Marilyn Manson has been edging into the acting realm these days. Yes, that’s been ongoing for awhile, but he caught more of a bug after his Sons of Anarchy stint (poor Juice) — although he’s still touring and plans to drop his tenth album next Valentine’s Day — and is promoting a role on Salem. Accordingly, Manson has been doing the press rounds, which has resulted in a Daily Beast interview that largely discusses the news media. More specifically, Manson’s zeroing in on Fox News — the outlet that didn’t treat him terribly well following the Columbine massacre.
Following that tragedy (over a year later), Manson visited with Bill O’Reilly in a 2001 “debate”-style interview. Have you watched this appearance? Do it now. The two men both present an air of gentility towards each other, but it’s clear that O’Reilly expected Manson to dance with a lampshade on his head or maybe sacrifice a stuffed pig. Instead, the two held a relatively civilized discussion while O’Reilly kept asking about all that weird makeup, the eye, and all that rock ‘n’ roll rubbish. The two discussed Manson’s image and his desire to question everything. O’Reilly didn’t quite get it, but he tried to pull the counselor move that usually works on Donald Trump. Well, it didn’t work on Manson, but he ended the lengthy discussion by concluding, “I respect you for challenging me, and that’s why I came on the show.”
Perhaps Manson was kidding about “respect” because he’s now dancing with fiery glee over Fox News’ tailspin. Naturally, this is in reference to Roger Ailes’ ousting after his massive sexual harassment scandal, which could effectively spur the entire roster of prestige anchors to different opportunities. This could include Megyn Kelly, who’s seen as the network’s future, but she’s no doubt fielding offers at less messy networks. Here’s how Manson reacted when the Daily Beast asked him whether he’s enjoying the comeuppance and about his lingering impressions of that O’Reilly interview:
“Yes, indeed I am. Fox News was just starting up and Columbine was really their platform that launched them. They used me and I enjoyed going up against Bill O’Reilly. I remember being in their building and walking right past Shepard Smith, and he was the one who’d reported on Columbine inaccurately. He was the one saying [the shooters] were wearing Marilyn Manson makeup and shirts — which none of that was true — and I walked right past him and gave him the f*ckin’ dead eye. And Bill O’Reilly was so ill-prepared, I loved handing him his ass. So yeah, it’s been fun watching them go down.”
Oh, to be a goth-tinted surveillance camera when Manson gave Shep Smith the “eye.” Manson also discussed how Fox News reminds him of Anchorman, and he calls all news coverage “debatable.” And especially in the Internet age, Manson feels skeptical of what he sees on TV or online because everything is so easily manipulated: “Even photographs can be altered now, though they’ve always been able to be altered, and that in and of itself is a form of witchcraft.” He’s still pounding the witch drums after all these years.
In case you need a trip down memory lane, here’s a refresher on Manson’s visit with O’Reilly.
(Via The Daily Beast)
