the NachtKabarett

The Scarlet Empress starring the German, dark and sultry voiced Marlene Dietrich whom Manson has referenced and evoked often during the Golden Age of Grotesque, is a film which Manson had first mentioned in the Summer of 2005 in the cover issue of the Russian Rolling Stone. It is highly elaborate in its costume and set design with an epic cast of over 1,000. Originally bombing after its release in 1934, it marked the continuation of Dietrich and Josef von Sternberg's partnership following The Blue Angel and it has since become much more highly regarded in recent times being re-released by avant garde movie company Criterion.

The entire movie, grandly elaborate, ornate and often surreal in setting exaggeration in its imagery appears reminiscent, or at least definitively influential to Manson as a whole. It tells the story of the grand duchess Catherine who is bound into marriage with the inept and imbecilic arch duke of Russia, forced into assimilation of Russian culture and the abandonment of her native Prussian. She eventually overcomes personal and petty opposition within the royal family to rise to written into history as Catherine the Great, beloved by the Russian people and Europe as a whole. Though the time period it is set in predates the Victorian era, which Manson had cited as influential throughout the 'Lest We Forget' / 'Against All Gods' era, by almost a hundred years the imagery of the film, its ornate and costume design is very much a nod to the grand Victorian ideals.

A very subtle and short element within the film is what brings to mention here. The strange skeletal skirt which Skold wore throughout the European Against All Gods tour is an allusion the puffed and grandiose clothing of the Victorian era, that being the hooped skeleton of a Victorian dress. The skeleton of which Marlene appears wearing in-action during a brief scene in the Scarlet Empress.

The first mention Manson made of the Black Death was in November 2004 during the 'Against All Gods' tour in a British one-page spread on his influences at the time. Since then, several more allusions have been made during this time, including the detail that Manson will explore the origins of the Black Death as well as its influences upon art and society which continue today. Most exceptionally, as cited by Manson, the Plague's insidious presence upon art and creativity, that the first skeletons only began appearing within paintings after the Plague had decimated a third of Europe.

During the Against All Gods tour, a small handful of visual allusions with connotations to the Black Death were made by Manson. The most striking to note, though marginally ambiguous to the topic, was during the 2005 Against All Gods European tour as Manson performed The Nobodies in a strange black hooded costume. Aside from merely the visual aspect of appearing dark and ominous the outfit does however work on two levels in the context of Manson's earlier Black Death hint: that being, playing the role of the bizarre Plague physicians who treated the victims and also being reminiscent of the sect of people known as the Flagellates, who true to name marched across Europe in morbid parades all the while whipping themselves with cat-o-nine tails, making themselves suffer to atone and appease their God in the belief that the Plague was God's wrath afflicting mankind for its sinful ways. The Flagellates were the converse opposite to those who indulged in earthly delights in the belief that the end was inevitable.

A tangential note, Manson also cited Igmar Bergman along with the likes of horror directors such as Alfred Hitchcock (whose voice can be heard in the Celebritarian incarnation of MarilynManson.com) and Roman Polanksi as stylistic influences in filmmaking for Manson's film project Phantasmagoria : The Visions of Lewis Carroll.

Above all, the concept and allusion to the Flagellates works effectively in Manson's continuous body of work as the illustration of self-imposed guilt which the veil of Christianity influences its adherents to subscribe to. Thus creating for themselves a Hell on Earth in this life to escape punishment in the next; to paraphrase as Manson once put it. This being a much more extreme, physical and literal illustration of such.

As also discussed within the ART & THE GOLDEN AGE OF GROTESQUE section of The NACHTKABARETT, the fishnet stocking clad five legged pentagram which makes up the CD cover of Lest We Forget is derived in part from an old poster for the musical Cabaret.

Given Manson's very obvious invigorated interest in Occult symbolism, whether intentional or not the leg motif on Lest We Forget bears a parallel to one of the demons from the Goetia with circumambulating legs.

The Goetia is also known as the Lesser Key of Solomon, a guide to the evocation of "demons" or lesser, incomplete, vice-obsessed angels, those who aid in the procuration of sex, money and earthly pleasures. The grimoire which originates from a circa 16th Century manuscript was originally begun exhumed by S. Liddell Macgregor Mathers, co-founder of the occult organization The Golden Dawn, and later translated and published by Aleister Crowley in the early years of the Twentieth Century.

This making another connection, if only coincidental, to many of the Crowleyan references Manson has made since the dawn of 'Lest We Forget' leading up to 2006.

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In the beginning of October 2006 the official merchandise website was updated with a load of new T-shirts grouped under a newly added Retail Merchandise section. While most of the T-shirts featured already familiar imagery from different eras of Manson's work, two of them stood out as completely new in their concept. They are Circle 7 Tee and Double Double Tee.

The first contains the Star of Babalon which has been a recurring element in the imagery Manson had been revealing since announcing the resurrected concept of Celebritarianism, and because of this frequency appears to be a significant part of his intentions for the Celebritarian Corporation. As discussed previously on The NACHTKABARETT the first instances of Manson's use have been during the Holy Wood era but since March of 2006 it has cropped up again within designs of this time period, most notable on the forehead of Manson on the Celebritarian Corporation masthead shirt, creating a signaturized portrayal of the Biblical Revelation's prophecy of the Mark of the Beast.

In the design of the second T-shirt, Double Double, Manson reinterpreted a medieval Christian symbol of authority known as the globus cruciger or just the orb. The globus cruciger is basically an orb (globus) topped with a cross (cruciger), and along with the scepter it was widely used by Christian monarchs as a symbolical representation of the triumph of Christianity in the whole world.

As many other Christian symbols, the globus cruciger is derived from antiquity. In Ancient Rome plain round orb was a representation of the world (in Latin orbis terrarum, the 'circle of countries', hence the word orb) or the universe as a harmonious whole (i.e. the cosmos) and holding it in one's hand was a clear message of power. Romans associated it with Jupiter (along with the scepter as another main attribute of Jupiter) and, hence, with the emperor as his earthly representative. By setting a cross above the orb Christians reinterpreted the symbol as Christ's (the cross) dominion over the world (the orb).

Manson goes back to the origins of this symbol thus using a circle (that's what the word orb literally means) in place of a traditional ball. The circle used is basically an element of his new symbol, the symbol of The Celebritarian Corporation, and it's encircled with fifteen Crosses of Lorraine. One of those crosses is clearly bigger that the others and it's topping the orb making it look a lot like the globus cruciger. Therefore Manson affirms not the Christ's dominion over the world but dominion of the main occult principle 'as above, so below' embodied in the Cross of Lorraine. The bigger red Cross of Lorraine which can be seen on the background is emphasizing this dominion.

It is also essential that on the back side of the T-shirt a weird green skull & bones symbol is inscribed within the orb and that may be seen as a direct reference to Celebritarianism. As Aleister Crowley once put it in his Equinox of the Gods, "Christianity and all cognate religions worship death, glorify suffering, deify corpses." One cannot also leave out the association of the globus cruciger with Jupiter and the emperor and hence with the whole idea of Will to Power that was a crux in the Triptych (compare with the Emperor Tarot card in Manson's deck).

Prior to the commencement of the Against All Gods tour, and long before any indication of a new era had surfaced, Romanticism was able to exert its influence over many aspects of Marilyn Manson's artwork. Indeed, many of the artists whom Manson has examined or drawn upon: the Marquis de Sade, Oscar Wilde, Francisco Goya, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Edgar Allen Poe - among others - were all prominent figures of Romanticism.

Romanticism is perhaps best defined as a movement; a movement which would later be known by some as the Counter-Enlightenment. Because of such, Romanticism was more than just a period in history, it was a period which looked to the beliefs of an earlier time, a period of new perspectives, and above all else a period of rediscovery and appreciation for beauty in all forms, be it dark or light. Because of these values, Romanticism was able to live through a significant stretch of time and flourished quite heavily between the mid to late 18th century to the early 19th century.

With much anticipation of the inspirations Manson had been citing, talk began to circulate among the fans that Manson's direction would prove to be founded on love and romance. When Manson gave an extensive interview to Mansonusa.com, he was given the chance to clarify this direction:

Romanticism in its purest sense strikes a parallel with every single aspect of the description above. The Romantics were an eccentric group, primarily composed of artists and intellectuals, living in a society in which they felt they didn't belong. With industrialization, the rapid destruction of nature, a growing disbelief in God, and the rejection of the abstract in favour of cold and objective science, the Romantics sought to find a world in which they could fit in better. When it could not be found, they created it; through philosophy, the arts, theology, and other avenues, the Romantics quickly set themselves up in opposition to their surrounding culture.

While Romanticism is not romantic in the modern understanding of the word, that level of romance can (and does) factor into a tiny sliver of the equation. The followers of Romanticism sought to elicit strong responses from themselves, and so anything which could make them feel more in tune with humanity or the earth was respected: horror, awe, fear, panic; all of these emotions previously labeled as negative or as a sign of weakness became reassurances of the human nature of mankind.

Any emotion, artwork, or viewpoint which could transcend the Romantics from a society that was becoming increasingly more bleak and mechanized was celebrated, regardless of whether it was regarded as 'positive' or 'negative'. Because of this, the Romantics saw beauty in all things, and the previous black and white definitions of good and evil became gray. While love could be romantic, so too could horror, and both were regarded as beautiful and romantic for their ability to move people.

But above all, nature itself was the pinnacle of beauty, as it gave infallible reassurance of life and divinity to the Romantics, and gave constant reminder to them that there were still things in the world which exceeded mankind. In many ways, nature became the adopted mother to the Romanticists.

Manson's identification with Lewis Carroll also parallels itself with the Romantics who sought to create a more suitable time and place. Carroll, born near the beginning of the Victorian Era (and dying shortly before its end), spent a great deal of his time in isolation. While the Romantic movement was for the most part coming to an end by the start of his life, it would be hard to tell by reading Carroll's work. Exploring a vast array of subjects and writing on love, beauty, and alternate realities, it is plainly evident that Carroll felt as though he was trapped in a society in which he felt he didn't belong. Photography and writing became outlets to create a new world, and indeed, once technology made the process of photography easier, the world flooded into his once isolated art, and he promptly abandoned it.

In a more modern world, Romanticism made a revival in the 80's with the 'New Romantic' movement, often referred to or overlapping with the New Wave movement that stemmed from the post-Punk, post-Sex Pistols underground, and Manson has spoken of numerous artists of that time period. The New Romantic movement, true to name, emulated that very ethos combining the over-the-top punk theatrics with vaudeville and elements of even Victorian era ornateness, predating and in a sense giving birth to the oftentimes surreal and always extravagant club kid movement led by Michael Alig, Leigh Bowery, James St. James and many others in the early 1990's. Interesting enough it was this same underground scene which Manson "reenacted" by playing the role of Christina in the film 'Party Monster', based on the book 'Disco Bloodbath' written by James St. James about Michael Alig about this time period in early 1990's New York City.

Most prominently referencing David Bowie for a number of years, Manson made mention of some his direction during this time period being influenced by David Bowie, the father of glam, theatric and conceptual rock. Specifically his Diamond Dogs album. Other prominent artists who have at some point been regarded as part of the British Underground New Romantic movement include: pre-Culture Club Boy George, Adam and the Ants, Depeche Mode, Eurythmics, and Soft Cell - the last three of which Manson has spoken of, or covered in the past.

Marked by the rule of Queen Victoria, the Victorian era (1837 - 1901) was an era wrapped in contradictions, technological revolutions, contrasting thoughts, strict views on morality, and interesting views on women and children.

With such a rich tapestry of history, it is not surprising that Manson would look, allude, and parallel to the Victorians. A society marked by contradictions, dichotomy, and artistic wonders, it served as the breeding ground for many great thinkers and artists.

While the Black Death had begun to sink into dormancy, subsiding from prior major outbreaks of Biblical proportion which paralleled the Book of Revelation, into a gentle murmur in the night, there were still a handful of epidemics which would carry on in its place, including typhus, but most notably cholera -- to such an extent that cholera became viewed and personified by many as the gift of death.

Apart from death being delivered in the form of cholera, the Victorian era was an era marked by bloodshed, due to the number of wars and global conflicts which were present during this era; the Boer War, the Crimean War, uprisings in India, all of which were only the tip of the iceberg.

Uprising came in many more forms other than through violence. A more subtle and dangerous uprising began; an uprising of the mind and will. Basic beliefs and values that were held to be true for centuries on end, through countless generations, now began to come into question. Charles Darwin delivered one of the most momentous blows to the Victorian Era, causing the public to rethink or refute the philosophy and ideology which was now bringing history, evolution, theology, science, and even morality, into question. Insecurity and doubt rose in the mind of the public, as church, state and other authorities worked on damage control.

Women held a particularly interesting role within the Victorian culture. Never was a gender so respected, yet oppressed, prudish, yet sexually active. Sharing parallels with today's culture, women were still pressured to conform to rather unrealistic and idealistic forms of beauty; however unlike today's youth, their beauty was also considered largely to be based upon their purity.

The figure of a woman was seen as sacred, their body a temple. To desecrate the temple with physical adornments such as excessive jewelry or to diminish the natural beauty of God's creation with makeup was seen as slanderous, and heretical, the work of a prostitute or common riffraff. The ideal for any woman was to maintain a childlike innocence, while keeping a doll-like perfection of beauty. In order to achieve this lofty goal, women would carry parasols, wear clothing that would cover as much of their exposed skin as possible (often wearing scarves to cover and protect other parts of the body), drink vinegar to maintain a pale complexion, and avoid direct sunlight. This era and its philosophy of beauty is in part where the pale, vampiric "gothic beauty" originates from, as well as the fetishized attire of restraint. BDSM aesthetic owes much to the Victorian full arm length lace gloves and corsets which today are more commonly replaced by the same in shiny black PVC leather.

Such a culture of repression and purity, however, created a contrast in many ways as the Victorian era became an era of introspective sexual revolution, with erotic literature, photographs and art flourishing greatly:

Where lust can be found, violence and death is usually not far behind; with that, one of the most notable serial killers in history also made his debut during this time period. In 1888 the serial killer with the pseudonym 'Jack the Ripper' murdered and mutilated at least five prostitutes, terrorizing the streets of London, causing the police to go into a frenzy. And just as today, this caused the public to fixate and buzz like flies around the swarm of death, as newspapers and world wide press coverage was made, and the young and old alike greedily devoured every last bit of it, in something on a Nineteenth Century Celebritarian demonstration.