Charles Manson and his Family: ‘Human monsters, human mutants’ | Intellect Skip to content
1981
  1. Home
  2. A-Z Publications
  3. Australasian Journal of Popular Culture
  4. Volume 11, Issue 1
  5. Article
Volume 11, Issue 1-2
  • ISSN: 2045-5852
  • E-ISSN: 2045-5860

Abstract

Joan Didion famously described the 1960s as ending abruptly on 9 August 1969 when word spread of the murders of seven people including Hollywood actor Sharon Tate. Fifty years on and the ‘Manson murders’ remain a focal point of interest in American popular culture and media. Netflix’s recent true-crime drama (2017–19) and Quentin Tarantino’s (2019) represent but two popular examples invoking the crimes. What is consistent across most popular renderings of the murders is the representation of the Family, and of their leader Charles Manson especially, as monstrous, warranting investigation. Utilizing both Jeffrey Cohen’s (1996) foundational text ‘Monster culture (seven theses)’ and Natasha Mikles and Joseph Laycock’s (2021) ‘Five further theses on monster theory and religious studies’, this article examines the creation and representation of Charles Manson as a serial killer, a cult leader, but especially as a monster, in the popular culture context.

© 2022 Intellect Ltd
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1386/ajpc_00058_1
2022-12-27
2024-04-26
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Altman, R.. ( 2015;), ‘ Sympathy for the devil: Charles Manson’s exploitation of California’s 1960s counter-culture. ’, Honors thesis, Boulder, CO:: University of Colorado.
     [Google Scholar]
  2. Associated Press ( 1987;), ‘ Killer denies Satan tag: Charles Manson “misunderstood”. ’, The Canberra Times, 4 March, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/title/11#. Accessed 29 November 2021.
     [Google Scholar]
  3. Atchison, A. J., and Heide, K. M.. ( 2011;), ‘ Charles Manson and the family: The application of sociological theories to multiple murder. ’, International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 55:5, pp. 771–98.
     [Google Scholar]
  4. Bond, M.. ( 2016;), ‘ Why are we eternally fascinated by serial killers?. ’, BBC Future, 31 March, https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20160331-why-are-we-eternally-fascinated-by-serial-killers. Accessed 29 November 2021.
     [Google Scholar]
  5. Bugliosi, V., and Gentry, C.. ( 1974), Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders, New York:: Norton;.
     [Google Scholar]
  6. Cohen, J.. ( 1996;), ‘ Monster culture (seven theses). ’, in J. Cohen. (ed.), Monster Theory, Minneapolis, MN:: University of Minnesota Press;, pp. 3–25.
     [Google Scholar]
  7. Delisi, M., and Scherer, A. M.. ( 2006;), ‘ Multiple homicide offenders: Offense characteristics, social correlates, and criminal careers. ’, Criminal Justice and Behavior, 33, pp. 367–91.
     [Google Scholar]
  8. Didion, J.. ( 1990), The White Album, New York:: Noonday Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  9. Dillon, J., and Richardson, J.. ( 1994;), ‘ The “cult” concept: A politics of representation analysis. ’, Syzygy: Journal of Alternative Religions and Culture, 3:3&4, pp. 185–97.
     [Google Scholar]
  10. Douglas, J., and Olshaker, M.. ( 1996), Mindhunter: Inside the FBI Elite Serial Crime Unit, London:: Mandarin;.
     [Google Scholar]
  11. Emmons, N.. ( 2019), Manson in His Own Words, London:: Grove Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  12. ‘Episode 5’ ( 2019), Andrew Dominik (dir.), Mindhunter, Season 2 Episode 5 (16 August, USA:: Netflix;).
     [Google Scholar]
  13. Fox, J. A., and Levin, J.. ( 2015), Extreme Killing: Understanding Serial and Mass Murder, , 3rd ed.., Thousand Oaks, CA:: Sage Publications;.
     [Google Scholar]
  14. Gibson, D.. ( 2006;), ‘ The relationship between serial murder and the American tourism industry. ’, Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 20:1, pp. 45–60.
     [Google Scholar]
  15. Gurian, E. A.. ( 2017;), ‘ Reframing serial murder within empirical research: Offending and adjudication patterns of male, female, and partnered serial killers. ’, International Journal of Offender Criminology, 61:5, pp. 544–60.
     [Google Scholar]
  16. Hickey, E. W.. ( 2013), Serial Murderers and Their Victims, Belmont, CA:: Wadsworth;.
     [Google Scholar]
  17. Jenkins, P.. ( 2000), Mystics and Messiahs, Oxford:: Oxford University Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  18. Jenkins, P.. ( 2002;), ‘ Catch me before I kill more: Seriality as modern monstrosity. ’, Cultural Analysis, 3, pp. 1–17.
     [Google Scholar]
  19. Kripal, J.. ( 1987;), ‘ Better horrors: From terror to communion in Whitley Strieber’s communion. ’, Social Research, 81:4, pp. 897–920.
     [Google Scholar]
  20. Leonetti, C.. ( 2015;), ‘ Eye of the beholder: The wrongful conviction of Charles Milles Manson. ’, Southwestern Law Review, 45:2, pp. 257–332.
     [Google Scholar]
  21. Martin, N. W.. ( 2008;), ‘ Homicide and serial killing. ’, in D. Canter. (ed.), Criminal Psychology, London:: Hodder Education;, pp. 117–31.
     [Google Scholar]
  22. Mikles, N. L., and Laycock, J. P.. ( 2021;), ‘ Five further theses on monster theory and religious studies. ’, in N. L. Mikles, and J. P. Laycock. (eds), Religion, Culture, and the Monstrous, London:: Lexington Books;, pp. 3–17.
     [Google Scholar]
  23. Nelson, G. K.. ( 1968;), ‘ The concept of cult. ’, Sociological Review, 16, pp. 351–62.
     [Google Scholar]
  24. Nielsen, D. A.. ( 1984;), ‘ Charles Manson’s family of love: A case study of anomism, puerilism and transmoral consciousness in civilizational perspective. ’, Sociological Analysis, 45:4, pp. 315–37.
     [Google Scholar]
  25. O’Neil, P.. ( 1969;), ‘ The wreck of a monstrous family. ’, Life, 19 December, pp. 20–31.
     [Google Scholar]
  26. Orsi, R.. ( 2011;), ‘ The problem of the holy. ’, in R. Orsi. (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Religious Studies, Cambridge:: Cambridge University Press;, pp. 84–105.
     [Google Scholar]
  27. Roberts, S. V.. ( 1970;), ‘ Charlie Manson: One man’s family. ’, New York Times, 4 January, http://www.nytimes.com/1970/01/04/archives/charlie-manson-one-mans-family-charlie-manson-one-mans-family.html. Accessed 29 November 2021.
     [Google Scholar]
  28. Roberts, S. V.. ( 1971;), ‘ Charles Manson: The two faces of a man on trial. ’, New York Times, 3 January, https://www.nytimes.com/1971/01/03/archives/manson-the-two-faces-of-a-man-on-trial.html. Accessed 29 November 2021.
     [Google Scholar]
  29. Simpson, P. L.. ( 2000), Psycho Paths: Tracking the Serial Killer through Contemporary American Film and Fiction, Carbondale and Edwardsville, IL:: Southern Illinois University Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  30. Tarantino, Quentin. ( 2019), Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, USA:: Sony Pictures Entertainment;.
     [Google Scholar]
  31. Tithecott, R.. ( 1997), Of Men and Monsters: Jeffrey Dahmer and the Construction of the Serial Killer, Madison, WI:: The University of Wisconsin Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  32. Turner, W.. ( 1970;), ‘ Five girls keep a three-month vigil at Tate trial. ’, New York Times, 2 December, http://www.nytimes.com/1970/12/02/archives/five-girls-keep-a-threemonth-vigil-at-tate-trial.html. Accessed 29 November 2021.
     [Google Scholar]
  33. Wiest, J. B.. ( 2011), Creating Cultural Monsters: Serial Murder in America, Boca Raton, FL:: CRC Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  34. Wiest, J. B.. ( 2016;), ‘ Casting cultural monster: Representations of serial killers in U.S. and U.K. news media. ’, Journal of Communications, 27:4, pp. 327–46.
     [Google Scholar]
  35. Wilson, L. S., and Kwileck, S.. ( 2003;), ‘ Are these people crazy, or what? A rational choice interpretation of cults and charisma. ’, Humanomics, 19:1&2, pp. 29–44.
     [Google Scholar]
  36. McLean, Lesley, and Wise, Jenny. ( 2022;), ‘ Charles Manson and his Family: “Human monsters, human mutants”. ’, The Australasian Journal of Popular Culture, 11:1&2, pp. 179–93, https://doi.org/10.1386/ajpc_00058_1
     [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.1386/ajpc_00058_1
Loading
  • Article Type: Article
Keyword(s): Charles Manson; cult leader; Manson murders; monster; monster theory; serial killer; true-crime

Most Cited Most Cited RSS feed

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a success
Invalid data
An error occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error