Marilyn Manson’s greatest trick was convincing all listeners that he was their enemy. That level of controversy had not been utilised properly by a rockstar for a long time. It turned “The Beautiful People” into one of the biggest rock songs of the 1990s, and, in my estimation, one of the best.
Manson’s public persona has shifted from controversial to problematic in recent years. But the records are still available and, for the most part, quite good, while perhaps not exactly groundbreaking.
Who was Manson berating in his lyrics for “The Beautiful People?” And why did this song become the band-turned-solo artist’s biggest hit? This is what I try to reveal right now.
Marilyn Manson’s Journey to Making “The Beautiful People”
Yes, yes, you probably know the story by now. The man who would come to terrorise the U.S. and the world merely through his public appearances was a brainy, nerdy kid from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. His dad was a minister, and young Brian Warner loved books, Dungeons & Dragons, and 80s heavy metal.
His first involvement with rock n’ roll was as a journalist interviewing rock stars. Early on, Warner landed an interview with Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor that would prove vital for his career prospects.
Trying his luck on stage, Warner’s initial act had him reciting poetry to a beat while cartoonishly disturbing images flickered beside him.
It all went well enough that he created Marilyn Manson, a group meant to blend beauty with evil. He changed his look and pretty soon adopted the Marilyn Manson moniker for himself in the same way that Alice Cooper had done.
The young Warner, to his credit, had a clear idea of what he wanted his band to be. Sonically, he borrowed liberally from Ministry and NIN, the top industrial metal bands. Visually, he took Al Jourgenson’s image one step further, adding striking, almost grotesque touches inspired by 1980s gothic-rock.
The rise was quick. Reznor helped Marilyn Manson land a deal with Interscope. The debut record “Portrait of an American Family” got everyone talking about the band, although not always favourably, I reckon. And, when the sophomore record, “Antichrist Superstar,” was released, it became an instant hit. Much of this career peak was down to “The Beautiful People.”
Lyrical Meaning of “The Beautiful People”
Like most of Manson’s earlier songs, “The Beautiful People” was written together with bassist Twiggy Ramirez. Manson utilised his, frankly, impressive use of rhythm. Brian Warner had drummed in his marching band, and he played the guitar riff in the opening tune.
If you’re noticing a pattern, yes, the Marilyn Manson Band’s members all chose names for serial killers, a tradition lost by the time the group’s lineup began to change.
In fairness, many of the songs by Marilyn Manson (still a band by time point) dealt with issues related to bullying, being misunderstood, and rising up against teenage oppressors.
“The Beautiful People” is the most effective. And it’s also the most direct, calling the teenage bullies a bunch of “fascists.”
Manson equates the world of riches and glitzy fashion to a totalitarian regime in which only a handful of people are, in truth, allowed to exercise their rights as free citizens.
The title itself was borrowed from the book “The Beautiful People: A Candid Examination of a Cultural Phenomenon – the Marriage of Fashion and Society,” which was published during the 1960s. Since the book’s release, “beautiful people” has come to widely refer to the privileged elites.
The Music Video for “The Beautiful People”
If you were living in a more conservative society back in the 1990s, Marilyn Manson’s music videos were used as proof for the decline of Western Civilisation.
While they were designed to shock, I know, there was also an interesting use of the beauty of the grotesque in all of them. Director Floria Sigismondi was arguably the master of these sorts of promos at the time.
The music video was on heavy rotation on MTV and helped turn the song into a global hit.
Future videos, loosely tied in to the imagery used here. I should note that Manson was anything if not ambitious. “Antichrist Superstar” was a pun on the musical “Jesus Christ, Superstar,” and was a concept album.
Marilyn Manson’s Legacy
The aforementioned concept album was a colossal hit. Not only did it go platinum. But, on the back of its success, Marilyn Manson started headlining arenas around the U.S. Even more importantly, perhaps, kids around the world started wearing his merch or dressing like Manson.
The decline was nearly as quick as the rise. Still, in fairness, I should mention that there have been a few moments where it looked like Marilyn Manson, aka Brian Warner’s career was over. All of the endings proved to be false.
Neither the fact that the Columbine murderers were supposedly Manson fans (later disputed), a couple of poorly received 2000s records, nor sexual abuse allegations launched in the 2020s has quite stopped Manson.
While Manson does not top most modern rock fans’ list of fascinations currently, I think it’s worth noting that many of the singles and records hold up. “The Beautiful People” is the most famous of them and, likely, Marilyn Manson’s golden hour.
