Get out your tourniquets and be ready to carve symbols in your chest with broken light bulb glass because a three-part documentary focusing on the schlock rocker who wasn’t born with enough middle fingers, Marilyn Manson, is coming. British broadcaster Channel 4 is bringing Marilyn Manson: Behind the Mask (working title) to audiences. The documentary project is co-financed by Fifth Season, formally known as Endeavor Content, courtesy of Lightbox as part of a partnership with Rolling Stone.
Marilyn Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, encountered a fall from grace in recent years after a collection of accusations. Evan Rachel Wood accused the Antichrist Superstar of sexual and physical violence. In contrast, Game of Thrones actress Esmé Bianco accused him of sexual assault and sexual battery, with several other women filing civil lawsuits.
Following the allegations, police organized a raid and launched a criminal investigation into Manson’s personal history and alleged crimes. While criminal charges against the haunted Willy Wonka have not been filed, civil cases remain, with Manson getting ousted by CAA and his recordLoma Vista.
According to Deadline, Marilyn Manson: Behind the Mask focuses on accusations against the ostracized rocker and “includes interviews with several accusers, fans, industry insiders, lawyers, a former bandmate, and his childhood best friend.” Additionally, “It will chart his rise to fame from a difficult childhood (he previously said that he watched his grandfather masturbate to videos of bestiality) through to being vilified in the press for antics such as hanging a donkey pinata full of cow brains and pig intestines over a crowd, and later becoming an advocate for those on the fringes of society.”
“Marilyn Manson: Behind The Mask tells the definitive story of the controversy surrounding the star, charting his career from its early days through to his being dropped by his manager, agent and record label as a result of the allegations made against him,” said Suzanne Lavery, SVP Unscripted, Lightbox. “In first-hand testimony, we hear intimate accounts from his accusers, as well as those who robustly refute their allegations. The series asks timely questions about how the music industry draws the line between rock n roll excess and transgressive behavior and examines whether Manson’s constructed persona reflects the reality of the human being behind the performer, and what the future holds for the freedom of expression and the right to shock.”
Are you interested in watching Marilyn Manson: Behind the Mask? Can you separate art from the artist and still enjoy his music despite the allegations? Let us know in the comments section below.