Another thought-provoking read from you, Shannon.

I’ve been a fan of Marilyn Manson for most of my life, so watching the abuse scandal unfold has been some kind of low-key, many-armed trauma. I’ve been writing about it a lot just trying to process it.

One of the things that have been the most appalling to me has been witnessing how some Manson fans have responded, by dismissing the mere possibility that there might be some truth somewhere in the stack of allegations made against ‘our Emperor.’ It’s really dangerous when you admire an artist so much that it blinds you and you point-blank refuse to believe anything negative about them. This kind of mentality goes a long way to explain why certain men in power can get away with almost anything. A lot of their supporters simply don’t care and don’t want to know if they misuse their power and influence. And so they often do.

But I’m still hopeful that we live in a new age of accountability, where anyone who abuses and misuses their influence will get called out, no matter who they are or how much we like their art.