![]() The catalyst is the development of online culture and its invocation to personalize the expression of a public self-essentially a persona-regularly and incessantly. Something quite extraordinary has shifted over the last twenty years that has led to this intensive focus on constructing strategic masks of identity. This introduction and this journal make the claim that both in a pervasive way and to a pandemic extent, there is enormous activity and energy in the production, construction, and exhibition of personas. It is an enormously difficult-and perhaps impossible, but ultimately important-task to comprehensively define the contemporary moment through a particular concept. This will be approached by appealing to traditional film music analytical tools engaging specifically with the traditional film music theory of ‘synchrony’ and ‘asynchrony’. This article will also highlight when the music serves a process function. The focus of this article will, therefore, demonstrate how the aforementioned medical, artificial and mechanical themes are effectively portrayed and heightened by the use of industrial/nü-metal music and techniques. In this article the genre label of ‘nü’ takes preference over ‘industrial’. The resultant combination of industrial/nü-metal sounds with horror imagery can effectively be termed ‘nü-horror metal’. This immersive link is achieved through the use of the related music genres of industrial metal and nü-metal. The most prominent soundtrack cues from the film, visually and musically (‘synchronically’ matched), hint at overarching medical, artificial and mechanical themes. An additional function of the music is to create immersion. This type of music is defined as ‘process music’ music that appears to imitate a process of actions. The music, therefore, serves to provide information to the viewers and acts as an auditory trigger. As expected, the music contained within the moving image also borrows well-established compositional techniques from horror films and survival-horror video games. This is because the viewers are forced to ‘participate’ from fixed camera angles. The film is heavily influenced by the video game franchise and it appears as if the audience is treated the same as the player. Remaining true to its origins, the survival-horror video game film adaption, Resident Evil: The Original Motion Picture released in 2002, retains its core foundational game-like qualities. Because Manson’s image and lyrics are meticulously fashioned from various cultural symbols concerning evil and the Antichrist, he encourages his own demonization by enticing his audience to employ explanatory millenarianism and the knowledge of previous cultural scripts to interpret the traditional representations of evil he dangles before them. ![]() The pseudo-ostensive characteristics of Manson’s stage performances and blasphemous lyrics grant creditability to traditional folk beliefs concerning Satan’s influence in rock music therefore allowing conservative groups to interpret his persona using pre-existing rumours and narratives. He achieved this aim by attacking middle-class Christian ideologies and connecting his persona to previous social problems and cultural scripts to delineate his deviant character. By fashioning his persona using previous claims concerning Satan’s influence in society-primarily, those employed during the 1980s Satanism scare-Manson ensured that Antichrist Superstar would incite panic as moral crusaders interpreted his pseudo-ostensive actions using collective memories and explanatory millenarianism. P>This article examines the moral crusade against Marilyn Manson’s Antichrist Superstar, the various sign-vehicles that contributed to his persona, and the social construction of a folk devil.
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