransgressionmetal musicadolescenceMTV |
| spellingShingle | Coco d’Hont “I Am Your Faggot Anti-Pope”: An Exploration of Marilyn Manson as a Transgressive Artist European Journal of American Studies popular culture Marilyn Manson transgression metal music adolescence MTV |
| title | “I Am Your Faggot Anti-Pope”: An Exploration of Marilyn Manson as a Transgressive Artist |
| title_full | “I Am Your Faggot Anti-Pope”: An Exploration of Marilyn Manson as a Transgressive Artist |
| title_fullStr | “I Am Your Faggot Anti-Pope”: An Exploration of Marilyn Manson as a Transgressive Artist |
| title_full_unstemmed | “I Am Your Faggot Anti-Pope”: An Exploration of Marilyn Manson as a Transgressive Artist |
| title_short | “I Am Your Faggot Anti-Pope”: An Exploration of Marilyn Manson as a Transgressive Artist |
| title_sort | i am your faggot anti pope an exploration of marilyn manson as a transgressive artist |
| topic | popular culture Marilyn Manson transgression metal music adolescence MTV |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/ejas/12098 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT cocodhont iamyourfaggotantipopeanexplorationofmarilynmansonasatransgressiveartist |