The analysis of Eminems lyrics - Essay Example

Eminem’s lyrics make use of traditional negative ideals about women. His songs depict women as whores, sluts, drunks, unfit mothers, unequal to men,and helpless. These lyrics are about women and girls in his life; past and present. Even when speaking positively about women, Eminem talks about taking care or protecting them like they are objects. The surprising fact is not only men embrace Eminem songs, but women as well. Eminem’s views of women are espoused in his songs, because in real life he has no control over the women he loves. The feminism movement has been successful in gaining women rights, but men’s perceptions of women at a base level have not seemed to change. Eminem, like many men of this generation, use demeaning speech to convey their frustration at not being able to be in control of women, plus this kind of humiliation raises the man’s self esteem. Eminem was raised in Detroit with a mother who according to him was an alcoholic. He had a daughter, Hailie with his girlfriend, Kim, who later became his wife (Ankeny and Bradley). These three women affected Eminem’s lyrics immensely. Toward his mother Eminem is very bitter. On one CD he sings, “You selfish bitch; I hope you fuckin burn in hell for this shit” in the song Cleaning out My Closet (Eminem b, 2002). Eminem cannot prevent his mother’s addiction to prescription pills, so he talks about her using profanities and death wishes. Another example of Eminem’s disrespect for his wife appears on the 8 Mile soundtrack. One song states, “Baby mama drama’s screamin on” (Eminem a, 2002). In his lyrics, Eminem puts Kim in a traditional role as mother of his child or a piece of property as his wife. Eminem even wrote a song (not playable on the radio stations) about Kim on the Marshall Mathers LP detailing how he would torture and kill her. The last lines were “NOW BLEED! BITCH BLEED!BLEED! BITCH BLEED! BLEED” (Eminem, 2000). Kim’s offence was to cheat on him. In his album The Eminem Show, Eminem raps, “But the smartest shit I did was take the bullets outta that gun Cuz Ida killed him; shit I woulda shot Kim and them both” (Eminem b, 2002). Eminem is not coming out and saying that he wishes the laws of the middle ages were in effect concerning women, but his songs show that if Kim Mathers had cheated on him a couple of centuries ago, she would have been dead. When a woman cheats on a man, his ego is damaged. A civilized man divorces his wife and moves on with his life, but some men cannot move on. Many male fans of Eminem identify with his rage. When Eminem turned his thoughts into a rap, the idea of killing a cheating spouse becomes acceptable; at least to think and sing about the concept. The problem is if enough men who listen think it is okay to imagine killing a woman; it will not be long until killing women becomes acceptable. First it will be cheating women, but then it will go on to all women. Eminem has admitted to loading and unloading a gun in relation to his wife. What would have happened if he would not have unloaded his gun? This is a frightening concept. The one woman/girl Eminem seems to love is his daughter Hailie. On the album The Eminem Show, he sings “I got my baby, baby the only lady that I adore (Hailie) on a song named after her (Eminem (b), 2002). Yet Eminem’s love is more possessive, like Hailey is his property. An example is later in the song with “Our babys traveled back to the arms of her rightful owner” (Eminem (b), 2002). He feels as if he owns Hailie. Most of his lyrics concerning Hailie deal with him being her sole provider, her rock, and basically her everything. By becoming Hailie’s protector, it seems that Eminem’s self esteem rises. Society cannot say he is a bad Dad, because he loves and protects his daughter. Eminem also has obscene lyrics for woman other than the ones closest to him. His songs call women bitches, hos, chickens, and sluts. His most famous song degrading women in general is Superman on The Eminem Show. This song repeats bitches, hos, and slut throughout, but the most disgusting verse is “put anthrax on a tampax, and slap you till you cant stand” (Eminem (b), 2002). The anthrax references represents Eminem’s dominance over a woman, where after he is done with her, no man should be able to have her. To Eminem all women, including his mother and Kim, are whores. bell hooks would equate Eminem with misogynistic in her film (bell hooks: Cultural Criticism & Transformation, 1997). When she was talking about rappers in her film, bell hook used gansta rap as an example of woman degradation, it is likely she would condemn Eminem on this issue as well (bell hooks: Cultural Criticism & Transformation, 1997). Black or white, the majority of men in today’s society feel women are lower than themselves. Eminem is an example of a white man, but African American males can also discriminate against women. An example is Malcolm X. Malcolm X before becoming Muslim dated a white woman because she was a status symbol (Kelley, 1994). Women are commodities, to be used or abused. All women are lower than men, despite their race. In fact, men sleep with other races to feel like they are taking that ethnic group’s women. That makes a man feel more macho; taking away another’s woman. Or the total opposite of that theory is some men do not want to contaminate their pure blood, white, black, Asian, or other races. Either way the woman is seen as booty or property of their men. Eminem, like many men, have preconceived notions about what a woman should be. The media teaches that mothers are nurturing and loving. Mistresses are whores with no feelings, only there for the man’s sexual pleasure. Daughters are to be loved and protected. Eminem was bombarded from birth in our visual world, from June Cleaver to old Hawaii Five-0 reruns where the hooker gets beaten by her pimp. Eminem is repeating the cycle of media negativity against women with his songs. Women need to be treated as individuals and not objects. Until it becomes unacceptable to treat women as property or in traditional roles, men will always make entertainers like Eminem rich. Our society will also continue to produce entertainers with Eminem’s views. References Ankeny, Jason and Bradley Torreano. “Eminem.” All Music Guide. 2006. AOL. 7 Oct. 2006 http://music.aol.com/artist/eminem/347307/biography bell hooks: Cultural Criticism & Transformation. Dir. Bell Hooks. Perf. Bell Hooks. The Media Education Foundation, 1997. Eminem (a). 8 Mile. Interscope, 2002. Eminem (b). The Eminem Show. Interscope, 2002. Eminem Marshall Mathers LP. Interscope, 2000. Kelley, Robin D. G. “The Riddle of the Zoot: Malcolm Little and Black Cultural Politics During World War II.” Race Rebels: Culture, Politics, and the Black Working Class. New York: The Free Press, 1994. Read More