Enimen

BreakPoint with Charles Colson

Commentary #010223 - 2/23/2001

Eminem Ascending: The Grammys Double-Standard

On Wednesday, Marshall Mathers, the rap artist known

as Eminem, won three prestigious Grammys for his

music. But even as he accepted the awards, some

feminist and gay groups were protesting his violent

lyrics outside the theater.

When Eminem released his recording, "The Marshall

Mathers LP," last summer, it was a commercial and

critical smash. It sold 1.76 million copies in the

first week -- the second-highest total of all time.

And by the end of 2000, it had sold more than 8

million copies.

The album enjoyed critical raves, as well. Rolling

Stone magazine called it "loud, wild, dangerous,

grotesque, unsettling . . . [and] impossible to pull

your ears away from." Salon Internet magazine called

it an "airtight masterpiece of rhyme." And Newsweek

called Eminem "arguably the most compelling figure in

all of pop music."

But, as the quote from Rolling Stone suggests, the

lyrics and imagery on the album are vulgar and

shockingly violent. Mathers speaks about killing his

mother and his wife, as well as homosexuals.

But, for many critics, it seems, that's part of the

appeal. As Rolling Stone suggested, what made Eminem

the pre-eminent hip-hop artist was that he was "twice

as ill" as the competition. But others weren't so

sanguine. Later, Rolling Stone, almost as an act of

penance, ran a cover story called "Eminem's Hate

Rhymes." And as the same Salon that called the album

a "masterpiece" asked, "why are critics giving

[Eminem] a pass?"

No other artists, you see, has criticized Eminem.

Elton John, who is gay, even appeared with him and

performed with him. Why the approval?

Well, Eminen's lyrics about violence to women and

homosexuals have put the critics and the music

industry in a bind. You see, these groups believe the

purpose of art is to offend what they see as

complacent, self-satisfied, middle-class morality.

Artists like Eminem are supposed to obliterate the

boundaries of what is acceptable -- all in the name

of finding a "higher truth."

But, most artists and performers see themselves also

as "progressive" and are sympathetic to feminist and

homosexual causes. So, Mathers' lyrics have created a

real dilemma: Can they be true to their visions of

art and of politics at the same time?

Well, the National Academy of Recording Arts and

Sciences gave us the answer with their Grammys. What

you do is create an exception for those you consider

"artists." You let them get away with far worse

rhetoric than you would, say, a person of faith.

Remember when the gay student Matthew Shepard was

murdered in Wyoming, NBC's Katie Couric suggested

that people like Dr. James Dobson, who regard

homosexual behavior as sin, were responsible for

Shepard's death -- an outrageous suggestion!

But now comes an artist who said we should kill

homosexuals, and where's the outrage? There is none.

What a dreadful double-standard!

Well, I for one do denounce Eminem and the Academy

for condoning and even rewarding these kinds of

hateful and degrading lyrics. And I'm going to call

the attitude that condones this what it really is --

rank hypocrisy.

For further reference:

"Eminem Hate Rhymes." Rolling Stones, Issue

845.

"Invisible Man." Salon, 7 June 2000.

"Marshall Mathers LP." Rolling Stones, Issue 844.

"Slim Shady Sounds Off." Newsweek, 29 May 2000.

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