Marilyn Manson has been pushing the envelope of the right to freedom of expression since his controversial "shock rock" antics began in the early 1990's. His methods are strange and rejected by most of society, as it cannot understand what he is trying to achieve. Many people believe that Marilyn Manson is bizarre, seeing him wearing women's clothing, applying heavy facial makeup, and covering himself with jewelry. His success can be attributed not only to his entertainment abilities, but even more so to the incredible marketing campaign organized to promote himself and his crazy actions. His actions give the media a scapegoat to fall back on and a figure which they can blame all of society's problems. He has amassed a large following throughout the 1990's and even today as the self-proclaimed Anti-Christ Marilyn Manson. His fans understand where he has come from, what he has been through and are familiar with rejection from society.
The Marilyn Manson's following is normally associated with the Gothic or "Goth" subculture. At first examination, this seems to be the case as Manson followers and those of the Goth community share remarkable similarities; although true Goths label Manson follows as merely "Spooks" or "Mall Goths", and not real members of the Gothic following. The similarities have been exploited by the media and have linked his music to violent acts against society.
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