The Happy Couple
Happy news from the California State Prison, Corcoran: Charles Manson is getting married!
The lucky bride-to-be who snatched the 79-year-old, serving a life sentence for masterminding the grisly 1969 Tate-LaBianca murders, is a 25-year-old from Missouri who calls herself “Star.” And she is totally adorable. In fact, she bears a striking resemblance to the late Susan Atkins, one of the Manson family’s original “stars.”
But this match made in hell was much more than just raw physical attraction. Star told Rolling Stone she was first attracted to Charlie because of his views on the environment. We’re with you, Star.
They just seem so compatible. Remember way back when Charlie carved a swastika into his forehead? Well, Star cut an X into her forehead in the same place.
“Charlie is all about air, trees, water, animals,” according to Star. What bugs me is that John Douglas spent a long time interviewing Charlie in San Quentin and he never once mentioned this. I’m concerned that in focussing on his crimes and power to motivate others to commit hideous acts, John may have missed completely this arcadian aspect of his engaging personality.
Another thing she likes is that, “Charlie always tells the truth.” And how many of us can say that?
Not to be a damper on things, but we have to mention that Charlie himself is denying that the wedding is about to take place. But you know how guys are just before the big day. And you can understand how he might be a bit commitment-phobic after all those years living by himself.
“People can think I’m crazy,” says Star. “But they don’t know. This is what’s right for me. This is what I was born for.”
Now, if I wanted to be cynical – which I don’t – I might say that Star fits into a long tradition of lonely women who have fallen for violent men in prison; that she is a pathetic creature devoid of confidence and self-esteem;who is unprepared for a real relationship and has therefore involved herself with a “safe” partner surrogate with whom she will never have to live; that, like the original Manson family members, she is an outcast loser who is mesmerized by a guru to whom she can sublimate herself; that she is flirting with celebrity and notoriety in the only way she could ever possibly get close to it; that she is sexually turned on by the notion of vicarious violence; and she has figured out a cause – getting Manson freed – for her otherwise empty life that will obviate the need for her ever to think or really figure things out for herself.
But as I said, that would be cynical. And that is the last thing I want to be at this joyous time of year. So in that spirit, I will sum up my reactions with a quote from the best-loved holiday tale of all time. In Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge utters the immortal line:
“I’ll retire to Bedlam.”
The thing I find so fascinating about Charlie Manson is that you will find him amongst any serial killer/heinous murderer lists that you can find. But he never killed anyone.
[…] File this under: “And I thought I was crazy!” […]
I guess proof that she has nothing in the way of caring family is that none of her family or friends have come and physically carted her off to a psychiatric facility. Because that’s what I’d do if anyone I know tried something like this. There’s one born every minute.
You put your finger on it, Cornerstone.