Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Anniversary thoughts- Leary7 said it best.

Anniversary Thoughts from Leary7.

"Do you love Charlie Manson?"

My 14-year old niece was looking over my shoulder as I was reading one of the TLB blogs.
How in hell does one come to love Charlie Manson? A couple of dozen did so in an almost fanatical way oh so many years ago. And that love was punctuated by a lot of blood.

Today, there remain a dozen or so still proclaiming their devotion to the aged evil gnome.
Personally, I can't speak to the love aspect, but I can offer a thought or two to the question of why someone is fascinated by the hairy half-assed sociopath.

First, Charlie proves that a person can be both repulsive and captivating at the same time.
That dichotomy alone makes him interesting. He is evil, and he has charm. It is a beguiling combination. He can be almost incoherantly crazy one minute and astoundingly lucid and provocative the next. You never know which one is the act. And you seriously wonder if he does.

Maybe that is the secret to his charm - the old vauldville line of 'always leaving em wanting more'. You can listen to him for hours on Youtube, always waiting for him to round the bend and bring it home. He never does.

But Charlie himself is not the TLB story, and somewhat to his credit he is the first to proclaim that truth. The Col has the best Manson quote on his site on the right under the heading 'Charlie Said It Best'. It begins, "I was a half-assed nothing...". As they say, truer words were never spoken.

So why does TLB remain such a passionate interest for many of us. I have never felt the need to apologize when friends challenge me for being a 'Manson blogger'. Look, I say, curiousity is the foundation of intelligence. I have no interest WHATSOEVER in people who are not curious, and I really don't care what one is curious about - baseball or the cosmos or cattle breeding...whatever. As long as someone has passion and curiousity I will talk with them.

But why be curious about murders that happened nearly a half century ago? Well, let's state the obvious - that damn book Helter Skelter is the best selling true crime book of all time, so we TLB bloggers are not alone in our interest. And the second obvious thing is that the TLB story has, as the say in Hollywood, everything one could ask for. It has sex and murder and drugs and hippies and bikers and the Mafia and celebrities and Black Panthers and rock and roll and social revolution and orgies and cowboys and dune buggies and death row conversions and would-be presidential assassins and eco-terrorists and just about everything under the sun.

Again, it is a cliche, but you really couldn't make this stuff up. I mean on these blogs we actually have discussions about the possible reality of Charlie boinking Doris Day! The story has layer upon layer of intrigue, from Leno's gambling debts to the missing porn tapes to the effects of belladonna to the music scene in Topanga Canyon and so on. At it's most basic level, it is a story that encapsulates the 1960's.

But what the TLB story really has, what makes it unique and probably timeless, is the characters. Many dismiss the Family as a bunch of idiot losers. I've done it myself. But from a purely literary perspective, there are countless provocative people in this tale from the Evil One to his loyal sidekick Squeaky to the dispicable crazed Tex to Cupid and Gypsy and Ouish and Cappy and on to the boys, Donkey Dan and Shorty and Clem. There are the Cielo Drive killers, the depraved Sadie who sneered "no mercy, bitch", crapped in the hallway and blew her baby, and the painfully plain Pat who somehow channelled Jack the Ripper, and the homecoming queen Lulu who discovered the orgasmic pleasure of plunging a knife into a dead lady, and Yana the Witch who somehow skated her way back to New Hampshire despite being there for not one but two nights of murder.

Who were these maniacs, we are still asking ourselves forty years later.

And then there is the motive. Ah, the motive. I picture the Col pissing on the Bug's grave, screaming 'you sold the world bullshit'.

Manson will be dead soon. One of my favorite daydreams is to picture him demanding a big funeral at an old gothic church. I'd have to attend just to see who would show. Who would be the pallbearers? Who would do the eulogy? Who would cry?

Will Charlie be bigger in death than in life? I would say so. Some murderers fade with time. Nobody I know talks about Bundy or Dahmer or Gacy. They were just depraved monsters. I love Charlie's quote on Bundy, "he was just a poopbutt, Bundy's was his momma's boy"  Charlie was insulted at being lumped in with 'poopbutts'.

Charlie will most likely be more like Lizzie Borden and Jack the Ripper, notorious characters who retain a devoted following a century later.

What will the TLB bloggers be discussing in 2069? .They'll be talking about evil, about charisma, about devotion, about savagery. about drug use and drug burns, about orgies and revolution. And whether Doris took it from behind.

We all get our kicks differently, I told my niece. Thank the heavens.





27 comments:

  1. This gets my vote for best post ever.

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  2. Seriously. Like fucking ever.

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  3. >>> I picture the Col pissing on the Bug's grave, screaming 'you sold the world bullshit'. <<<

    Indeed so. I'll add a squirt myself!

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  4. I quite enjoyed it myself. Thanks again Alex.

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  5. Suze said...
    >>> I picture the Col pissing on the Bug's grave, screaming 'you sold the world bullshit'. <<<

    Indeed so. I'll add a squirt myself!

    I would add a squirt myself but am afraid of karma.

    Suze shall I be expecting a post from you too? I mean you been kinda hanging around here for a year or so and, not doing much but
    well- hangin. Matt, Patty and I think you really need to do SOMETHING to earn your room and board. ; )

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  6. No, Liz. I can't shine the shoes yet of most of you TLB scholars. For now I prefer to absorb & learn.

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  7. Actually there are boards discussing Bundy and Gacy and more. Charlie doesnt have a monopoly in this area. I think alot has to do with what age you are helps guide which famous murder draws your attention.

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  8. Suze said...
    No, Liz. I can't shine the shoes yet of most of you TLB scholars. For now I prefer to absorb & learn.

    I guess you may have to go the same way as Miss Stacey then.
    The highway!

    Actually, there is a comical one I am working on that needs some one elses touch besides mine.
    Oh my, that sounds kind of dirty huh? I think my annual "check engine light" just came on.

    If your interested Suze e-mail me @
    1967mansonfamily@gmail.com

    You don't have to commit.

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  9. Truly some amazing writing.

    I’ve often pondered the reason why so many people question the interest in the Manson saga. Should I be watching NASCAR races or fretting over the tribulations of Snooki instead? Why do so many become self proclaimed, amateur managers of other’s free time? Weird.

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  10. Suze did you ever forgive me for my stupid comment meant purely as a compliment because I have apologized more then once.
    looking for friends with similar interests
    I have no disrespect or dislike for anyone on here even you Col. Scott

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  11. William, I only said that in jest. I'm sorry you thought I was serious! Thank you for the compliment.

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  12. I really enjoyed reading that anniversary tribute.

    Alex did a great job!

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  13. thanks for the nice words guys. I forgot I was Alex on that email. I have five or six emails with different names, not for nefarious reasons but just because I submit allot of writing and use pen names for different genres. I used to write in college under the nom de plume Raul O'Leary and somehow that morphed into Alex Leary. I must have been trying to get published by The Atlantic or something high brow like that. Back to Raul.

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  14. That was you, Leary? Lol. I asked Liz who you were but she hadn't answered me yet. I updated it to show your screen name. Nice job. I read it at least 8 times it's so good. Seriously.

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  15. I thought that sounded like Leary's writing... but, I didn't want to "out him" by asking! LOL
    (just in case, he was incognito intentionally)

    Great Job Bro!

    You ROCK!!

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  16. you guys are to kind. I best head over to the Col's site and get some humbling less I get a swelled head.
    but seriously, thanks.

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  17. I regret to say I have never been reamed by The Col. I understand that it's an important rite of passage in these parts. Sigh. Perhaps some day...

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  18. Oh yes. Nice job leary. I too enjoyed it immensely.

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  19. Yeah Leary...

    The Colonel will set ya back a few pegs!
    LMAO!

    Oh... and it's "too kind", not "to kind".

    What the heck...
    I might as well, get ya started on the "humbling process" right away.
    AHahahaha
    Why wait, right? : )

    I'm totally just bustin' ya Bro!
    Great Job!
    Great write-up!

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  20. I really enjoyed this post. I am often at a loss when people ask why I am fascinated by Manson, The Murders, and The Family.

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  21. It came to me from a person named Alex. Therefore I posted it from Alex.

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  22. no worries Liz, that was my fault. I honestly started writing that about twenty minutes before the library closed so it was a spur of the moment thing and I sent it off with about a minute to spare and forgot to ID myself. My bad.
    I have to admit that I was strongly hoping that your anniversary invite might bring back some of the gold medal posters from times gone by. Brownrice was always my favorite, and I haven't seen him/her in awhile. I even miss the ornary folk like Dickhead and Frank. I confess I don't understand the impulse to completely abandon ship. Sure, everyone gets burnt out on bloggin, but if TLB is one of your "curiousities" or interests in life where else are you going to get the info you do on these blogs. And there is endless 'new stuff'. Just the other day I discovered an article, I think it might have been on Cat's site, about a Harvard guy who wrote about hitchhicking back in 69 and getting picked up by Linda Kasabian on her way to New Mexico. It was a trip to read.
    I am just truly grateful to Liz and Matt and Patty and Lynyrd and the Col and Cat for providing such great info and discussion on a subject that has always fascinated me.

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  23. Thank you Suze thought I had genuinly upset you complimenting your Beauty on a MANSON Site was probably inapropriate
    oh all kindly forgive my spelling I got on the bus in early 80's and didnt jump off until we lost Jerry so im first to admit probably one to many long strange trips.
    As far as the person waiting to come under Col Scotts wrath give it time hes a great source of info but if you disagree with anything he believes be prepaired.
    Greetings to.all lotsa good people on here pass many hours on here and 2 other good sites when my Girlfriends at work PEACE

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  24. Great post leary. Seriously, it was very well written and I feel the same way about Charlie.

    Eviliz said:
    I guess you may have to go the same way as Miss Stacey then.
    The highway!

    What? I get the highway? C'mon Matt get my back here! We drank tequila together at El Coyote! :-)

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  25. Stacey, Matt has your back. Liz is just a figurehead. Bwahahahaha!

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  26. Matt said:
    Stacey, Matt has your back. Liz is just a figurehead. Bwahahahaha!

    Thanks Matt, all the Matt's I know are good boys.

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