the NachtKabarett

All Writing & Content © Nick Kushner Unless Noted Otherwise
Collaboration with Brad Jaeger

Albeit evidently aborted for use upon the release of 'Eat Me, Drink Me' in 2007, the above montage is the official Celebritarian Corporation masthead which Manson conceptualized to embody the era and art movement he had been cultivating between 2004 to 2006.

Outlined below is a breakdown of each element of the collage, all amalgamated and assembled together to embody the ethos of Celebritarianism, with each piece a representation of the themes Manson wished to portray.

Though 'Eat Me, Drink Me' subtly embodied many themes and visual elements of Manson's Celebritarian concept, the following outlines the original manifestation of the dawning of Celebritarianism.

 

Click images for each element of the Celebritarian Corporation emblem

 

Andy Warhol 'Self Portrait With Skull.' 1978 (Contribution from Gilles R. Maurice) and Manson's masthead of the Celebritarian Corporation. An allusion by Manson which is yet another Warholian reference with 2006's resurrection of Celebritarianism.

Displayed below is a cascading photo montage Manson's portrait repeated in the signature Warhol pattern as was done to other celebrity icon's such as Marilyn Monroe. This image montage was used as a site map on MarilynManson.com circa late 2006 and also made an appearance on a t-shirt released slightly earlier that year.

An apropos allusion made by Manson, as a literal play on the 'celebrity' aspect of Celebritarianism being that Andy Warhol had championed the concept of celebrity iconography and worship.

 

The image encircling, and partially obstructed by Manson’s head, originates from “Les Devices Heroiques” (The Heroic Currencies), also known as “The Heroicall Devises of M. Claudius Paradin”, which was first printed in 1551 in Lyon by Ian de Tournes and Guillaume Gazeau. It originally contained 118 illustrations by Bernard Salomon, but was reprinted just six years later with 182 illustrations.

The Heroic Currencies is full of pages of tales and illustrations, specifically created for the point of relaying kernels of moral wisdom through fables (in many ways quite similar to Aesop), with a particular issue covered on each page (for example; one page deals with the neutrality of God, while another proposes the idea that if God is with us, who can be against us, while yet another page reads that wholesomeness is the antidote to bitterness).

While to a certain extent, the positioning of the swords may be similar to the crown of thorns which Christ wore prior to the crucifixion, the text accompanying the original source of the image seems to describe its purpose well enough on its own:

Left ; original source. Right ; alternate variation of the crown of daggers from the French version of 'The Heroicall Devises..', contributed by Gilles R. Maurice)

In a more modern dialect, it reads:

The major concept presented in this reading is of divine retribution; that the wicked cannot escape punishment. This particular passage from Deuteronomy 32:25 is referring to the children of Israel, who (according to the text), are now a...

This upset the LORD, who feels that the children of Israel have turned away from...

God speaks of his anger, and that those who reject Christ will be...

The following verse contains what Les Devices Heroiques was speaking of, under the image of the hare encircled by swords:

None are exempt from the wrath of God, once provoked.

In terms of numbers, the character fifteen became a powerful and reoccurring number for Manson's new work, as there were fifteen swords visible surrounding Manson's head.

Though the source of the swords image bore sixteen swords, not fifteen, it is unlikely that Manson did not realize he was fully obstructing the view of only a single sword. In addition, there are fifteen Double Crosses around the seal, along with 15 triangles, to solidify this connection:

 

 

The seal itself reveals a circle which almost makes a full rotation, but stops short, creating a C – likely representing the 'Corporation' / © pun of Celebritarianism. The symbol, much like the Cross of Lorraine, reflects an astounding level of balance in its physical structure.

 

 

The hands present in the new image shares a similar likeness from the poster for the German crime film, 'M' :

Movie poster for the 1931 German expressionist, film noir 'M', utilized by Manson in the Celebritarian masthead with the addition of a Christ-like stigmata wounds in the center of the hands. The movie initial alone makes it an apropos choice of likening, just as the theme within the film reflective of Manson's Celebritarian concept. Contribution from Stephen, aka Daisy13 frequent contributor to The NACHTKABARETT and part of the German Translation team

The film 'M', a 1931 film noir directed by Fritz Lang, follows the story of a serial killer who preys on children. In order to capture children, he lures them with a balloon, away from the public, before slaying them:

A watercolor painting, original created circa 2000 surfaced again during this time period which also seems to draw from this concept:

Both the balloons in 'M' and the figures present in Manson’s painting share the same general form. In addition, the unusually pointy feet are common to both. It is also suggested that the figures in the painting are balloons due to the sky background in which they are floating in.

A group of individuals in 'M', known as the League of Beggars, also make an appearance in the Bertold Brecht & Kurt Weill collaboration 'The Threepenny Opera', which Manson had drawn upon previously in 'The Golden Age of Grotesque', as can be seen in the ART & THE GOLDEN AGE OF GROTESQUE section of The NACHTKABARETT.

Left ; Peter Lorre in 'Mad Love' who also played the role of the child killer in 'M'. 'Mad Love' likewise being the same film which Manson derived his coiled heart emblem from. Right ; Manson's coiled heart tattoo as it appears in the 'Eat Me, Drink Me' album artwork.

As yet another Celebritarian parallel in 'Eat Me, Drink Me', Peter Lorre who played the child killer in 'M' also played the starring role in the film 'Mad Love' from which Manson derived his 2007 twisted heart logo and tattoo.

See also the 'Eat Me, Drink Me' Twisted Heart Logo.

 

 

The text resting below Manson in the Celebritarian Corporation logo, as suspected by many fans at the time, is Biblical in nature and originates from The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews. These thirteen chapters criticize traditional Jewish practices, and warn the children of Israel to accept Christ as the LORD (as opposed to the traditional Jewish stance of Jesus of Nazareth as a prophet).

Chapter 10 begins with a criticism on the practice of animal sacrifice:

But rather...

In essence, Christ made a superior sacrifice, and thus is the authoritative sacrifice for the sins of mankind, simultaneously marking Christ as the original Celebritarian, whose death even to this day is still exploited, idolized, and worshiped, rather than his teachings or the way in which he lived.

The text in question lies below, and some lettering is faintly visible in the shirt:

 

 

T-shirt design of the masthead bearing what Manson stated to be the official Celebritarian Corporation slogan ; "WE WILL SELL OUR SHADOWS TO THOSE WHO STAND WITHIN IT", a mantra denoting the exploitation of those who efface themselves via imitation. In an apropos fashion and further evidence that Manson had incorporated Celebritarianism into 'Eat Me, Drink Me', after his seeming departure from it, the slogan was sung in the song, 'Mutilation Is The Sincerest Form Of Flattery' as a diatribe against those who deliberately imitate Manson in attempt to become commercially viable. Additionally on this design is the MM Celebritarian seal / logo circled but unclosed to act as the © to finish the phrase 'THE CELEBRITARIAN (CORPORATION),' as the first half remains unfinished in the top right of the design.

The most telling difference of this depiction than the previously revealed masthead on MarilynManson.com was the addition of a seven pointed star on Manson's forehead. Of course its placement here draws a parallel to Charles Manson's self-scrawled swastika on his forehead, and also corresponding to Manson's "third eye" point which denoted intuition and inner-vision. See ALCHEMY & KABBALAH for more on the correspondences between points on the body with Kabbalistic centers of energy which Manson has referenced within the 'Holy Wood' album artwork.

The seven pointed star was also adopted by Aleister Crowley as the emblem of his organization, the A.·. A.·. ; known as the Star of Babalon. Babylon is most synonymous with corruption and the downfall of the church, as in the Book of Revelation the Whore of Babylon road upon the back of the Great Beast to lure and corrupt mankind into the ways of sin. Additionally it is prophesied in Revelation that the Great Whore (which many throughout history have interpreted to be a coded metaphor to warn against "moral threats" ranging as diverse as the Catholic Church, the entertainment & sex industry to a fascist one-world government) will seize control of mankind and force all those upon the earth to bear her emblem, "the mark of the beat", upon their hand or forehead or be unable to buy, sell or function in society.

Equating this symbol, via the philosophy of Aleister Crowley, denoting it as the Seal of Babalon, is Manson's illustration of bearing the apocalyptic Mark of the Beast upon his forehead... and hands, as prophesied, via the two 'M' palm prints.

As a tangential footnote, Crowley spelt the name of the Great Whore as 'Babalon', as opposed to the traditional historical 'Babylon' spelling, the reason being that the Kabbalistic numerical value of the former was equal to the value of the Hebrew spelling of Mount Zion in the Bible. This has been cited and can be found in 'The Confessions', the autobiography of Aleister Crowley.

This, however, is not the first instance Manson has utilized the seven pointed star, in fact the first came almost six years prior amidst the very esoteric occult imagery which 'Holy Wood' was laden with, appearing on both MarilynManson.com and on the reverse cover of 'Holy Wood'.

The Sigillum Dei Aemeth, an occult symbol used for skrying in Enochian, or "angel", magick. Right ; reverse, and alternatively censored cover variation, of Holy Wood (In The Shadow Of The Valley Of Death)'

The symbol which can be seen behind Manson on the back cover of Holy Wood is known as the Sigillum Dei Aemeth and is used in Enochian Magick, or Magick employing the powers and influences of Angels. It was delivered to Edward Kelly and Dr. John Dee in the Sixteenth century, both of whom working together laid the foundation, through divine guidance, of the present system of Enochian Magick which is considered to be one of the most powerful forms of magick by many Occultists.

For further reading on this symbol, refer to The OCCULT section of The NACHTKABARETT.

 

 

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