Manson is the all to accused shock-rocker who has been described by the music press as an ultra-violent satanic rock monstrosity (Jipping). There have also been several other reports of teenage killers who have been big fans of rocker. Thurston High School student Kip Kinkell, who murdered his parents and two students in Springfield, Ohio, was said to be a listener of Marilyn Manson. In Edinboro, Pennsylvania, Andrew Wurst killed a teacher at his eighth-grade dance. In Pearl, Mississippi, Luke Woodham murdered his parents and a classmate. Both of these kids were heavy listeners of Marilyn Manson (Jipping). People are using the increase in violence among children as proof that violent-themed music is causing a change for the worse in kids and young adults today. It appears to me that this is a case in which people want to blame someone or something, and his is the easiest and most obvious choice. An easy assumption, but it is just that, an assumption. When asked for proof, as has occurred in recent years, various reports are mentioned that supposedly has scientific proof of the correlation between increase in violence and violence in music. A recent article in The World & I quoted the American Medical Association in September of 1996 as saying the link between media violence and real life violence has been proven by science time and again. How can the American Medical Association have jurisdiction over the music industry to say what its product effect? Music has nothing to do with medicine. Psychology, maybe, but definitely not medicine.A vast majority of media publications refer to these reports, but never give the information to find the report oneself. This to me is no coincidence. Every article that I have read in my research has quoted lines out of context in an effort to emotionally sway the reader.Out of context of the feeling of the songwriter, not of the lyric. First of all, songwriters write for themselves. Ev...
