Eminem and Hypocrisy

In My Humble Opinion
21

This is all, of course, IMO…

But when it comes to the Beatles playing a “white” America, yeah I guess they did. But then again, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and the Temptations were a big hit with “white” America, too.
When it comes to artistic merit, I’d rate Chuck Berry right up there with the Beatles.
But back to Eminem…I don’t really have a problem with him. I think it’s all mainly an act that he’s gotten lost in (kinda like when you lie to yourself and start believing it)
and he’s rather immature. As funny as I think some of his music is, it doesn’t rank at the top of the artistic merit chart (and personally, I think few 90’s act really rank high.)
Sorry if I hurt anyone’s feelings.

22

Anyone hear the parody?
I think he’s vile. He sings a song about killing his own wife, the MOTHER OF HIS CHILD. How the HELL will his daughter feel when she hears such a song? And if it WAS just VENTING, it should’ve been private. Why the HELL would he make money off of something like that?
As far as Kim, perhaps because her husband treats her so cruelly is the reason for her suicide. And as far as leaving him-talk to anyone who has survived an abusive relationship-it’s not so fecking easy. I had a friend whose father treated her like crap her whole life and she always ended up with guys who treated her the same way-because she didn’t think she deserved any better.

The man is misogynistic, homophobic, and disgusting. He’s NOT cool. He’s NOT funny. Hello, the man likes waving a gun in anyone’s faces-I’ve heard he’s done it to fans who approach him. Uh huh.
I’ll look up the article I read on Salon.com
Now: I am NOT for censorship. I don’t think he should be banned. But why should he be celebrated?
http://www.salon.com/ent/music/feature/2000/06/07/eminem/index.html

23

Yay, Eminem!

Boo, John Rocker!

John Rocker has gotten into all kinds of trouble for letting us know exactly what he’s thinking, “right or wrong.” Yet when Mathers does it, it’s art. What’s the difference? Is this irony or hypocrisy?

Note to Rocker: Next time you want to go off on people you don’t like, set it to an awesome beat and the press and public that pilloried you in the past will sing your praises and propel your rant to the top of the charts.

24

First off, Swiddles, I love ya. But you really need to chill on this one. I don’t think GaWd said anything to justify the tone of your posts.

But I gotta throw my opinion in here. I don’t really agree with either of you on this one. I think what he says is extremely offensive, but that’s what the kiddies want to hear. And I don’t think there’s any basis to say that this is inspiring intolerence and violence. So far, every Eminem fan I’ve seen has disagreed with everything he’s said (except maybe for that shit about the Asstreat Toys and the other teeny-boppers). They don’t like what he’s saying, they like that he’s saying it. And just because people like him, doesn’t mean they’re gonna do what he says. I mean, South Park is a big hit for partly the same reason, but you don’t see them seeking out and killing anyone named Kenny.

And the fact that he’s white has nothing to do with his success, quite the opposite. I mean, if anything people are extremely reluctant to accept a white rapper. Mainly because most white rappers suck, or they’re “phony”. Eminem is the first rapper I’ve seen to come along that had any talent. And he does have talent, that you can’t deny. No matter how much I dislike him (which I do) I have to admit that he’s the first rapper I’ve heard that I liked. His scansion is virtually flawless, and most of what he says is pretty funny, even if it incredibly offensive. Fact of the matter is, it’s even more funny because it’s offensive and shocking. Half of humor is surprise, and every word out of his mouth surprises the hell out of me.

I also don’t think MTV is a part of some conspiracy to make him popular. It’s as simple as this, they know he’ll sell. It ain’t about black or white, it’s about green, the only color that matters to any corporation.

That said, I think he’s a sick, fucked-up prick. And if I knew him, I probably wouldn’t like him. In fact, I’d probably have a hard time resisting the urge to punch his lights out. I think the relationship he has with Kim is truly screwed up. I think she should get a divorce. And I think that often times he crosses the line from offensive to disturbing. But I listen to him more for the rhythm of his words more than the content. And it’s not like he’s the first one to say insulting and violent things, Dennis Leary for example. If the parents just stopped getting all flipped out about it, he’d probably fade into the breeze.

Every year the musicians get more and more offensive. I’m just waiting to see where it goes from here. I can hardly imagine, maybe something to do with dead chipmunk…

25

I don’t think that he’s sick/disturbed/whatever.

HOWEVER…
I think he’s just as manufactured as the current group of boy bands and “pop divas” currently infesting the radio waves. He’s simply a more… sinister answer to NSync or Britney. That way, the record companies have both extreme demographics covered: the “tween” girls, and the not-quite-as-angsty-as-they-act young teen boys.Ditto for Monsieur Kid Rock. Whenever I hear him “rap” about coming from Compton, I just end up on the floor laughing.
Not to mention that he, and “artists” like him push up sales tremendously. The kids buy the “naughty” albums, and their horrified parents convince them to listen to the more acceptable ::shudder:: pop fluff.

26

I like Eminem. I like Dr. Dre. I like NWA. I used to listen to Coolio all the time. It’s music. I’ve also listened to Britany Spears, N’Sync, John Michael Montgomery, The Judds, Nelson, REO Speedwagon, Damn Yankees, Bon Jovi, Skid Row, Green Jelly, Poison, Creed, Korn, Metallica, Staind, Pantera, R.E.M, Stone Temple Pilots, Belinda Carlisle, Madonna, Robert Palmer, The Chiffons, Limp Bizkit, Shania Twain, Bruce Willis (Secret Agent Man rocks! :slight_smile: ), Bonnie Tyler, Slipknot, Incubus, Whitney Houston…I could go on and on. (But I guess I already have.)

The point is, I’ve listened to all kinds of music and they all have a different message. I listen to the music because it’s music. Not because it’s going to teach me anything, but because I like the way it sounds. Nobody is trying to learn any lessons from Eminem. And if they are, I’m sorry for them.

27

I think Emimen is a piece of shit. He is not putting forth anything remotely original, nor is he expressing what we all think. I’ve never wanted to kill my wife while my child watches. I’ve never wanted been homicidal, I’ve never been suicidal, and I would never publicly degarde myself by speaking such bullshit.

Perhaps it is because I was exposed to rap in its infancy, growing up in inner-city Baltimore. You know, before Will Smith. Run DMC, Samantha Fox, LLCoolJ, George CLinton - this stuff blew my mind way before Eminem came along. Eminem is a white boy from the suburbs who is using his lack of education and ability to rap to pander to the lowest echolons (sp?) of society. He is the same as Britney Spears and *NSYNC, mass-merchandized to death, built on a foundation of teeny-boppers and TRL, and he will no doubt fade away in two-three years. He is just the other side of the coin.

I have listened to his entire album, by the way. I gave him a chance. Honestly, I still think he sucks. He has nothing on NWA (don’t get me started on what happened to Dre), Public Enemy, Arrested Development, LLCoolJ, RunDMC, Salt n Pepa, TLC, or Naughty by Nature.

As for good beats, please. You can dance to “None of Your Business”, “Doin It”, and “Hip Hop Hurray”. When “My Name Is” played at my prom, everyone sat down because you couldn’t dance to it.

Emimen is using his piss-poor childhood, his whiteness, and his crudeness to sell records. That’s his deal, whatever. But I would hardly describe him as someone who will have a lasting influence on the world of music. Please don’t give him that much credit.

I hope he’s laughing his way to the bank. Maybe someone should remind him though, that the same girls who bought Christina Aguilera’s album also bought his. He sold himelf for fame just like they did. All the little girls dancing to the Backstreet Boys and wearing WWJD? bracelets know all the words to “The Real Slim Shady.” Just a thought.

I doubt my childhood was that different from Eminem’s. Shitty parents, poverty, welfare, awful public schools. But I don’t feel the need to capitalize on that. I made a life for myself, faught my way into the G&T program so I could be bussed to county schools, got myself to college, and made something of myself. So I have little respect for Eminem. I am not playing a fucking violin for him because he was too lazy to anything other than tell everyone how much his life sucks.

28

I think you misheard a lyric there. In one of Kid Rock’s songs (not sure which one; they all sound the same) he says:

“I ain’t straight outta Compton, I’m straight out the trailer.”

IMHO he sucks and so does Eminem. Just wanted to clear up that misconception, though.

29

Yeah, but I don’t think Denis Leary is nearly as fucked up as Eminem…

30

Well, I don’t think he’s as fucked up as Eminem. But he certainly is offensize to people who’re easily shocked. Of course, not to the same extreme. But he has suggested that he’d like to shoot certain people in the head, makes fun of handicapped people, etc. But he gets away with it. In fact, people think he’s funny for it (not me personally, I think he’s just a prick).

31

:::raises eyebrow:::
Really?

Not that I would want our kid to have the album either, babe, but this increases the chance that he/she would go out and get it, especially if they take after my rebellious tendencies. Of course, hopefully we will have instilled something in them that would make them not want this, but hey.

What I would do is walk the kid to the store once they whined about not having it or being allowed to, maybe even buy it for them…then sit down with the kid and listen to every single song with them. Then I would have the kid read the lyrics to each song out loud to me…now, what kid–rebellious or otherwise–would want to tell their mom some of the shit this guy says? It’s kinda like what Malcolm’s dad did in a recent episode of “Malcolm in the Middle.”

And if that didn’t work, uh…

…um…

32

That’s actually a pretty grand idea, Ruff. Damn good idea.

33

But…he’s…white, and he…raps

::dissolves into laughter::

:slight_smile:

34

Yes, really.

35

His rapping style is like a stuttering man with turrets syndrome and gauze stuck up his nose. But for some reason I like it.

36

Uh, I think I spelled turrets wrong… in any case, I wasn’t referring to those machine guns you see on… those things…

Maybe I should go to sleep.

37

Tourettes (I think)

38

That’s it! And I think it’s actually Tourette**’**s, because it was named after someone named Tourette.

I’m suffering from major brain farts here. I think my core data is missing a few important ones and zeroes…

39

Well, it’s all been covered already, but I have a thing or two for you Swiddles.

1- I give Dre all the credit in the world, I just wanted to know what made him legit and not other rappers.

2- You stated it was an MTV thing, and all their fault, I simply wanted to make sure that any whimperings about their promotion of him wasn’t entered into the conversation. Freak is right, it’s all about the color GREEN, not his skin color.

3- Dre is the ONLY reason Eminem is popular today.

4- If you don’t like Eminem’s “bitchslap” lyrics, then why do you have such respect for Dre and NWA? They, as a collective, have done quite a bit of the same type of music. I hope oyu don’t take it the wrong way, but you don’t have to educate me in rap, or Dre, or NWA, I’ve listened to them all for many years.

5- ChrisCTP- I feel for Kim Mathers, but I have to wonder what runs through her head being with such a vile creature as Eminem is. [hijack]Doea anyone really know why Kim attempted suicide, or is it still wild specualtion on your part?[/hijack] I think the songs you’re talking about are equally disgusting, and I stated so in my original post.

Either way, I dig his music. Feel differently? that’s cool too, I don’t care. It’s all IMO, no reason to trip out about it.

-Sam

40

Based solely on his three singles, which are all I’ve heard, and what I’ve heard about the rest of the stuff on his albums, I offer my humble opinion: Eminem’s beats suck. His flow isn’t bad, most of the time, but Everlast, for instance, is an example of a white guy with real flow. What it is about him, I think, is that he’s a pretty smart guy, and manages, in between middle-school-esque rants about hating this member of his family and doing twisted shit to that member of his family, to hide a fairly incisive critique of pop culture (that’s in between and apart from the violent revenge fantasies, now). The problem is that the lad strikes me as being so fundamentally screwed in his head that he lacks the capacity (and/or the inclination) to cloak his really nasty inner thoughts in metaphor, like any responsible artist would, and still remain clear about the societal commentary.

What it boils down to, I guess, is that he has poor impulse control. Which is a shame, because I want to admire the guy for being totally unapologetic. I want to say, “Right on, brother,” when he gets into full-on Angry Young Man mode. I want to like the guy the same way we all like the artists who express what we’re thinking in a different or more clear way than had occurred to us. But I can’t, because for every time I agree with him, there are three times that I disagree, or just find him absolutely repugnant.

I dunno. I guess what I’m saying is that I think we should probably pay attention to what he’s saying, but for the love of Pete that doesn’t mean we have to celebrate the jackass. The adolescents who watch TRL, as a group, lack experience and confidence, as adolescents are wont to do, and thus are usually unequipped to make such a subtle distinction. Which is, of course, what we have parents for. To teach their kids the difference between healthy venting, on the one hand, and brutal dismissal of another person’s humanity in the name of your ego trip, on the other.

I do have a real burr under my saddle about the bread-and-circuses flavor that pop culture’s taken on in the last several years, but if I’m going to indict the entire entertainment industry for something, I think it’s laziness rather than evil. But that’s another rant, and this one’s already far too long.