Portrait Of An American Family
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''Portrait of an American Family'' is the debut studio album by American rock band Marilyn Manson. It was released on July 19, 1994 by
Nothing Nothing, the complete absence of anything, has been a matter of philosophical debate since at least the 5th century BC. Early Greek philosophers argued that it was impossible for ''nothing'' to exist. The atomists allowed ''nothing'' but only i ...
and Interscope Records. The group was formed in 1989 by vocalist Marilyn Manson and guitarist
Daisy Berkowitz Scott Mitchell Putesky (April 28, 1968 – October 22, 2017), also known as Daisy Berkowitz, was an American musician, songwriter, composer, visual artist, and record producer. He was the co-founder of the rock band Marilyn Manson & the Spooky ...
, whose names were created by combining the
given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a ...
of a pop culture
icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Catholic churches. They are not simply artworks; "an icon is a sacred image used in religious devotion". The most ...
with the surname of a
serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...
: a naming convention which all other band members would conform to for the next seven years. The most prominent lineup of musicians during their formative years included keyboardist
Madonna Wayne Gacy Stephen Bier, formerly known by his stage name Madonna Wayne Gacy and by the nickname Pogo, is an American musician who was the keyboard player for Marilyn Manson from 1989 to 2007. His stage name came from the names of the singer Madonna and th ...
, bassist
Gidget Gein Bradley Mark Stewart (September 11, 1969 – October 8, 2008), known by his stage name Gidget Gein, was an American musician and artist. He was the second bassist and co-founder of the rock band Marilyn Manson. His stage name is a combination of ...
and drummer
Sara Lee Lucas Frederick Streithorst Jr., better known by his stage name Sara Lee Lucas, is an American musician and the original drummer for Marilyn Manson. He has also performed as "S.L. Lucas" or simply "Lucas". His stage name is derived from serial killer ...
. The band's highly visualized concerts earned them a loyal fanbase in the
South Florida punk and hardcore The music of Florida has had many influences, and the state has influenced many genres and produced many musicians. Indigenous music Blues Blues artists from Florida include Piedmont blues singer and guitarist Gabriel Brown and saxophonist ...
music scene, eventually gaining the attention of Nine Inch Nails vocalist
Trent Reznor Michael Trent Reznor (born May 17, 1965) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and composer. He serves as the lead vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and principal songwriter of the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, wh ...
, who signed them to his Nothing Records
vanity label A vanity label (see related topic on vanity press) is an informal name sometimes given to a record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometim ...
. The album was initially produced by
Roli Mosimann Roli Mosimann is a drummer, electronic musician and record producer who has worked in genres ranging from industrial to pop. Originally from Switzerland, Mosimann first came to attention with the New York City no wave band Swans and later col ...
at
Criteria Studios Criteria Studios is a recording studio in North Miami, Florida, founded in 1958 by musician Mack Emerman. Hundreds of gold, platinum, and diamond singles and albums have been recorded, mixed or mastered at Criteria, for many notable artists and ...
in Miami under the title '' The Manson Family Album''. However, the band was unhappy with his production, and this material was then re-produced and remixed in various Los Angeles recording studios by Manson and Reznor, along with assistant producers
Sean Beavan Sean Beavan is a musician, record producer, and audio engineer best known for his work with Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, Guns N' Roses, God Lives Underwater, and Slayer. His production style is typically heavy, with heavily saturated guita ...
and
Alan Moulder Alan Moulder (born 11 June 1959) is an English record producer, mixing engineer, and audio engineer. Early life Moulder was born on 11 June 1959 in Boston, Lincolnshire. He was educated at Boston Grammar School. He had an interest in music fro ...
. Parts of the album were re-recorded at Reznor's home studio at
10050 Cielo Drive 10050 Cielo Drive was the street address of a former luxury home in Benedict Canyon, in the west-central part of the Beverly Crest neighborhood of Los Angeles, bordering Beverly Hills, where three members of the Manson Family committed the Ta ...
, where members of the Manson Family infamously committed the
Tate murders Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the U ...
in 1969. Gidget Gein was not invited to the L.A. recording sessions. He had been fired from the band in late 1993 due to his ongoing addiction to heroin, and was replaced by
Twiggy Ramirez Jeordie Osbourne White (born June 20, 1971), better known Twiggy Ramirez or simply Twiggy, is an American musician, mostly known as the former bassist and guitarist of the rock band Marilyn Manson. Previously, he was the bassist for A Perfect C ...
. Despite this, Gein is credited with performing the entirety of the bass work on the album, while the majority of Sara Lee Lucas' live drumming was replaced with electronic drum programming from Nine Inch Nails keyboardist
Charlie Clouser Charles Alexander Clouser (born June 28, 1963) is an American keyboardist, composer, record producer, and remixer. He worked with Trent Reznor for Nine Inch Nails from 1994 to 2000, and is a composer for film and television; among his credits a ...
. The record contains a wide array of cultural references; Interscope delayed its release on several occasions due to the inclusion of references to Charles Manson, and also because of objections to its controversial artwork. ''Portrait of an American Family'' was released to limited commercial success and mostly positive reviews; in 2017, ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' deemed the album one of the greatest in the history of heavy metal music. The group embarked on several concert tours to promote the release, including appearing as an opening act on Nine Inch Nails' "
Self Destruct Tour The Self Destruct Tour was a concert tour in support of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails' album ''The Downward Spiral'', which took place in early 1994, running until mid-1996, and was broken into eight legs. Overview The tour was filmed fo ...
", as well as the " Portrait of an American Family Tour". " Get Your Gunn" and "
Lunchbox A lunch box (alt. spelling lunchbox) refers to a hand-held container used to transport food, usually to work or to school. It is commonly made of metal or plastic, is reasonably airtight and often has a handle for carrying. In the United ...
" were issued as commercial
singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...
, while "
Dope Hat "Dope Hat" is a song by American rock band Marilyn Manson. It was released as the promotional single from their debut album, ''Portrait of an American Family''. It was first recorded for a demo tape released in 1992, entitled ''The Family Jams''. ...
" was released as a
promotional single A promotional recording, or promo, or plug copy, is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as ...
. The record was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in 2003 for shipments of over 500,000 units in the United States.


Background

Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids was formed in December 1989 when vocalist Marilyn Manson met guitarist
Daisy Berkowitz Scott Mitchell Putesky (April 28, 1968 – October 22, 2017), also known as Daisy Berkowitz, was an American musician, songwriter, composer, visual artist, and record producer. He was the co-founder of the rock band Marilyn Manson & the Spooky ...
at the Reunion Room, a small nightclub in
Fort Lauderdale A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
, Florida. The two were writing original compositions by the beginning of 1990, with Manson the sole lyricist and Berkowitz composing the majority of music. Until 1996, the names of band members were derived from combining the first name of a pop culture
icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Catholic churches. They are not simply artworks; "an icon is a sacred image used in religious devotion". The most ...
with the surname of a
serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...
. The earliest incarnation of the band also included
Olivia Newton Bundy Brian Tutunick is an American musician, more famously known as Olivia Newton Bundy, and was the bassist and co-founder of the rock group Marilyn Manson (band), Marilyn Manson until 1990, when he was replaced by Gidget Gein. His stage name was crea ...
on bass guitar, and Zsa Zsa Speck on keyboards, along with an electronic drum machine. Speck was hired by the band on a temporary basis as their original choice for keyboardist,
Madonna Wayne Gacy Stephen Bier, formerly known by his stage name Madonna Wayne Gacy and by the nickname Pogo, is an American musician who was the keyboard player for Marilyn Manson from 1989 to 2007. His stage name came from the names of the singer Madonna and th ...
, was unable to obtain a keyboard. The original lineup was retained for two performances, the first of which took place at Churchill's Hideaway in
Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
, with 20 audience members in attendance. As Gacy could still not afford to purchase an instrument, he appeared on-stage at their second show – at the Reunion Room – playing with
toy soldier A toy soldier is a miniature figurine that represents a soldier. The term applies to depictions of uniformed military personnel from all eras, and includes knights, cowboys, American Indians, pirates, samurai, and other subjects that involve ...
s. Speck and Bundy both exited the group sometime after this performance. The band's highly visualized concerts primarily drew from elements of
shock art Shock art is contemporary art that incorporates disturbing imagery, sound or scents to create a shocking experience. It is a way to disturb "smug, complacent and hypocritical" people. While the art form's proponents argue that it is "imbedded with ...
. Their live shows routinely featured naked women nailed to
crucifix A crucifix (from Latin ''cruci fixus'' meaning "(one) fixed to a cross") is a cross with an image of Jesus on it, as distinct from a bare cross. The representation of Jesus himself on the cross is referred to in English as the ''corpus'' (Lati ...
es, young children locked in cages, amateur pyrotechnics and sadomasochism, as well as
piñata A piñata (, ) is a container, often made of papier-mâché, pottery, or cloth, that is decorated, filled with candy, and then broken as part of a celebration. Piñatas are commonly associated with Mexico. The idea of breaking a container fille ...
s filled with butchered animal remains and experiments in
reverse psychology Reverse psychology is a technique involving the assertion of a belief or behavior that is opposite to the one desired, with the expectation that this approach will encourage the subject of the persuasion to do what is actually desired. This techniqu ...
. These concerts quickly earned them a loyal
fanbase A fandom is a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of empathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest. Fans typically are interested in even minor details of the objects of their fandom and spend a significant ...
among the
South Florida punk and hardcore The music of Florida has had many influences, and the state has influenced many genres and produced many musicians. Indigenous music Blues Blues artists from Florida include Piedmont blues singer and guitarist Gabriel Brown and saxophonist ...
music scene, and were playing sold-out shows in 300-capacity nightclubs throughout Florida within six months of forming. In February 1990, while working as a journalist at '' 25th Parallel'', Manson interviewed
Trent Reznor Michael Trent Reznor (born May 17, 1965) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and composer. He serves as the lead vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and principal songwriter of the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, wh ...
of Nine Inch Nails. The pair remained friends afterwards, and Reznor was eventually presented with a compilation of the band's demo recordings. After being impressed by the material, Reznor offered the group a spot opening for Nine Inch Nails and
Meat Beat Manifesto Meat Beat Manifesto, often shortened as Meat Beat, Manifesto or MBM, is an electronic music group originally consisting of Jack Dangers and Jonny Stephens that was formed in 1987 in Swindon, United Kingdom. The band, fronted by Dangers (the only ...
at Club Nu in Miami on July 3, 1990. In early 1991, the group signed a record deal with
Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainme ...
. However, Berkowitz later recalled that the president of A&R at the label, Richard Griffin, "personally rejected us within minutes, saying he liked the show and the idea but 'didn't like the singer'". They used the proceeds of the deal to fund the recording of subsequent demo tapes. Bassist
Gidget Gein Bradley Mark Stewart (September 11, 1969 – October 8, 2008), known by his stage name Gidget Gein, was an American musician and artist. He was the second bassist and co-founder of the rock band Marilyn Manson. His stage name is a combination of ...
and live drummer
Sara Lee Lucas Frederick Streithorst Jr., better known by his stage name Sara Lee Lucas, is an American musician and the original drummer for Marilyn Manson. He has also performed as "S.L. Lucas" or simply "Lucas". His stage name is derived from serial killer ...
would eventually join the band, and they continued touring and releasing EPs independently for the next two years. In November 1992, Reznor invited the band's vocalist to attend "strategic talks" in Los Angeles, and to appear as a guitarist in a music video for the Nine Inch Nails track " Gave Up". By the end of the year, Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids were the first act signed by Reznor's
vanity label A vanity label (see related topic on vanity press) is an informal name sometimes given to a record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometim ...
,
Nothing Records Nothing Records was an American record label specializing in industrial rock and electronic music, founded by John Malm Jr. and Trent Reznor in 1992. It is considered an example of a vanity label, where an artist is able to run a label with some ...
, shortening their name to Marilyn Manson in the beginning of 1993.


Recording

Marilyn Manson held recording sessions for their debut album, then titled '' The Manson Family Album'', in July 1993 at
Criteria Studios Criteria Studios is a recording studio in North Miami, Florida, founded in 1958 by musician Mack Emerman. Hundreds of gold, platinum, and diamond singles and albums have been recorded, mixed or mastered at Criteria, for many notable artists and ...
in Miami with producer
Roli Mosimann Roli Mosimann is a drummer, electronic musician and record producer who has worked in genres ranging from industrial to pop. Originally from Switzerland, Mosimann first came to attention with the New York City no wave band Swans and later col ...
. The album consisted of re-recorded versions of songs originally demoed by the group during their formative years. According to '' Loudwire'', Mosimann's original production aimed for a "sleazy, groove-laden" sound. Sessions concluded several months later in the autumn. At this point, Mosimann created a
radio edit In music, a radio edit or radio mix is a modification, typically truncated or censored, intended to make a song more suitable for airplay, whether it be adjusted for length, profanity, subject matter, instrumentation, or form. Radio edits may al ...
of "Snake Eyes and Sissies", indicating that this song was intended to be released as the
lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...
. However, the band was unhappy with Mosimann's production, claiming it to be unrepresentative of their live performances, while Manson claimed the songs sounded too polished, saying: "I thought, 'This really sucks.' So I played it for Trent, and he thought it sucked." Before reworking the album in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
, the band played shows in Florida under the name Mrs. Scabtree, which consisted of members of Marilyn Manson, Amboog-a-Lard,
Jack Off Jill Jack Off Jill was an American gothic rock band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, founded in 1992 by vocalist Jessicka, drummer Tenni Ah-Cha-Cha, bassist/keyboardist Robin Moulder, Agent Moulder, and guitarist Michelle Inhell. Though these four women w ...
and The Itch. Manson had produced various releases by both of the latter bands in 1993. The band then travelled to the Record Plant in L.A. to remix ''The Manson Family Album'' over a seven-week period with Reznor, with Manson explaining: "We spent seven weeks redoing, fixing, sometimes starting from scratch. That was our band's first experience in a real studio on a project this big. We didn't know what to expect. It was fifteen-hour days, with a team – Trent,
Alan Moulder Alan Moulder (born 11 June 1959) is an English record producer, mixing engineer, and audio engineer. Early life Moulder was born on 11 June 1959 in Boston, Lincolnshire. He was educated at Boston Grammar School. He had an interest in music fro ...
,
Sean Beavan Sean Beavan is a musician, record producer, and audio engineer best known for his work with Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, Guns N' Roses, God Lives Underwater, and Slayer. His production style is typically heavy, with heavily saturated guita ...
, and me – bringing out the sound." Berkowitz was initially reluctant to re-record the album, saying: "I felt doing this was unnecessary, and worried it would make us look like a Nine Inch Nails/Reznor spin-off. The final result, however, is a very high-quality piece of work." Berkowitz re-recorded some of his guitar work in L.A., and the vast majority of Sara Lee Lucas' live drumming was replaced with
drum programming Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices and computer software, such as sequencers and workstations or hardware synthesizers, sampler and sequencers, to generate sounds of musical instruments. These ...
created by Nine Inch Nails keyboardist
Charlie Clouser Charles Alexander Clouser (born June 28, 1963) is an American keyboardist, composer, record producer, and remixer. He worked with Trent Reznor for Nine Inch Nails from 1994 to 2000, and is a composer for film and television; among his credits a ...
. Gidget Gein was not invited to these sessions. He had been fired from the band a few days before Christmas 1993 due to his heroin addiction. Berkowitz clarified that this was "the second or third time e was being fired for being a junkie and not showing up. And playing really horribly live." He was replaced by Jeordie White of Amboog-a-Lard, who was renamed
Twiggy Ramirez Jeordie Osbourne White (born June 20, 1971), better known Twiggy Ramirez or simply Twiggy, is an American musician, mostly known as the former bassist and guitarist of the rock band Marilyn Manson. Previously, he was the bassist for A Perfect C ...
. Despite this, Gein is credited with performing the entirety of the bass work on the album, with Ramirez credited for "base tendencies". Gein later died of a heroin overdose in 2008. Following this period of re-recording, ''The Manson Family Album'' was retitled to ''Portrait of an American Family''. Mosimann was listed in the liner notes as an
engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the limit ...
, with no mention of his original production role. Sections of the album were recorded and mixed at
10050 Cielo Drive 10050 Cielo Drive was the street address of a former luxury home in Benedict Canyon, in the west-central part of the Beverly Crest neighborhood of Los Angeles, bordering Beverly Hills, where three members of the Manson Family committed the Ta ...
: the address of the house where members of the Manson Family committed the
Tate murders Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the U ...
in 1969. Reznor rented the property in 1992 and built a recording studio inside the residence, which he named 'Pig'—a reference to that word being written with Sharon Tate's blood on the front door of the house on the night of the massacre. The studio is credited as 'Le Pig' in the album's
liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes. Origin Liner notes are desc ...
. Reznor denied renting the property in an attempt to have the infamy of the massacre associated with his music, and chastised Manson for doing so, saying: "I wasn't trying to create some manufactured spooky thing. Any
shock value Shock value is the potential of an image, text, action, or other form of communication, such as a public execution, to provoke a reaction of sharp disgust, shock, anger, fear, or similar negative emotions. In advertising Shock advertising or Sh ...
to what I was doing was about trying to sneak subversive things to a wide audience. With
anson Anson may refer to: People * Anson (name), a give name and surname ** Anson family, a British aristocratic family with the surname Place names ;United States * Anson, Indiana * Anson, Kansas * Anson, Maine ** Anson (CDP), Maine * Anson, Missour ...
nbsp;... he knew exactly what he was doing and exactly what would be shocking. Those were very conscious decisions on his part. What I was doing wasn't the same thing." The house was demolished in late 1994, with Reznor transporting the original "Pig" door to
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
, where it was installed as the entrance to his subsequent recording studio, Nothing Studios.


Composition and style

The record contains a wide array of cultural references, beginning with the first track: the poem recited in "Prelude (The Family Trip)" is an
adaption In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the ...
of a poem originally from the 1964 novel ''
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' is a 1964 children's novel by British author Roald Dahl. The story features the adventures of young Charlie Bucket inside the chocolate factory of eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka. The story was originall ...
'', which later appeared during the tunnel boat ride scene from ''
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory ''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory'' is a 1971 American musical fantasy film directed by Mel Stuart and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. It is an adaptation of the 1964 novel '' Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' by Roald Dahl. The fi ...
''. In his autobiography, ''
The Long Hard Road Out of Hell ''The Long Hard Road Out of Hell'' is the autobiography of Marilyn Manson, leader of the American rock band of the same name. The book was released on February 14, 1998 and co-authored by Neil Strauss. Summary The book follows Manson's lif ...
'', Manson explained that the lyrics to the second song on the album, "Cake and Sodomy", were inspired by a trip to
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
in 1990. He said that he wrote its lyrics in a hotel room after spending several hours viewing public-access cable television and "watching
Pat Robertson Marion Gordon "Pat" Robertson (born March 22, 1930) is an American media mogul, religious broadcaster, political commentator, former presidential candidate, and former Southern Baptist minister. Robertson advocates a conservative Christian ...
preach about society's evils and then ask people to call him with their credit card number. On the adjacent channel, a guy was greasing up his cock with
Vaseline Vaseline ()Also pronounced with the main stress on the last syllable . is an American brand of petroleum jelly-based products owned by transnational company Unilever. Products include plain petroleum jelly and a selection of skin creams, soa ...
and asking people to call and give him their credit card number." The song's
intro Introduction, The Introduction, Intro, or The Intro may refer to: General use * Introduction (music), an opening section of a piece of music * Introduction (writing), a beginning section to a book, article or essay which states its purpose and ...
contains several samples, including Marlon Brando in the 1972 film ''
Last Tango in Paris ''Last Tango in Paris'' ( it, Ultimo tango a Parigi; french: Le Dernier Tango à Paris) is a 1972 erotic drama film directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. The film stars Marlon Brando, Maria Schneider and Jean-Pierre Léaud, and portrays a recently wi ...
'' saying "Go on and smile, you cunt!", and
Mink Stole Nancy Paine Stoll (born August 25, 1947), known professionally as Mink Stole, is an American actress from Baltimore, Maryland. She began her career working for director John Waters, and has appeared in all of his feature films to date (a distinc ...
's character from
John Waters John Samuel Waters Jr. (born April 22, 1946) is an American filmmaker, writer, actor, and artist. He rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films, including '' Multiple Maniacs'' (1970), '' Pink Flamingos'' (1972) and '' Fe ...
' 1977 film ''
Desperate Living ''Desperate Living'' is a 1977 American comedy film directed, produced, and written by John Waters. The film stars Liz Renay, Mink Stole, Edith Massey, Susan Lowe, Mary Vivian Pearce, and Jean Hill. It is the third installment of what Water ...
'' repeatedly screaming "
White trash White trash is a derogatory racial and class-related slur used in American English to refer to poor white people, especially in the rural southern United States. The label signifies a social class inside the white population and especially a ...
!". "
Lunchbox A lunch box (alt. spelling lunchbox) refers to a hand-held container used to transport food, usually to work or to school. It is commonly made of metal or plastic, is reasonably airtight and often has a handle for carrying. In the United ...
" was inspired by a 1972 law introduced by the Florida Legislature, which made it illegal to carry a metal lunch-box on school grounds. It tells the story of a bullied child who uses a lunch-box as a defensive weapon, and proclaims that one day he will be a "big
rock 'n' roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...
star". The track incorporates elements from
The Crazy World of Arthur Brown The Crazy World of Arthur Brown are an English rock band formed by singer Arthur Brown in 1967. The original band included Vincent Crane ( Hammond organ and piano), Drachen Theaker (drums), and Nick Greenwood (bass). This early incarnation w ...
's 1968 single "
Fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition point, flames a ...
". "Organ Grinder" makes use of various dialogue excerpts of the
Child Catcher The Child Catcher is a fictional character in the 1968 film ''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'' and in the later stage musical adaptation. The Child Catcher is employed by Baron Bomburst and Baroness Bomburst to snatch and imprison children on the street ...
from the 1968 film '' Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'', while "Cyclops" contains a distorted sample of the preacher from '' Poltergeist II: The Other Side'' (1986). "
Dope Hat "Dope Hat" is a song by American rock band Marilyn Manson. It was released as the promotional single from their debut album, ''Portrait of an American Family''. It was first recorded for a demo tape released in 1992, entitled ''The Family Jams''. ...
" contains various samples of dialogue spoken by
Charles Nelson Reilly Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was "f ...
– the actor who portrayed Horatio J. HooDoo – in
Sid and Marty Krofft Sid Krofft (born July 30, 1929) and Marty Krofft (born April 9, 1937) are a Canadian sibling team of television creators and puppeteers. Through their production company, Sid & Marty Krofft Pictures, they have made numerous children's television a ...
's television series ''
Lidsville ''Lidsville'' is Sid and Marty Krofft's third television show following '' H.R. Pufnstuf'' (1969) and ''The Bugaloos'' (1970). As did its predecessors, the series combined two types of characters: conventional actors in makeup taped alongside pe ...
'' (1971–73). The lyrics to " Get Your Gunn" were inspired by the murder of Dr. David Gunn, who was killed by a self-proclaimed
pro-life Anti-abortion movements, also self-styled as pro-life or abolitionist movements, are involved in the abortion debate advocating against the practice of abortion and its legality. Many anti-abortion movements began as countermovements in respon ...
activist. Manson later described his murder as "the ultimate hypocrisy I witnessed growing up: that these people killed someone in the name of being 'pro-life'." The song also features audio from the televised suicide of
Pennsylvania Treasurer The Pennsylvania State Treasurer is the head of the Pennsylvania Treasury Department, an independent department of state government. The state treasurer is elected every four years. Treasurers are limited to two consecutive terms. The Pennsylva ...
R. Budd Dwyer. The title of "Wrapped in Plastic" is a reference to David Lynch's television series ''
Twin Peaks ''Twin Peaks'' is an American mystery serial drama television series created by Mark Frost and David Lynch. It premiered on ABC on April 8, 1990, and originally ran for two seasons until its cancellation in 1991. The show returned in 2017 for ...
'', specifically the scene in the pilot episode where Laura Palmer's dead body is discovered wrapped in sheets of plastic. "Dogma" contains a sample of dialogue from John Waters' 1972 film ''
Pink Flamingos ''Pink Flamingos'' is a 1972 American film directed, written, produced, narrated, filmed, and edited by John Waters. It is part of what Waters has labelled the "Trash Trilogy", which also includes '' Female Trouble'' (1974) and '' Desperate Liv ...
''. Although the clips from ''Desperate Living'' on "Cake and Sodomy" and "Misery Machine" are credited in the liner notes, this clip is not; Waters is additionally thanked in the album credits. "Sweet Tooth" is the only song on the record for which former bassist Gidget Gein wrote both guitar and bass parts. A line of dialogue spoken at the start of "Snake Eyes and Sissies" – "Killing is killing whether done for duty, profit or fun" – is a quote taken from an interview with serial killer
Richard Ramirez Ricardo "Richard" Leyva Muñoz Ramirez (; February 29, 1960 – June 7, 2013), dubbed the Night Stalker, the Valley Intruder (as his attacks were first clustered in the San Gabriel Valley), and the Walk-in Killer was an American serial kil ...
. "My Monkey" contains numerous samples of interviews from Charles Manson; several of its verses are derived from "Mechanical Man", a song from his 1970 album '' Lie: The Love and Terror Cult''. Its lyrics are credited simply to "Manson". The song also contains vocals from Robert Pierce, who was six years old at the time of its recording. He was the son of Rambler guitarist Richard Pierce, and was introduced to Marilyn Manson when both bands shared a rehearsal space in Florida. "Misery Machine" is the thirteenth and final track on the album, and contains a sample from " Beep Beep" by
The Playmates The Playmates were an American late 1950s human voice, vocal group led by the pianist Chic Hetti (born Carl Cicchetti, 26 February 1930), drummer Donny Conn (born Donald Claps, 29 March 1930 – September 2, 2015), and Morey Carr (31 July 1932 ...
. The title is a direct reference to the Mystery Machine from the animated television series ''
Scooby-Doo ''Scooby-Doo'' is an American animated media franchise based on an animated television series launched in 1969 and continued through several derivative media. Writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears created the original series, ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are ...
'', while a phrase contained in the song, "We're gonna ride to the Abbey of Thelema", is a reference to
Aleister Crowley Aleister Crowley (; born Edward Alexander Crowley; 12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947) was an English occultist, ceremonial magician, poet, painter, novelist, and mountaineer. He founded the religion of Thelema, identifying himself as the pr ...
's spiritual philosophy of
Thelema Thelema () is a Western esoteric and occult social or spiritual philosophy and new religious movement founded in the early 1900s by Aleister Crowley (1875–1947), an English writer, mystic, occultist, and ceremonial magician. The word ' ...
: "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. Love is the law, love under will." An untitled hidden track begins a few seconds after "Misery Machine", and consists of Stole in ''Desperate Living'' screaming "Go home to your mother! Doesn't she ever watch you!? Tell her this isn't some Communist daycare center! Tell your mother I hate her! Tell your mother I hate you!". After this, a telephone rings for several minutes, followed by an irate answering machine message from the mother of a Manson fan. The band's vocalist discussed his thoughts on ''Portrait of an American Family'' in retrospect with Empyrean Magazine, circa May/June 1995:


Cover and packaging

The four-member family depicted on the album cover were created by Manson using
papier-mâché upright=1.3, Mardi Gras papier-mâché masks, Haiti upright=1.3, Papier-mâché Catrinas, traditional figures for day of the dead celebrations in Mexico Papier-mâché (, ; , literally "chewed paper") is a composite material consisting of p ...
and human hair. In ''The Long Hard Road Out of Hell'', the vocalist said that a painting by
John Wayne Gacy John Wayne Gacy (March 17, 1942 – May 10, 1994) was an American serial killer and sex offender who raped, tortured, and murdered at least 33 young men and boys. Gacy regularly performed at children's hospitals and charitable events as " ...
was originally set to feature as the cover; the same painting later appeared on the cover of
Acid Bath Acid Bath was an American sludge metal band from Houma, Louisiana, active from 1991 to 1997. Acid Bath combined doom metal roots with influences from hardcore punk, death metal, gothic rock, and blues to create the band's unique sound. Th ...
's 1994 album ''
When the Kite String Pops ''When the Kite String Pops'' is the debut album of American heavy metal band Acid Bath. Released on August 8, 1994, it is considered an underground classic, and an early example of sludge metal. The album's artwork is a self-portrait made by ...
''. Also set to appear as part of the album's interior artwork was an image of himself as a child sitting naked on a living room couch. Although the photograph was taken by his mother with no vulgar intent, and no
genitalia A sex organ (or reproductive organ) is any part of an animal or plant that is involved in sexual reproduction. The reproductive organs together constitute the reproductive system. In animals, the testis in the male, and the ovary in the female, a ...
is shown, Interscope's parent company
Time Warner Warner Media, LLC ( traded as WarnerMedia) was an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate. It was headquartered at the 30 Hudson Yards complex in New York City, United States. It was originally established in 1972 by ...
demanded it be removed on the grounds that it could constitute
child pornography Child pornography (also called CP, child sexual abuse material, CSAM, child porn, or kiddie porn) is pornography that unlawfully exploits children for sexual stimulation. It may be produced with the direct involvement or sexual assault of a ...
. Manson explained the background of the image: "When I was six years old, that was when Burt Reynolds had posed for ''
Playgirl ''Playgirl'' was an American magazine that featured general interest articles, lifestyle and celebrity news, in addition to nude or semi-nude men. In the 1970s and 1980s, the magazine printed monthly and was marketed mainly to women, although ...
''. My mom thought it'd be funny to have me do that pose, lying on a couch. It's only sick if you have a sick mind. It was innocent." Another piece of interior photography consisted of an image of a Blythe doll surrounded by Polaroid pictures of a mutilated female body, purportedly faked by Manson and several of his friends.


Release and promotion

When the record was presented to Nothing's parent company Interscope in January 1994, executives at the label refused to release it unless all references to Charles Manson were removed. This included altering the band's name, and omitting the song "My Monkey". The vocalist explained: "I think the
Axl Rose W. Axl Rose (born William Bruce Rose Jr.; born February 6, 1962) is an American musician. He is best known for being the lead vocalist and lyricist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, and has been the band's sole constant member since its incep ...
/Charles Manson
thing Thing or The Thing may refer to: Philosophy * An object * Broadly, an entity * Thing-in-itself (or ''noumenon''), the reality that underlies perceptions, a term coined by Immanuel Kant * Thing theory, a branch of critical theory that focuse ...
panicked them. The heat came from the name of our band. They apparently hadn't looked into it very carefully, and they had this knee-jerk reaction to what we're about." Guns N' Roses had faced widespread criticism over the inclusion of " Look at Your Game, Girl" – a cover of a Charles Manson song – as a hidden track on their 1993 album ''
"The Spaghetti Incident?" ''"The Spaghetti Incident?"'' is the fifth studio album by the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses. The album is composed of covers of older punk rock, hard rock, and other songs. ''"The Spaghetti Incident?"'' is the only studio album to ...
''. During this period, the band's management attempted to have it issued through other labels and distributors. They met with
Guy Oseary Guy Harley Oseary ( he, גיא עוזרי; born October 3, 1972) is an Israeli-American talent manager and writer. His clients include Madonna, U2 and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Biography Guy Oseary was born on October 3, 1972, in Jerusale ...
and
Freddy DeMann Frederick DeMann is a film producer, music executive, and co-founder of Maverick Records. During his music career, he managed Michael Jackson, Madonna and Shakira. During DeMann's tenure, Michael Jackson's albums '' Off the Wall'' and '' Thriller' ...
from
Maverick Records Maverick was an American entertainment company founded in 1992 by Madonna, Frederick DeMann, and Veronica "Ronnie" Dashev, and formerly owned and operated by Warner Music Group. It included a record label (Maverick Records), a film production ...
, Madonna's vanity label, who were initially worried that their lyrics or image included
antisemitism Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...
, although they found this was not the case. Afterward, Maverick offered the band an alternate deal. Before this deal could be finalized, Interscope agreed to release the album, which was issued in the United States on July 19, 1994. The '' Honolulu Star-Bulletin'' reported that Members of the British Parliament tried to ban the album in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
and called it an "outrage against society." ''Portrait of an American Family'' was preceded by the release of "Get Your Gunn" as the lead single on June 9. Its music video was directed by Rod Chong. Marilyn Manson performed as one of the opening acts on Nine Inch Nails' "
Self Destruct Tour The Self Destruct Tour was a concert tour in support of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails' album ''The Downward Spiral'', which took place in early 1994, running until mid-1996, and was broken into eight legs. Overview The tour was filmed fo ...
" throughout 1994. They embarked on their first national headlining tour in December, with
Monster Voodoo Machine Monster Voodoo Machine is a Canadian metal band formed in Ontario in 1991. Some critics compared the band's sound to White Zombie. History Monster Voodoo Machine was formed in Canada in 1991 by Toronto musician and vocalist Adam Sewell, i ...
and
Arab on Radar Arab on Radar was a Providence, Rhode Island-based noise rock band founded in 1994. They went on hiatus in 2002. Members of the band went on to form or join the bands including The Chinese Stars, Athletic Automaton, Made in Mexico, and Doomsda ...
supporting. The tour would be problematic, however. The band's vocalist was arrested after the tour's first date, in
Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...
, for allegedly violating Florida's Adult Entertainment Code by simulating sex on stage while wearing a strap-on dildo. He narrowly avoided arrest four nights later – on New Year's Eve in
Fort Lauderdale A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
– after Nine Inch Nails guitarist
Robin Finck Robert John "Robin" Finck (born November 7, 1971) is an American guitarist. Finck is the longest-serving touring musician for Nine Inch Nails, performing with the band from 1994 to 2000, and returning in 2008. With Nine Inch Nails, Finck contribu ...
jumped on stage wearing a
g-string A G-string is a type of thong, a narrow piece of fabric, leather, or satin that covers or holds the genitals, passes between the buttocks, and is attached to a waistband around the hips. A G-string can be worn both by men and by women. It may ...
and attempted to play an unspecified practical joke on the singer involving powdered sugar. Manson reacted by tearing the g-string off and placing Finck's penis in his mouth. He hid from local police in a backstage bathroom. This would also be drummer Sara Lee Lucas' final tour with the band. Tensions developed between him and Manson as the tour progressed and, during the second-to-last show, Manson doused Lucas' drum kit in lighter fluid and set it ablaze. He was immediately replaced by Kenneth Wilson, who joined the group as
Ginger Fish Kenneth Robert Wilson, better known by his stage name Ginger Fish, is an American drummer primarily known for playing drums for Marilyn Manson from 1995–2011. Like Marilyn Manson, which combines the names of an iconic beauty with a serial ki ...
. The "Lunchbox" EP was released on February 6, 1995, containing several remixes of the song created by Charlie Clouser as well as a cover of Gary Numan's "
Down in the Park "Down in the Park" is a 1979 song by the English band Tubeway Army, featuring lead vocals by Gary Numan. It was released as the first single from the band's second album ''Replicas'', though was not a hit. The song was written and produced by t ...
".
Richard Kern Richard Kern (born 1954) is an American underground filmmaker, writer and photographer. He first came to prominence as part of the cultural explosion in the East Village of New York City in the 1980s, with erotic and experimental films like ...
directed the music video for the track. Marilyn Manson toured again in the spring of 1995, opening for Danzig alongside Korn. "Dope Hat" was issued as a
promotional single A promotional recording, or promo, or plug copy, is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as ...
in the summer of 1995. Its music video was directed by Tom Stern, and was based on the tunnel boat ride scene from ''Willy Wonka''. The band entered Reznor's Nothing Studios in
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
to record b-sides for the song's release as a commercial single. However, the release was cancelled, as the material recorded during these sessions was compiled into a standalone EP of cover versions, remixes and interludes titled '' Smells Like Children''. ''Portrait of an American Family'' was re-released in 2009 as a limited edition green-colored vinyl LP box set, which also contained a T-shirt emblazoned with the album cover.


Critical reception and legacy

The album received mostly positive reviews. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
said that "Beneath all the camp shock, there are signs of anson'sunerring eye for genuine outrage and musical talent, particularly on the trio of 'Cake and Sodomy', 'Lunchbox', and 'Dope Hat'." ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' was negative, saying that the album was not the "sharply rendered cultural critique of America anson wouldlike you to think it is. Most of the record comes off like some low-budget horror movie." The publication later revised its view of the record; it was included at number 68 on their 2017 list of ''The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time''. '' Guitar World'' ranked the album at number thirteen in their list of the ''50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1994'', although they also featured "Cyclops" at number 47 on their list of the ''100 Worst Guitar Solos''. Manson himself has been dismissive of the album, ranking it in last place of the band's entire discography in a 2018 list compiled for ''
Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication ''Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one- ...
''. Conversely, Kristy Loye of the ''
Houston Press The ''Houston Press'' is an online newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in the Midtown area. It was also a weekly print newspaper until November 2017. The publication is supported entirely by advertising ...
'' dubbed it the best album of the band's career, writing: "This album's impact on music at the time of release cannot really be underestimated, nor can it be accurately described in a short blurb. Like it or not, Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids gave rock the dark shot in the arm that was needed at the time when music had given itself completely over to the bland and self-indulgent emotional ballads of
alt-rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
kings like Pearl Jam. Music needed a balance of dark and light and Manson brought the darkness like few were doing at the time when suddenly metal was barely breathing." In a feature written for the twentieth anniversary of the record, Tom Breihan of '' Stereogum'' praised the album's production and quality of the band's songwriting, but said that ''Portrait of an American Family'' had aged badly, and was critical of Manson's vocals and the amount of samples used throughout. However, he went on to argue: "What still resonates about Manson isn't really his music, though 1998's ''
Mechanical Animals ''Mechanical Animals'' is the third studio album by American rock band Marilyn Manson. It was released on September 15, 1998, by Interscope Records. The album marked a major shift from the industrial metal and alternative metal styles of t ...
'' still stands as a pretty incredible album. Manson was a culture-war agitator for ''our'' side: someone willing to jar and frighten the fuck out of the power structures that seemed there to keep teenagers in their place. His whole thing was a violent, overblown rejection of vast forces of oppression and control, and his tactics made him a target, both of mass-culture disdain and of superior alt-culture
snark Snark may refer to: Fictional creatures * Snark (Lewis Carroll), a fictional animal species in Lewis Carroll's ''The Hunting of the Snark'' (1876) * Zn'rx, a race of fictional aliens in Marvel Comics publications, commonly referred to as "Snark ...
. All that was by design. He put himself out there to take those attacks. And, on some level, he's a saint for that. Simply by existing, and by moving the baseline, he made lives easier for hundreds of thousands of teenagers. That, rather than 'Cake and Sodomy', is his legacy."


Commercial performance

''Portrait of an American Family'' failed to chart upon release. Manson later complained: "Well, there was always a real chip on our shoulder that the album never really got the push from the record label that we thought it deserved. It was all about us touring our fucking asses off. We toured for two years solid, opening up for Nine Inch Nails for a year and then doing our own club tours. It was all just about perseverance." It eventually peaked at number 35 on '' Billboard''s
Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers are "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. The Heatseekers Albums and the Heatseekers Songs charts were introduced by ''Billboard'' in 1991 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new an ...
chart, on the issue dated March 25, 1995. The record was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in May 2003 for shipments in excess of 500,000 units. As of 2015, it has sold over 645,000 copies in the United States. Despite never entering the top 100 of the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
, in 2013 the record was certified silver by the
British Phonographic Industry British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with ...
, indicating sales in excess of 60,000 copies in that country.


Track listing

All lyrics written by Marilyn Manson, except track 1 by Manson and Roald Dahl, and track 12 by Marilyn Manson and Charles Manson (uncredited). Sample credits * "Prelude (The Family Trip)" contains an adaption of "The Rowing Song" by Roald Dahl. * "Lunchbox" contains a vocal sample from "
Fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition point, flames a ...
" by
The Crazy World of Arthur Brown The Crazy World of Arthur Brown are an English rock band formed by singer Arthur Brown in 1967. The original band included Vincent Crane ( Hammond organ and piano), Drachen Theaker (drums), and Nick Greenwood (bass). This early incarnation w ...
. * "My Monkey" contains an adaption of "Mechanical Man" by Charles Manson. * "Misery Machine" contains an interpolation of " Beep Beep" by
The Playmates The Playmates were an American late 1950s human voice, vocal group led by the pianist Chic Hetti (born Carl Cicchetti, 26 February 1930), drummer Donny Conn (born Donald Claps, 29 March 1930 – September 2, 2015), and Morey Carr (31 July 1932 ...
. * The record additionally features excerpts of dialogue from ''
Last Tango in Paris ''Last Tango in Paris'' ( it, Ultimo tango a Parigi; french: Le Dernier Tango à Paris) is a 1972 erotic drama film directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. The film stars Marlon Brando, Maria Schneider and Jean-Pierre Léaud, and portrays a recently wi ...
'', ''
Desperate Living ''Desperate Living'' is a 1977 American comedy film directed, produced, and written by John Waters. The film stars Liz Renay, Mink Stole, Edith Massey, Susan Lowe, Mary Vivian Pearce, and Jean Hill. It is the third installment of what Water ...
'', '' Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'', '' Poltergeist II: The Other Side'', ''
Lidsville ''Lidsville'' is Sid and Marty Krofft's third television show following '' H.R. Pufnstuf'' (1969) and ''The Bugaloos'' (1970). As did its predecessors, the series combined two types of characters: conventional actors in makeup taped alongside pe ...
'', ''
Twin Peaks ''Twin Peaks'' is an American mystery serial drama television series created by Mark Frost and David Lynch. It premiered on ABC on April 8, 1990, and originally ran for two seasons until its cancellation in 1991. The show returned in 2017 for ...
'' and ''
Pink Flamingos ''Pink Flamingos'' is a 1972 American film directed, written, produced, narrated, filmed, and edited by John Waters. It is part of what Waters has labelled the "Trash Trilogy", which also includes '' Female Trouble'' (1974) and '' Desperate Liv ...
''.


Personnel

Credits adapted from
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
and the liner notes of ''Portrait of an American Family''. Marilyn Manson * Marilyn Manson
vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...
,
brass Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other wit ...
, loops,
production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stati ...
, lyrical adaption, musical composition, artwork,
logo A logo (abbreviation of logotype; ) is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol used to aid and promote public identification and recognition. It may be of an abstract or figurative design or include the text of the name it represents as in a wo ...
*
Daisy Berkowitz Scott Mitchell Putesky (April 28, 1968 – October 22, 2017), also known as Daisy Berkowitz, was an American musician, songwriter, composer, visual artist, and record producer. He was the co-founder of the rock band Marilyn Manson & the Spooky ...
lead Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...
,
rhythm Rhythm (from Greek , ''rhythmos'', "any regular recurring motion, symmetry") generally means a " movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions". This general meaning of regular re ...
, acoustic and wah-wah guitars, musical composition *
Gidget Gein Bradley Mark Stewart (September 11, 1969 – October 8, 2008), known by his stage name Gidget Gein, was an American musician and artist. He was the second bassist and co-founder of the rock band Marilyn Manson. His stage name is a combination of ...
bass and musical composition *
Madonna Wayne Gacy Stephen Bier, formerly known by his stage name Madonna Wayne Gacy and by the nickname Pogo, is an American musician who was the keyboard player for Marilyn Manson from 1989 to 2007. His stage name came from the names of the singer Madonna and th ...
keyboards,
calliope In Greek mythology, Calliope ( ; grc, Καλλιόπη, Kalliópē, beautiful-voiced) is the Muse who presides over eloquence and epic poetry; so called from the ecstatic harmony of her voice. Hesiod and Ovid called her the "Chief of all Muse ...
, Hammond organ,
theremin The theremin (; originally known as the ætherphone/etherphone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox) is an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the performer (who is known as a thereminist). It is named afte ...
,
saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of Single-reed instrument, single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed (mouthpi ...
,
sound effect A sound effect (or audio effect) is an artificially created or enhanced sound, or sound process used to emphasize artistic or other content of films, television shows, live performance, animation, video games, music, or other media. Traditi ...
s, loops, musical composition *
Sara Lee Lucas Frederick Streithorst Jr., better known by his stage name Sara Lee Lucas, is an American musician and the original drummer for Marilyn Manson. He has also performed as "S.L. Lucas" or simply "Lucas". His stage name is derived from serial killer ...
drums and sound effects Production, technical and additional personnel *Tom Baker – mastering *
Sean Beavan Sean Beavan is a musician, record producer, and audio engineer best known for his work with Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, Guns N' Roses, God Lives Underwater, and Slayer. His production style is typically heavy, with heavily saturated guita ...
– brass , digital audio editing, programming,
engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...
, assistant producer, mixing *Frank Callari –
tour manager A tour manager (or concert tour manager) is the person who helps to organize the administration for a schedule of appearances of a musical group (band) or artist at a sequence of venues (a concert tour). In general, road managers handle tour deta ...
*
Charlie Clouser Charles Alexander Clouser (born June 28, 1963) is an American keyboardist, composer, record producer, and remixer. He worked with Trent Reznor for Nine Inch Nails from 1994 to 2000, and is a composer for film and television; among his credits a ...
– drums ,
African drum Sub-Saharan African music is characterised by a "strong rhythmic interest" that exhibits common characteristics in all regions of this vast territory, so that Arthur Morris Jones (1889–1980) has described the many local approaches as const ...
s,
drum programming Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices and computer software, such as sequencers and workstations or hardware synthesizers, sampler and sequencers, to generate sounds of musical instruments. These ...
, digital audio editing * Donovan – "tattoos" *Mark Freegard – mixing *
Barry Goldberg Barry Joseph Goldberg (born December 25, 1942) is an American blues and rock keyboardist, songwriter, and record producer. Goldberg has co-produced albums by Percy Sledge, Charlie Musselwhite, James Cotton, and the Textones, plus Bob Dylan's ve ...
– assistant engineer *Marc Gruber – assistant engineer *
Roli Mosimann Roli Mosimann is a drummer, electronic musician and record producer who has worked in genres ranging from industrial to pop. Originally from Switzerland, Mosimann first came to attention with the New York City no wave band Swans and later col ...
– engineering and original production *
Alan Moulder Alan Moulder (born 11 June 1959) is an English record producer, mixing engineer, and audio engineer. Early life Moulder was born on 11 June 1959 in Boston, Lincolnshire. He was educated at Boston Grammar School. He had an interest in music fro ...
– engineering, assistant producer, mixing *Chris Meyer – live sound *
Hope Nicholls Hope Nicholls (born January 1960) is an American singer-songwriter from Charlotte, North Carolina. She was the lead vocalist of the alternative rock bands Fetchin Bones, Sugarsmack and Snagglepuss. She also briefly toured with Martin Atkins' ba ...
– saxophone ,
background vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...
*Robin Perine – photography *Robert Pierce (aged 6) – vocals *Brian Pollack – assistant engineer *
Twiggy Ramirez Jeordie Osbourne White (born June 20, 1971), better known Twiggy Ramirez or simply Twiggy, is an American musician, mostly known as the former bassist and guitarist of the rock band Marilyn Manson. Previously, he was the bassist for A Perfect C ...
– live bass for the " Portrait of an American Family Tour" *
Trent Reznor Michael Trent Reznor (born May 17, 1965) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and composer. He serves as the lead vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and principal songwriter of the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, wh ...
– "bionic" guitar , brass , digital audio editing, programming, production, executive producer, mixing *Melissa Romero (aged 19) – 'violation' on "Wrapped in Plastic" *Brian Scheuble – assistant engineer *Albert Sgambati – "tattoos" * Gary Talpas – packaging *John Tovar –
management Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a Government agency, government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includ ...
*
Chris Vrenna Chris Vrenna (born February 23, 1967 in Erie, Pennsylvania) is an American musician, producer, engineer, remixer, songwriter, programmer, and founder of the electronic band Tweaker. Vrenna played drums for the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails ...
percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Ex ...
, programming, assistant engineer *Jeff Weiss – album cover image and additional photography *Wade Wright – "mood lighting" *Sioux Z. – publicity


Charts


Certifications


References

Notes References Bibliography * {{Authority control 1994 debut albums Albums produced by Roli Mosimann Albums produced by Trent Reznor Albums produced by Marilyn Manson Albums produced by Sean Beavan Albums produced by Alan Moulder Albums recorded in a home studio Albums recorded at Record Plant (Los Angeles) Marilyn Manson (band) albums Nothing Records albums Obscenity controversies in music