THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHARLIE

CHARLES MANSON

THE INTERVIEWS

Charles Manson is one of the most
powerful interview subjects of all time.

He verbally dodges around the interviewer's questions
until he has them completely flustered and confused.

The best is undeniably the infamous encounter
with Geraldo Rivera, in which Manson (obviously
in a very good mood that day) almost literally
dances circles around Geraldo, as the pompous
reporter repeatedly tries to get Manson to "confess",
and in return gets some incredibly clear-headed
and rationally worded responses that drive big G
up the wall ... only a year or so later, he would take
a chair to the face (see below for links to that show).
Geraldo couldn't use most of the footage because Manson
was far too entertaining for Geraldo to be able to make
the point that he had intended, so he edited a few bits out
of context to make it appear that Charlie had "confessed".
But the uncut tapes of the entire thing are truly hilarious.
Manson insists at one point that he didnt attempt to entertain
anyone but himself (and his posture during the G interview
indicate clearly that he was vastly amused). With that said,
it's nearly impossible not to laugh at certain points of the
interview at the sometimes sophisticated level of his wit.
Even arrogant Geraldo cant help but laugh several times.

The Tom Snyder interview is also very compelling,
as a chain smoking Snyder pompously tries to play
psychiatrist to a much less humorous Manson who isnt
going to give an inch (or often even a response at all).
Snyder often looked very foolish on his show, but never
quite as much as he did trying to interview Manson.
As with the Geraldo interview, there are moments when
its nearly impossible not to laugh at the mind games and
Snyder's pathetically straight-laced responses to them.

Then there is another one with with Charlie Rose and a
shorter segment with Heidi Schulman (joined by Noel Emmons,
who put together a rather compelling and surprisingly confessive
autobiography for Manson in the mid 80s). Both Rose and
Schulman fare pretty much the same with the infamous Wizard,
as Geraldo and Snyder. Also included below are segments of another
interview at San Quentin (in which Manson looks amazingly similar to
Jim Morrison in his final years), Charles Manson Superstar (a rather
adoring filmed feature length interview created by Manson fan and
Satanist Nicholas Schreck), Citizen Shane (telling the story of an ill-fated
fan of Manson), and even a visit by some tourists to Barker Ranch (in the
middle of Death Valley) where Charlie and his family and friends lived.

THE GOSPEL
ACCORDING TO
CHARLIE