Sunset Gun
Dolores
On The Dotted Line
I don't
appreciate my literary and cinematic masterpieces messed with, even via an
obvious Marilyn Manson music video.
First off, I don't care that 38-year-old Manson is dating one-step-from-20
actress Evan Rachel Wood (who was impressive in 13). Big deal. Plenty of pushing 40 (or
older) musicians, actors, directors and dentists find new love with much
younger women. Hell, Humphrey Bogart fell for Lauren Bacall when she was a
fresh 19 to Bogie's 46. And let's not forget Charlie Chaplin, Roman Polanski,
Oliver Reed, Elvis, and Jerry freaking
Seinfeld who once dated a 17-year-old. Seriously, if Jerry's beat you in the
shock department then you better re-think your idea of subversion.
But Manson and Wood seemingly love flaunting the age gap via her ubiquitous Lolita-esque
heart shaped glasses and his new song and video (starring Manson and Wood), not
surprisingly entitled, "Heart Shaped Glasses." Reportedly, the title
inspired Manson after watching Kubrick's movie, in which a sunbathing Sue Lyon
takes James Mason's breath away. A teeny-bopper vision in her bikini and heart
shaped glasses, Lo's mother, played by Shelley Winters, memorably utters
"my cherry pie" to Dolores Haze's smirky smile. Mason is immediately
smitten.
It's a
hilarious, subversively sexy and weirdly heartbreaking moment, and one so
iconic that yes indeed, the film's poster used that very visage. We all know
it. And though I'm going to give the 38-year-old Manson the benefit of the
doubt by guessing he's probably seen Lolita
before (honestly, if you know anything about movies, you went through Kubrick's
canon by the age of 25, and for some of us by the age of yep, 19), I’m wondering--is
the scene lost on him? Does he understand how much control Lolita will have
over Humbert Humbert? Does he remember that Lolita's true love is Peter
Seller's Clare Quilty? Does he recall Lolita's hausfrau status at the end of
the film (and novel) while she’s barely out of her teens? And the guilt
and heartbreak Humbert feels for her (much more underscored in the book)?
And
again, can he grasp the fact that in Nabokov's genius novel, his "light of
my life, fire of my loins" was a mere 12-years-old? And in the movie, her
age was raised to a scant 14? Though Humbert’s love for Lolita is more
complex than just the desire for young flesh, Evan Rachel Wood would be
yesterday's papers to Hum-Baby.
So the real point of this post? Methinks Manson needs to bone up on his Nabokov
and Kubrick before throwing around his "edgy" Lolita references in regard to a young
actress of legal age. And I know, I know. Lolita has become a common appellate
to any woman vastly younger than her mate, regardless of her non pre pubescent
status. And yes, it's a fantasy one indulges behind closed doors, or at strip
clubs via exotic dancers donning the favorite and incredibly tired Catholic
School Girl get-up. And yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm being way too literal concerning
a music video that has barely anything to do with Nabokov or Kubrick. But,
sorry. I'm just sick of those heart shaped glasses being worn by someone other
than my beloved young Sue Lyon.
And while
I'm not suggesting Manson should have sought out say, Dakota Fanning, I'm just
saying that he's not achieving what he so desires--shock. Sure, sure. The video
ends with coitus and blood! And he snaps photo's of his beloved in a speeding
car while she holds a knife (which just made me think of that crazy and much
more daring scene in Berry Gordy's Mahogany
during which Anthony Perkins takes near death pictures of a terrified Diana
Ross while their car is careening off the road). But it's so. damn. forced. And
there's nothing provocative about forced shock.
Marilyn
Manson needs to read more. The Annotated
Lolita might explain a few things. And he should listen to some
Nelson Riddle. The vastly sexier and strangely more dangerous “Lolita
Ya-Ya” song is a good one to begin with. Let's all listen and watch,
shall we?
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