Phoenix Rising & Manson Fans: The Dunning-Krueger of Networking
- Bryton Gore
- Mar 19
- 4 min read
Some fan bases border on the cult-like, but the Manson fan base takes networking delusions to a whole new level. They strut around online like they’ve mastered the art of connection completely oblivious to what genuine networking actually looks like.
I still remember 2016, standing in a high-class business facility, being told I’d earned my spot simply because “I wasn’t fat.” Every morning was a mad dash: getting my kids ready, dropping them off, and catching the tram to work. I was deep in the world of international trade events and business studies, where real networking meant swapping business cards, discussing deals, and building mutually beneficial (if superficial) relationships.
Working with the Australian Trade sector and organizing trade missions, like those glamorous trips to Milan for Aussie fashion, taught me one thing: effective networking isn’t about idle gossip. It’s a disciplined, respectful exchange of value. And yet, Manson fans online think that slinging pseudo-intellectual drivel and controlling narratives makes them experts.
They dissected my civilian profile as if it were my brand, acting like they understood the empire behind Marilyn Manson’s image. In reality, they have no clue what it actually takes to build a business and brand. They believe that just existing online counts as networking, that supporting each other’s delusions somehow equates to influence. But even online influence doesn’t work that way.
The Ignorance of the Manson Fandom
At one point, these self-proclaimed experts tore apart my art without asking a single question completely missing the fact that every business uses free and licensed image assets. If I had been curating a brand at the time, I would have been well within my rights to do so. Their unrealistic expectations and sense of entitlement made it clear: they’d rather rewrite my story than face the truth about what real success takes.
And then there was Phoenix Rising.
I watched as multiple crimes were committed for the sake of the “image business.” Instead of holding themselves accountable, some opportunists reframed their narratives around sexual misconduct, dodging the fact that they, too, had exploited Marilyn Manson’s fan base for profit. This wasn’t about genuine empowerment or accountability; it was about shifting blame while erasing the raw, painful truth of lived experience.
If Phoenix Rising had been built around the real dangers of an illogically misinformed, socially engineered fan base, it might have actually warned the public. Instead, it just became another tool for image control.
Destroying My Name, On My Own Terms
After enduring this folie à plusieurs attempt to control my narrative, I decided to not only give them what they wanted, destroying my name online, but to turn it into a business. Because no one dictates my experience but me. It was a clever way to reclaim both my identity and the truth.
I was completely transparent about what I was doing online, even as I actively worked to erase my name. But let’s be real: social media isn’t reality. Still, they clung to the delusion that my online presence reflected the actual state of my life.
From 2023 to 2024, I didn’t curate my posts. I didn’t even look at what I was sharing. It was mostly AI-generated or prompted. And yet, they kept believing the fiction.
A perfect example of this ignorance? My old website, www.brytongore.com, which was never a registered business. But the .com.au version of the site is; and you can only get a .com.au domain with a registered business and an ABN.
The Delusion of “Having a Dream”
People love the idea of waiting for success. They sit around, hoping someone will notice their “potential” instead of doing the work to build something real.
For me, authenticity has always been non-negotiable. Denied respect and resources during this mess, I chose to flip the script. I deliberately sank my old name online and reinvented myself as Doctor Gore, a calculated, sassy rebirth. I wasn’t about to let anyone else control my narrative. By killing off the persona of Bryton Gore, I reclaimed my identity and built a brand rooted in real-life grit, art, and genuine connection.
In the end, Manson fans and Phoenix Rising advocates might strut around like networking geniuses, but they’re just lost in their own fan-fiction. A deluded blend of the Dunning-Kruger effect and collective fantasy, wrapped in entitlement to information that isn’t theirs to share.
Real Networking, Real Success
Real networking isn’t about curated online personas or gossip-fueled connections. It’s about authenticity, understanding your superficial and real value, accountability, and the relentless pursuit of truth. And that’s exactly how I’ve been taking back my story, on my own damn terms.
To the fans who got swept up in my narrative-building for my brand: I’d say I’m sorry, but I’m not. Learn how business works. Stop relying on “hope” and waiting for someone to notice your potential, or worse, believing you are that potential for others. Instead, embrace reality.
Building a business or an image isn’t about what you think you (or anyone else) deserve just because life was hard. It’s about growth, striving for more, and knowing what you want to invest in. Not at the expense of others. And certainly not for them. The only thing you create for others is the product you want to sell.
It’s delusional to think that sacrificing your true values and pretending to be nice just to maintain an image is all it takes to be famous, or that you get to dictate someone’s worth based on your personal interests. Just like creating something without good advertising won’t sell your product, success isn’t guaranteed. Even if you do everything right, sometimes failure has nothing to do with you.
Reality doesn’t always play nice, but there’s no harm in trying.
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