Manson Mania... Not

Amid all the Manson mania these days—this week marks the 40th anniversary of the Tate/LaBianca murders—John Waters wades into the fray to advocate for the release of Leslie Van Houten, who was convicted in the LaBianca killings. Waters closely followed the Manson trials and eventually befriended Van Houten. In his upcoming book, Role Models, Waters writes about Van Houten, and that chapter has been serialized on the Huffington Post website all this week. Waters also turned up on NPR this week suggesting that Van Houten be paroled. He points out that the sensationalization of the Manson murders has worked against Van Houten, who might otherwise have been released years ago. Overall, it's a provocative stance, but it's measured, thought out, and based on a belief that rehabilitation can work. Best of all, it runs counter to the mania that continues to swirl.