Since Marilyn Manson returned to the stage in the summer of 2024 with the One Assassination Under God tour, pulsating illuminated upside-down double crosses have been a consistent part of the stage design. The double cross itself is nothing new in Manson's work. It has been part of his imagery for many years and became particularly prominent again after the Heaven Upside Down era. What is new since 2024 is the way the symbol has been incorporated into the lighting of the performance. Rather than functioning simply as a static emblem, the crosses now pulsate and change as part of the stage itself, becoming one of the most noticeable elements of every concert. Manson's return to the stage has also involved bringing back many features and images from earlier periods of his career, which has naturally given the performances a nostalgic quality for longtime fans. What interests me for this analysis, however, is what has actually been added during this new period that has not be...
Evan Rachel Wood Coming Into 2019 As we entered 2019, Evan Rachel Wood continued her activist role as a self-proclaimed warrior fighting on behalf of all women, and she made sure all women knew this when she gave a stirring speech at the third annual Women's March on January 18th, where she said among other things: "When you are knocked down, you get back up. Keep getting back up. Now, women are really good at that. We’ve had a lot of practice. But we are tired. I’m tired. As a mother, as a rape survivor, as a domestic violence survivor, I am tired." Almost a few weeks later, Evan revealed in a Nylon essay she wrote that she had once committed herself to a mental hospital, specifically when she was 22 years old after a suicide attempt. A few days after publication, on February 2nd, the Daily Mail published an awkward article of Evan emerging from LAX in her first public appearance since writing that essay. Chronologically, her stay in the mental hospital coincides wi...