There is a point in One Assassination Under God – Chapter 2 where the language of survival finally becomes the language of retaliation. “The Arsonist” is that point. The song is not simply about having survived an attempt to destroy you. It is about what happens afterward, when the person who has been burned decides that the fire did not finish him and that the scars it left behind have become part of his strength. Manson himself described the song as the moment when the narrative of the two chapters “crystallizes into a battle stance,” and, referring to the painting he created for it, said that the “burned scar tissue” had formed into armor. That description gets very close to the heart of the song. The fire has not disappeared. It has changed him. The title is important because Manson does not call the song The Survivor or The Victim . He calls it "The Arsonist." An arsonist deliberately starts a fire, and this changes the entire perspective of the song. The speaker is no...
In my last news update from September 28th, we ended with Marilyn Manson settling the case brought against him by Jane Doe/Chloe Black a week before the trial, with Chloe Black playing the victim till the very end, and Manson's lawyer firing back at her calling her bluff. Though news stories have been slow since then, there is still plenty to cover, so let's see what's been going on. October 5 - Evan Rachel Wood on Navigating Narcissism On October 5, 2013, Evan Rachel Wood was interviewed on the YouTube show called Navigating Narcissism hosted by Dr. Ramani Durvasula, a licensed clinical psychologist. The premise of this show is to "help you spot red flags and heal from the narcissist in your life." It is a nearly two hour interview, and Evan pretty much spent the whole time talking about her relationship with Manson. I have already dissected this interview in a separate article, so you can read it here . - Esme Still Posting About Her Alleged PTSD On the same...