Part of the problem with relying on a crowdsourced online encyclopedia is that the information contained within it might not be 100-percent medically accurate. Loudwire, a publication that defines itself as “The No. 1 Source For Hard Rock + Metal,” openly acknowledges this and has been diligently separating wheat from chaff, so to speak, in its informative web series, Wikipedia: Fact Or Fiction? In the latest episode, ghoulish rocker and shock filmmaker Rob Zombie, resplendent in his Svengoolie T-shirt, listens to various weird excerpts from his own Wikipedia entry and tells host Graham Hartmann whether the site’s users have their facts straight or not. Generally, as it turns out, the Wikipedia entry is based on the truth, but certain facts have been exaggerated or oversimplified. And sometimes, Zombie admits, Wikipedia users give him too much credit for having a well-thought-out plan for his life and career.
Take, for instance, the cover of the 1989 God Of Thunder EP, in which a scowling Zombie is shown holding a Gene Simmons lookalike by the hair. Was this really part of a brilliant scheme to provoke Simmons’ wrath and generate a subsequent (free) publicity storm? Nah, says Zombie. The members of White Zombie were all big Kiss fans, and they never thought a project like God Of Thunder would even be on Simmons’ radar. And it wasn’t, at least back then. But the Kiss singer certainly knows about the cover now, Zombie says, and has brought it up in conversation an amusing number of times. Whether he’s really offended by it or is just joking, even Zombie doesn’t know. Either way, there was no tidal wave of publicity following the release of the 1989 EP.
Various projects from Zombie’s film and music careers are covered in the video. Did he really give House Of 1,000 Corpses a “bad ending” just so the studio would give him more money for a reshoot? Not really, says the surprisingly humble and plainspoken director. The production just ran out of money and didn’t have much of an ending. At a test screening, it just sort of stopped, so studio bosses forked over a little cash so he could complete it. That’s all. And is it really true that Zombie hasn’t trimmed his beard since 1984? Uh, no. He’s never shaved it all the way off, but he’s done routine maintenance on it over the years. He’s not a caveman, after all. In all, the video provides a lot of interesting information about Zombie’s own history and musical tastes. Among other topics, he talks about his family’s carnival background and his early love of The Jackson 5. His first-ever 45 was a copy of “Dancing Machine.” Who knew?