"I think if two people love each other, then what the hell? I think that everyone should have the chance to be equally miserable, if they want."
In fact, I could care less what the white trash rapper - bereft as he is of any real sense of racial identity - really thinks about the GBLT community. Maybe he's gay himself, maybe not. Maybe he's really been cool with it all along. It's totally irrelevant.
What matters is the damage he's done in the past - and present, because the garbage he's espoused hasn't gone away. It's held up as a cultural monument, a classic in pop culture history, and in hip-hop particularly.
And that's the tame stuff.
My friend Taylor Siluwé writes Eminem's lyrics off as "little juvenile, 'phobic mis-steps" and says "I never thought he was particularly homophobic."
I love Taylor and can understand his point of view: he welcomes the rehabilitation of someone who has form as an "enemy" of the gay community. MOC Blog echoes this, commenting, "The power of redemption serves to heal both the giver and the receiver."
But in his article at SGL Café, Taylor himself hits the nail on the head: "After all, he's a role model whether any of us want him to be or not."
The influence Eminem - and his ilk - exerts over young people cannot be underestimated. He is complicit in the deaths of each and every kid who's been taken by homophobic violence. How lovely that Eminem has chosen to say something slightly positive (and let's be clear, it is slight) about gay marriage. But has he renounced his lyrics? Is he doing anything concrete to make amends? His words are just words - for someone with so much blood on his hands, it's way too little, too late.
The stain he has left is indelible, and the damage irreparable. His legacy of hate is immeasurable, and the loss incalculable. This isn't hyperbole, it's fact that no amount of PR can gloss over.
I wonder - and so should you - what Jorge, Jason and Carl would be doing right now, had they not been slaughtered? And whilst you're thinking about that, ponder on this: does Eminem even know their names?
14 comments:
Marshall may know their names now, or maybe not. Too many in our society today wouldn't give two shits about another dead gay person (even a child). Too many parents will kick their own flesh and blood out onto the streets to turn to prostitution for a place to sleep and eat.
Is Hip Hop the disease, or just a treatable symptom?
I'd guarantee if I polled my neighbors, none of them would know who Jorge Mercado or Carl Walker-Hoover is. It's the apathy of this crazy world we live in where everyone knows who a nobody like Paris Hilton is, while missing the real tragedies around us, while mind-boggling blaming US for harming children.
If I recall correctly, Marshall HAS said he wouldn't sing 'phobic lyrics anymore. I could be wrong, but I think I saw that somewhere today. Yes, he's dropped the F-bomb. But he wasn't exactly singing Buju Banton style "Murder Music" about killing gays either.
Nevertheless, he's reaching out, and as loving decent people we should be able to forgive (if not forget), and move onto other targets. He's on our side now. We should take him at his word.
I don't want him on our side, I want vengeance, I want justice. I'm loving and decent, towards those who deserve it. One of the things the bible got right was "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." An eye for an eye wasn't far off the mark either.
There are some things, some evil acts, that are truly unforgiveable. Eminem is guilty of those crimes; those young boys are lost forever. They never had their lives.
He isn't reaching out - his agent is. It's spin and publicity. And that's merely salt in the wound.
Taylor - is it coincidence he's got a new album to promote?
Using that bible quote, I would assume then that YOU don't wish to be forgiven for anything?
And yes, I did note that he's got an album coming out. It is timely, but those words came out of his mouth not his agents. Plus, you have to consider the context of his recovery and growing closeness with Elton, and, I assume, others around him who aren't hateful homophobes.
With that in mind, this could be totally legit. If not, time will tell.
Maybe one day I'll meet Eminem and get a chance to sample his Skittles. If so, you'll be the first to know.
Well, the second. ;-)
If I'm responsible for the death of an innocent kid - no, I don't expect to be forgiven.
They came out of his mouth *via* his agent/minders/advisors whatever.
So what if he's close to Elton? How is that relevant? Above all else, Elton is another RICH GUY whose names starts with an E.
If there's any justice, Eminem will appear in the headlines as another celebrity dead before his time - although somehow I doubt it. That would be too just. And in any casem there'd be another hateful rapper following in his footsteps.
As you said, he's a role model.
this gave me a lot to think about
This entire thing wreaks of album promotion (and he probably needs the extra cash for more botox and restalin injections).
True, M&M peanut may have turned over a new leaf; however, while we can forgive we must certainly never forget the damage that he (and numerous other hip hop and reggae "artists")has wrought against the gay community.
Yesterday, I went to see the Karate Kid (excellent!)and there was a very profound quote made by Jackie Chan's character. "There are no bad students. Only bad teachers."
M&M is a bad teacher. He has legions of young males (his unwitting students) that look up to him (and have done so for years) and his message. Now, combine the two and you've just created a hostile environment for GLBT youth around the world.
All of those hateful anti-gay epithets M&M and other rappers bandied about so willy nilly were used as weapons against myself and other gay teens HABITUALLY. In my opinion it was nothing short of emotional TERRORISM.
To this day I really don't understand how espousing hateful rhetoric can be deemed as art. I've always viewed artists as creators not destroyers. And if you create work that indirectly destroys then you are just as culpable (if not moreso)than your throng of drones.
Again, I can forgive his @$$ but "artists" like him don't exist in my world. It is because of M&M and his ilk that little boys (like the ones mentioned) go through hell. It's because of "artists" like him that gays are ritually tortured in places like Jamaica.
The only thing M&M can do for me is create an album where he apologizes for all the gay kids he indirectly helped to torcher or commit suicide. Otherwise, and pardon my uncouth verbiage, FUCK him!
In these boys we should see ourselves and hold people like M&M accountable for their hatred and bigotry.
Anyway, he'll go on to sell a million albums to his cretinous knuckle dragging mongloid followers. Business as usual.
Damn Toddy ...
Don't bite your tongue, tell us how you really feel.
I can't argue with anything you've said. Well put.
I think I could easily delete all my own text and replace it with Toddy's.
I couldn't sway you, Taylor - has Toddy?
I agree with what he said. And there was no need to argue about forgiveness with Toddy, because he said "I can forgive his a$$", which, is really all I'm saying. Forgive the man and use our ammo on those who are still spewing bile.
You, however, in your cute little evil way, wished ill on Marshall whether or not his change of heart is legit. I'll always argue against that.
Even the biggest monsters can change. There have been times in my life when I've been the monster. So I can relate.
There was a time when even you might not have liked me very much (especially if we'd dated and I fucked all your friends).
And this is not because I wanna do him (I do), but I don't want Em making headlines "as another celebrity dead before his time". And you shouldn't either.
If nothing else, its really, really bad mojo.
Whatever your past failings as a person, Taylor - and believe me, I've plenty of my own - I doubt you could have been responsible for damage on the scale that Eminem is.
Personally, I don't get this obsession with forgiveness (and I don't just mean you).
The old maxim, don't get mad, get even is hugely appropriate. To that end, I'm not wasting time being angry and upset about him - I'd just like to see him get what he deserves.
I'm talking about consequences, and justice.
So what if he makes the headlines as "another celebrity dead before his time"? Whose loss will it be?
The only downside is he'd be a martyr to, as Toddy puts it, his "cretinous knuckle dragging mongloid followers". And that really would suck.
All this talk about the F-bomb reminded me of a piece I'd written for FlavaLife. The magazine tanked so I never submitted it, but I did post it on my blog.
Reading it over again, I realize that the F-bomb has a certain ambivalence with me, to say the least. Maybe I forgive it too often. Maybe its some internalized BS, but there have been times when I've been aroused by it.
I don't know. But I'd like to write another piece on the subject. Here's the original:
http://taylorsiluwe.typepad.com/taylor_siluwe/the-f-word/
That's a great piece - I don't remember reading that before. Maybe I was too distracted by that hot papi in the accompanying pictures, with his shaved crotch... Mmmm mmm mmmmmmmmm. lol
In any case, I could care less about the F-word. It's never really bothered me much.
With your friend Eminem, it's the sentiments, and the incitement to violence that's the real problem.
Not only does Eminem NOT know their names, he doesn't really care! I am all for unity and such, but the reality is he and many others like him are encouraging homophobic culture by what they say in the music they produce...It is SO amazing how he can okay, "I am for gay marriage" and we all just jump on it thinking it is all good now.
J'adore ce blog!!
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