Manson was a killer, not a cultural icon
Having made it over to Los Angeles in a hypnotherapised state of calm, I’ve been catching up on news stories from this side of the pond. It’s always interesting to see how differently items are reported over here.
When the murderous cult leader Charles Manson died in prison this week at the age of 83, there was an anticipated slew of readers letters to The LA Times, complaining that he should have been subject to the death penalty instead of wasting taxpayer dollars on his 46-year incarceration.
But then there were several essays analysing Manson’s lasting impact on American culture. Newsweek compared him to Donald Trump, because of Manson’s “charisma” and ability to engage emotionally with the alienated. The New York Times wrote that “the Manson Family has occupied a dark, persistent place in American culture – and American commerce”.
It’s true that Manson and his followers have inspired, over the years, pop songs, an opera, films, T-shirts and the stage name of musician Marilyn Manson. But let’s not forget they brutally murdered nine
innocent people, including actress Sharon Tate, who was eight-and-a-half months pregnant at the time.
It’s a gruesome fact that occasionally seems in danger of being glossed over amid the rush to analyse Manson’s supposed “appeal”.
In this city, founded on movie-star dreams of fame and fortune, everybody aspires to be somebody. Manson himself hankered after a record deal and was obsessed with The Beatles.
In Hollywood, anyone can become a celebrity if they try hard enough – even wild-eyed killers with swastikas cut into their foreheads.