If there’s one thing the tale of Charles Manson can teach us, it’s never to carve a swastika into your own forehead.
Really, don’t. Sure, it might seem like a cool thing to do when you’re the unhinged leader of a murderer-commune determined to set off a race war because of something you once heard Paul McCartney shriek, but one day you’re going to look in the mirror and realise that you’re a 74-year-old man with a swastika carved into your own forehead.
California correctional officials have released a new photo of Charles Manson. No, we don’t know why either.
Charles Manson is primarily famous for two things. Firstly, there was his involvement in a series of gruesome showbusiness murders that shocked the word and effectively brought an end to the dream of the 1960s ideal. And secondly there’s his influence on a number of embarrassingly cackhanded indie bands.
Seriously, if Charles Manson had never been born there’d be no Mansun, no Marilyn Manson, no Kasabian and The Spaghetti Incident? by Guns N’ Roses would be almost five full minutes shorter. These alone are perfectly acceptable arguments for Charles Manson never to be released from jail.
And, you know, all the murder stuff helps as well. But apparently Charles Manson is due a parole hearing in three years’ time, which could be why correctional officials at California’s Corcoran State Prison have decided to release a brand new photograph of him. Or maybe they just felt like it. Really, nobody’s really bothered to explain why. Reuters reports:
California corrections officials released a new photograph of imprisoned mass murderer Charles Manson on Thursday, showing the balding, gray-bearded killer at the age of 74. The picture, which was taken at Corcoran State Prison in Central California, also reveals a glum Manson still bearing the swastika he carved into his forehead during his sensational 1970 murder trial.
If the photo is, as we’ve suggested, being released to show the world what Charles Manson now looks like on the off-chance that he gets parole in 2012, it’s probably a little bit redundant. True, we now know to keep away from him if we see him on the street, but that’s mainly due to the fact that he’s got a bloody great swastika carved into his own forehead – a sign of either a) clear mental instability or b) the world’s most unfortunate monobrow-trimming accident. Either way, we’ll avoid him thanks.
Honestly, no wonder Charles Manson looks glum in the photo, Reuters. That swastika’s probably going to hurt his reemployment chances quite a lot if he ever makes parole. We read on a job-seeker’s website the other day that your CV can be as polished as you like, but having a massive symbol of Nazi hatred slashed across your stupid old face is just as likely to put recruiters off as if your handshake is a bit effeminate.
Seriously, Charles Manson would probably have trouble even getting a job working in B&Q with that swastika on his face. And that’s saying something – they’ll employ anyone.
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Image courtesy of Corcoran State Prison
Gitana says
Just wanted to let some know that even though they have taken this picture of Chrales Manson, has anyone ever thought about the swastika that is on his forhead, the man already has everyone against him.. when you are in prison facility they usually taek pictures of all your tattos etc. however to alter anything on your body you would then end up in segregation or also known as solitary confinement. even more than what he is already. So Having him change this even if he wanted to .. well there may be a possiblilty that he cannot. However it draws attention and that is what soceity wants.
G says
Are you defending a mass murderer???
David says
looks like he just drew it on with biro at the last minute for the photo. he’s probably a nice old grandad now but wanted to uphold his ‘image’.
Melodie says
Hey, Gitana, I’m no expert, but I gotta say, any time I’ve spotted a Charles Manson story in the news, I haven’t noticed a whole lot of quotes where he says “All I want is to be reintegrated into society, to be left alone to live a quiet life and die in obscurity.”
You know?
I mean, it’s nice of you to choose compassion for the guy and all, but you might–MIGHT–be a little bit off the mark on this one.
Maybe.
Tom J says
I don’t see how anyone can consider Manson to be a continuing threat these days. Let’s not forget that for all the “mass murderer” rhetoric, he never actually killed anyone. Instead, he was a extremely charasmatic cult leader that manipulated his followers into commiting his crimes. The point I’m making is that even if he were released today, there is no way that a 74 year old disgraced “murderer” is ever going to be able to build up the network of insane followers that represent his true power. He’ll just be a washed up old pensioner with no power, no friends and no real life.
Also, I have to add, his followers were only responsible for about a dozen murders. I’m not trying to play down a serious crime but come on, this is no Harold Shipman we’re talking about here.
I say let him out. It’ll be funny.
Karson says
Tom-
Just because the times have changed, doesn’t mean there are less mindless, easily manipulated people living among us. I wouldn’t be suprised if he’s had completely faithful followers to this day.
Michelle says
I think we have forgotten something very important, the reason Manson is the way he is. Our government makes it a point to separate the classes and you get allot of violent people because of that. Sure Manson is probably a nut, but this guy has been in and out of correctional facilities since he was 10 and his mother was a prostitute so he never had a chance to anything more than what he is. He will never be released from prison, and killing him will never bring back the people he murdered, continuing to allow our government to do the shit they do is more of a crime to me. Keeping people scared and stupid is not conducive to anything but raising more scared and stupid people that hate in the name of righteousness.
Jim says
The swastika was CARVED into his head by himself when he went to jail. I bet the reason for the new photo is from the liberal left to try to garner sympathy for the mass murderer, so when his parole comes up for review, the bleeding hearts can plead for his release. If they let him out, it will just show their ignorance and total disregard for justice. They should have saved us a lot of money and fried him a long time ago. Google him and look for the interview from the 90’s. He’s a scary, evil man . . . made me think he was the devil incarnate. I hope he ROTS in prison, and shame on California for not having the guts to rid society of this vermin years ago. Their bleeding hearts have gotten them into the economic mess they’re in now.
magnetite says
Jim, Google is a lefty, liberal organisation, and you are helping them grow in strength and power with each search and click.
Can I recommend McCarthySearch to you? It finds the same matches, but it points a damning and accusatory finger from the dead era of when folk like you thought that there actually were ‘reds under the bed’. And every cent raised goes toward shooting orphans in the face. Fucking parentless freeloaders. Right? Right? Right?
eric moore says
WHI IN THE HELL DO PRASS THE PRABLOM ABOUT IT HE ANT DOING THE SHIT NO MORE HE CHOD BE FREE NOT IN THIR
Mark says
Thanks for putting Manson into a proper perspective. This is the guy, after all, who was found curled up and hiding in a kitchen cabinet when he was apprehended. I suppose the carving on his head could have been an attempt to counter this embarrassing moment in his life. I mean, how humiliating it must have been to be one of the most dangerous men in the world, only to be outed as cowering wussy. Poor guy had to do something to amp up the image.
Alix says
Pardon?
John says
I am quite sure I met Charles Manson in Stuart, Florida when I was a kid. He was going by the name of Charles Mills at the time.
Manson did what he did after a lifetime of abandonment, sexual abuse, and mental torture. Put yourself in exactly his place at exactly the same stage of personality development, and it is yourself looking out from prison bars. American reform schools and prisons can be savage, ferociously vicious, violent, and abusive; in fact, in those days they could be like concentration camps. Children aged 9 to 16 were beaten to bloody pulp repeatedly, terrorized, and subjected to great stress, emotional distress, and mental abuse. Google this: The Whitehouse Boys. This might give you examples of the grossly unreasonable treatment meted out to wards of the state in the days of Charles Manson’s earlier years.
What the so-called Manson Family did was despicable, reprehensible, horrific, and not be be forgiven. It is all that and worse. However, Charles Manson’s attitude, his philosopy, and his outlook on life are understandable considering his background, and the influences to which he has been subjected. American society established institutions, and those institutions formed Charles Manson. They molded him to be exactly what he said he was, a reflection of the dark part of our souls.
As for the swastika carved between his eyes, well, it makes for good theater.
Dave says
Hi, The swastika started of as a “X” on his forhead, meant to represent himself crossing himself out from sociaty when he was on trial, then a few days later he turned it into the swastika, as has been said it was good theatre in the courts to Manson.
Gonzo says
You name one person that he murdered and I’ll never defend him again. He’s crazy, but he didn’t murder a single person.