Surviving Culture

“Columbine: Whose Fault Is It?,” an essay wrote by Marilyn Manson and published in “Rolling Stone” magazine, addresses the problem of Columbine through the eyes of Manson himself. Through the use of pathos and ethos, Manson forces the reader to interpret his views from many different angles. Manson implements exotic word choice and imagery into his essay and creates a different feel for the reader because of his “hard rocker” status, but the effectiveness of these techniques varies greatly.
After Columbine occurred, the media pointed their finger at Manson. They suggested that his music and image played a key role is causing the tragedy at Columbine. Manson wrote this essay in response to those accusations. Manson presents the idea that the media, as well as society as a whole, is just as responsible as he is for causing the shootings in Columbine. The essay is very straightforward and direct in expressing Manson’s views of why the shootings in Littleton, Colo...