Marilyn Manson’s new CD, “Holy Wood,” is replete with assaults on religion and celebratory comments on violence. On the cover is a picture of Manson on a crucifix with his jawbone removed; both Circuit City and Best Buy have required Interscope Records to put an alternative cover on the CD.
The new single from the album is called “Disposable Teens.” Its lyrics include multiple obscenities, along with such poetic fare as “I got a face that’s made for doing violence upon, I’m a teen distortion, survived abortion, a rebel from the waist down.” On the cover is a depiction of an aborted baby nailed to a cross. Other songs on “Holy Wood” are called “Godeatgod,” “Cruci-fixion in Space,” “President Dead,” “In the Shadow of the Valley of Death,” “The Death Song,” “The Lamb of God,” “The Fall of Adam,” “Burning Flag,” “King Kill 33°” and “Count to 6 and Die.”
Catholic League president William Donohue commented as follows:
“‘Holy Wood’ is vintage Marilyn Manson. Preoccupied with violence and religion, Manson uses infantile expressions to convey his perverse vision of reality. But reviewers who remark that Manson assaults religion shoot too broadly: it is Christianity that he hates and it is Catholicism that he hates most of all. Why else would he appear dressed as a bishop with a cross behind him in his video for ‘Disposable Teens’? And why else would he wear a pope’s miter while performing live? No, this is a guy at war with Christ and the Vicar of Christ on earth.
“The appropriate response for Catholics is to boycott all Marilyn Manson CD’s and to return any albums that might be offered to any family member as a gift this Christmas. It would also be an opportune time to explain why this is being done. As for the Catholic League, we will ask Interscope if there is any reason other than greed that is motivating its promotion of Manson’s ‘Holy Wood.’”
