Michael Moore vs Marilyn Manson

Filmmaker Michael Moore talks to shock rocker Marilyn Manson regarding the Columbine shooting, after groups and activists accused his music of motivating violence.

Manson: "When I was a kid growing up, music was the escape. That's the only thing that had no judgments. You know, you put on a record, and it's not going to yell at you for dressing the way you do. It's going to make you feel better about it.

I definitely can see why they would pick me. Because I think it's easy to throw my face on the TV, because in the end, I'm a poster boy for fear. Because I represent what everyone is afraid of, because I say and do whatever I want.

The two by-products of that whole tragedy were, violence in entertainment, and gun control. And how perfect that those were the two things that we were going to talk about with the upcoming election. Then we forgot about Monica Lewinsky and we forgot the President was shooting bombs overseas, yet I'm a bad guy because I sing some rock-and-roll songs, and who's a bigger influence, the President or Marilyn Manson? I'd like to think me, but I'm going to go with the President."

Moore: "Do you know that on the day of the Columbine massacre, the US dropped more bombs on Kosovo than any other day?"

Manson: "I do know that, and I think that's really ironic, that nobody said 'maybe the President had an influence on this violent behavior'. Because that's not the way the media wants to take it and spin it, and turn it into fear. You're watching television, you're watching the news, you're being pumped full of fear, there are floods, there's AIDS, there's murder, cut to commercial, buy the Acura, buy the Colgate, if you have bad breath they're not going to talk to you, if you have pimples, the girl's not going to fuck you. It's a campaign of fear and consumption. The whole idea to keep everyone afraid, and they'll consume."

Moore: "If you were to talk directly to the [shooters], what would you say to them?"

Manson: "I wouldn't say a single word to them. I would listen to what they have to say, and that's what no one did."

As seen in 2002's Bowling for Columbine.