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| quote: | Originally posted by webmeister
I think you guys give Eminem too much credit.
He's nothing more than a poor guy that's been shoved into the spotlight by greedy PR flacks, spin-doctors and fat-cat executives. They know that by selling the "rebel" image to disillusioned teenagers (which I assume most of you are), they can sell SHITLOADS of albums.
And damned if it doesn't work.
It works for Eminem, it works for punk/ska bands like Blink, it works for Marilyn Manson, it worked for Kurt Cobain, it worked for Mick Jaggar, hell it even worked for Frank Sinatra and James Dean 50-odd years ago. And I imagine it'll keep on working into the future.
Example: for people to take you seriously as a rapper, you need to be a felon. You rap about being behind bars etc, so you need to have done some time, had some charges, something to put on show. Weapons charges?? I'd be surprised if there were any weapons in the first place. Those weapons charges were just a cheap publicity stunt to boost his profile and give him some credibility as a rapper.
It's the same as when Britney has a new single or album coming out. Suddenly a whole heap of Britney stories start appearing. The classic in this case is how she wants to date Prince William. She probably doesn't even know who this Willy guy is, but it's a good story and it gets Britney out into the news. (Personally, I'd love to see those two get married and have Britney Spears as the Queen of England 50 years down the track .. I'd laugh about it everyday )
I should probably point out at this stage that I'm actually a journalist, so I see this sort of thing happening all the time. PR people push "news" at you all the time, offer you exclusives, just so that Eminem or Britney can get on the front cover or the front page or whatever. And I hate it with a passion.
But it's time to return to the point: Eminem's lyrics. Say what you will about them, either way I don't hear them so I don't care. But saying naughty words and politically incorrect things about whoever his writers can think of is only another extension of what I've said above. His PR flacks, media "minders" and other assorted managers push these things into his tracks for the same reason - saying controversial things gets him on the front page of the newspaper. And then having all the do-gooders, concerned parents, bleeding-heart politicians and godbotherers stand up and say "teenagers shouldn't listen to this" only makes said teenagers go out and buy it.
Note that I'm not criticising anyone for this. I used to do the same thing when I was younger - I used to be really into Nirvana, bought all the t-shirts, videos, cds, concert tickets, you name it. Totally bought into the whole thing. Once you get a bit older (and no I'm only 21 before you ask) you start to see through these things.
I suppose at the end of the day, the music industry isn't about music at all. It tends to define who you are as a person. Notice when you're at school, people congregate in groups, and usually those groups are musically aligned. Not always, but it happens too often to be mere coincidence.
When you buy a CD or download a track, you make a statement about yourself as a person. We're all here because we identify ourselves as being trance addicts (duh  ). Similarly, people tend to start imitating their favourite musicians. And if you don't believe me, the number of white middle-class 13 year old boys I see here in Australia walking, talking, dressing and acting like Eminem is just frightening. And saddening at the same time.
So I guess my overall point is that music isn't music. It has a whole stigma attached to it. What does this have to do with Eminem? He just demonstrates this more clearly than most people.
EDIT: Apologies for the post length, but I could go on and on about this sort of stuff - I did a whole uni degree about it Seriously though, please try and read all of it. Intelligent replies only plz 
Cheers! |
vrey intelligent post, I agree
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