2004-11-22
Manson Teaches a Class at Temple University!

Manson surprised an unsuspecting class of students today at Temple University in Philadelphia when he became the Professor of an Art and Society class for the day, as part of MTV's "Stand-In" series. MtvU is MTV's 24-hour college network, reaching over 700 campuses across the country.

MTV has scheduled the program to air on Dec 6th.

ASSOCIATED PRESS
People & Entertainment - AP
Wednesday November 24, 1:06 AM

Marilyn Manson: shock rocker. Self-proclaimed "Antichrist Superstar." Philosophy professor? With an MTV film crew in tow, Manson surprised students in a Temple University "Art and Society" class Monday with an hour-long guest lecture.

MTV's college network, mtvU, filmed Manson's classroom appearance for a segment scheduled to premiere Dec. 6.

USA TODAY - People
Marilyn Manson, philosophy professor?

He opened the class with a question: Could he share a bottle of red absinthe with the students?

The liqueur stayed on the desk as Manson - wearing an all-black suit with chrome-tipped platform shoes, dark lipstick and bulbous sunglasses - responded to students' questions about art, politics and religion. "I'm not someone who doesn't respect religion, but I don't care for the way religion is used to manipulate people," Manson said. "We create our own gods. We create our own devils."

MTV's college network, mtvU, filmed Manson's classroom appearance for a segment scheduled to premiere Dec. 6. Previous installments of the feature have included Sen. John Kerry, Snoop Dogg and Jesse Jackson.

THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
Rocker philosophizes in Temple visit
There was shock involved, all right.

By Patrick Kerkstra; Inquirer Staff Writer

Like any good substitute teacher, Marilyn Manson - the self-proclaimed "Antichrist superstar" - strode to the front of the Temple University classroom, wrote his name on the chalkboard, and underlined it authoritatively.

Then he plunked a bottle of red absinthe onto the lectern and wondered aloud whether he could share the liqueur with the shocked students sitting before him.

As the undergraduate Art & Society class filed in - with students warily eyeing the cameras and MTV crew - the regular instructor, Rob Main, fed them excuses about a taped teacher evaluation and quickly distributed a quiz to head off uncomfortable questions.

It worked. The students gasped when Manson - decked out in a black suit, shirt and tie, platform shoes with a chrome toe box, his trademark dark lipstick and bulbous sunglasses - entered with a small entourage.

"Oh my god, it's Marilyn Manson," one student said, and the class burst into applause.

The routine with the blackboard aside, Manson quickly established that he did not plan to be a typical substitute.

"I'm not Edward James Olmos," he said, referring to the actor who starred in the 1987 film Stand and Deliver.

But the absinthe stayed in the bottle, and for an hour Manson led the class on a rambling but fascinating tour of his controversial political opinions and religious beliefs, as well as his definition of art and the shortcomings of the mass media.

Manson's comments were mild compared to many he made in the 1990s, when he was at his most popular and his most controversial. Religious and civic groups frequently picketed his concerts. But as he spoke with students, Manson was fairly reserved, frequently waxing appropriately philosophical.

"Art, for me, is a question mark. I don't think it should ever be an answer," he said.

As the conversation moved toward questions of censorship and the social responsibility of entertainers, one student challenged Manson to imagine himself as a father. How would Manson decide what music and media were appropriate to expose his children to?

Manson replied emphatically that he was not ready to have children.

Temple was selected, an mtvU spokesman said, partly because of its diversity and partly because the Art & Society class seemed a good match for Manson.

Main, the instructor, had added some reading selections to the syllabus to intellectually prepare the students for the visit.

"I'd like to say we do something like this every week," said Philip Alperson, dean of the philosophy department. "Philosophy is an academic discipline, but it's a discipline that's rooted in the real world."

The Temple students, who appeared to be raptly interested throughout the class, said they enjoyed the chance to hear from an artist such as Manson, even though many of them were not fans.

Before yesterday's visit, sophomore Bisi Dean thought Manson "was psycho."

"I watched some of his videos, and I didn't know where he was coming from."

By the end of the hour, she had changed her mind.