# Eminem & Gay
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eminem-gay/146595
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [January 4, 2003, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eminem-gay/146595 "2003-01-04T12:52:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Leechlord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leechlord)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2003, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eminem-gay/146595/1 "2003-01-04T12:52:20Z")
Eminem has been using the word “faggot” in his songs. It’s a word means homosexual or gay & lez. It’s sure not a good example for his fans. Has anyone try to stop him from doin this? any organization or anything?
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### Author:  [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2003, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eminem-gay/146595/2 "2003-01-04T13:00:08Z")
ummm yes.
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### Author:  [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2003, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eminem-gay/146595/3 "2003-01-04T13:26:20Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Leechlord \*
> \*\*Eminem has been using the word “faggot” in his songs. It’s a word means homosexual or gay & lez. It’s sure not a good example for his fans. Has anyone try to stop him from doin this? any organization or anything? \*\*
Yes a lot of them. I think GLAAD is also one of them.
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### Author:  [@Zagadka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zagadka)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2003, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eminem-gay/146595/4 "2003-01-04T13:55:27Z")
I don’t think Mr. Mathers has made the connection that being a large public figure means that you are inherently FAR more responsible for your actions - he keeps whining about everyone targetting him when a lot of other artists do the same thing. Victim of his own popularity, I suppose. A lot of famous people loathe being watched so closely. Conversely, those organizations haven’t figured out that he is using the terms more as common slang than anything else. I can’t remember many media sources targetted at young adults tin the past decade that haven’t included fun words those.
The controversy is stupid for that very reason, but it sells his albums and makes them feel fuzzy, and the media are whores for stuff like this anyway, so it will continue.
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### Author:  [@Leechlord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leechlord)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2003, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eminem-gay/146595/5 "2003-01-05T09:11:32Z")
is Elton John gay? i need prove… adn y would he do a duet with eminem during the grammy award? isn’t tat risky?
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### Author:  [@beajerry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beajerry)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2003, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eminem-gay/146595/6 "2003-01-05T10:16:07Z")
Eminem’s world is very small.
Can the dude write about something beside his whiney little life?
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### Author:  [@ski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ski)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2003, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eminem-gay/146595/7 "2003-01-05T13:46:33Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by beajerry \*
> \*\*Eminem’s world is very small.
> Can the dude write about something beside his whiney little life? \*\*
Seems to be working for him, though. Both “The Eminem Show” and the soundtrack to “8 Mile” were in the top 5 albums of 2002 according to E! last night. That seems to be what his fans want, so why wouldn’t he keep it up as long as he can?
As to the OP, Eminem uses words and phrases a lot more offensive than “faggot” - that’s really pretty tame comparatively. And yes, of course people have complained and tried to stop him, but my guess is that all the negative publicity just adds to his popularity with his target audience. And, as stated above, it seems to working for the moment.
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### Author:  [@Road\_Rash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Road_Rash)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2003, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eminem-gay/146595/8 "2003-01-05T17:31:54Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Leechlord \*
> \*\*is Elton John gay? i need prove… adn y would he do a duet with eminem during the grammy award? isn’t tat risky? \*\*
Elton John REALLY DIGS the bad boys.
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### Author:  [@Slugworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slugworth)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2003, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eminem-gay/146595/9 "2003-01-05T20:16:08Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Zagadka \*
> **Conversely, those organizations haven’t figured out that he is using the terms more as common slang than anything else**
See, this is my main complaint with Eminem. He writes a song using the word “faggot” in a context where it’s _very_ clear that he is in fact singing about homosexuality, and then when he comes under fire for it, claims he meant it as common slang, as another word for a “lame person” or whatever. Either hate homosexuals, or stop using the term in a way that clearly indicates that you do. You’re entitled to your opinion, Eminem, but at least hold to it.
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### Author:  [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2003, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eminem-gay/146595/10 "2003-01-05T22:41:17Z")
iirc eminem had a ‘dialog’ with some gay group. can’t imagine the quid pro quo, tho.
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2003, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eminem-gay/146595/11 "2003-01-05T22:45:55Z")
By using certain words, he can increase his record sales. Seems like a perfectly viable capitalist technique to me.
The young man should be congratulated for his precocious understanding of market dynamics.