Marilyn Manson is well-known in the sulci of the American brain, where he is mainly understood as a "shock-rocker," an edge lord, or a freak. All of these are true, but none of them get at the true essence of what Marilyn Manson is: an artist. Working in the media of paint, video, sound, and words, Marilyn Manson is a boundary-pushing, extravagant, original, and intelligent artist who uses his multi-media creativity to express his ideas in a way that is rarely obvious or on the nose. Instead, he prefers to challenge his audience to interpret his work on their own, and discover the meaning therein, which is often baked into complex, crystalline structures where the whole can only be truly understood when each small part is considered by itself, and each small part can only be understood when the whole is considered in unison. Fundamentally Loathsome is a series dedicated to understanding Marilyn Manson not as a shock-rocker, or an edge lord, but as an artist. The purpose of this series is to give a proper introduction and context for the work of Marilyn Manson, which has been so unfortunately under-discussed. A proper undertaking of this kind necessitates thinking critically, but without judgement. It requires one to see the world through another person's eyes, as best as possible. Part 1, Wormboy, is about the years between 1969 and 1994, when Brian Warner developed his creativity, and developed his own personality and ideas. It discusses the events in his childhood that would become important later on in understanding his music, as well as the early formation of the band, and how each member contributed to its success. Finally, it involves an analysis of his first album, Portrait of an American Family.
