Marilyn Manson Says Columbine Destroyed His Career, Flicks Interviewer's Balls

Marilyn Manson's latest interview with The Guardian got a little introspective...and very wacky! For starters, the Goth Prince greeted journalist interviewer Alexis Petridis by hiding behind a door and jumping out to point a fake gun at his head. He recalls the moment:

"But I have not been warned that Manson will be hiding behind his hotel room door, from where he will jump out—black-clad, in full slap—pointing a gun at the back of my neck. Not, it transpires, a real gun, but a realistic enough replica for me to greet him with a startled bark of, 'What the fuck do you think you’re doing?' rather than the more traditional 'hello.' Manson laughs, shakes my hand and asks if I’d like a beer."

The interview then gets personal as Manson reflects on how he was the main target for outrage in the '90s, especially when it came to the 1999 Columbine massacre (which he references in his new "KILL4ME" song). “Give them the money and let them make their own choice: guns or records. If [the Columbine killers] had just bought my records, they would be better off," Manson explains. "Certain people blame me for the shootings at schools—I think my numbers are low, and hopefully they go up on this record. That’s going to be a great pull-quote for you. But, honestly, the Columbine era destroyed my entire career at the time.”