Grotesque, Demeaning, Yet Mean

A white rapper streams out and bust rhymes as sweat drips down his face. He thrusts his hands in a gangster rhythm and jumps viciously forwards and backwards as his face snarls with intimidation. The audience bounces along to the beat and listens word for word as the lyrics continuously burn over and over in their minds. This is the music created by Eminem, also known as Slim Shady, real name Marshall Mathers. Deep entrenched …

…ongoing violence. “My nose is pointy / I’m the bad guy who makes fun of people that die / in plane crashes and laughs / As long as it ain’t happened to him” (“Criminal”). The critics do nothing but find a scapegoat for blaming and the real problems are ignored. Eminem is constantly criticized and in many places censored because of the explicitness he portrays in something that he is trying to tell others to prevent.