(m)Obscene

I'm so happy I finally get to use a Marilyn Manson video for school:

"Ladies, and gentlemen"
We are the things of shapes to come
Your freedom's not free and dumb
This depression is great
The Deformation Age, they know my name
Waltzing to scum, and base and
Married to the pain

BANG, we want it
BANG, we want it
BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG

You came to see the mobscene
I know it isn't your scene
It's better than a sex scene and it's
So fucking obscene, obscene, yeah

You want commitment?
Put on your best suit, get your arms around me
Now we're going down, down, down
You want commitment?
Put on your best suit, get your arms around me
Now we're going down, down, down

[GIRLS]
Be obscene, be, be, obscene
Be obscene, baby, and not heard

The day that love opened our eyes,
We watched the world end
We have "high" places but we have no friends
The world told us sin's not good but we know it's great
War-time full-frontal drugs, sex-tank armor plate

BANG, we want it
BANG, we want it
BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG

You came to see the mobscene
I know it isn't your scene
It's better than a sex scene and it's
So fucking obscene, obscene, yeah

You want commitment?
Put on your best suit, get your arms around me
Now we're going down, down, down
You want commitment?
Put on your best suit, get your arms around me
Now we're going down, down, down




Analysis


Baudrillard defines the obscene in a myriad of ways, but ultimately it is the 'loss of the scene' (the political scene, the aesthetic scene, etc.). Manson's music video begins with an old film clip (clearly mediated through an old camera) and changes to a modern stage, but with subtle references to old carnivals, peep shows, and magic shows. The song, to me, is actually quite ambiguous.


"Be obscene, and not heard"


I decided to check this quotation to make sure everyone got the lyrics right. So there are two possible literary references here:


1.) Oscar Wilde: "Gower, a homosexual, adopted a young man named Frank Hird, leading Wilde to warn a friend about them, 'Gower may be seen but not Hird." (http://www.nachtkabarett.com/babalon/topic/721)

2.) Groucho Marx: "Women should be obscene and not heard"

Both Wilde and Marx were famous for their wit and one could argue that they were both very 'theatrical'. Both of these figures are humorous.

Thus, interpreting Manson becomes difficult. The words "BE obscene" are uttered by fascist barbie doll cheerleader girls--they mainly meant to be looked at. Anyway, i think these connections are worth exploring in terms of B. The obscene "fascinates us."