Eminem's Controversial Song 'Criminal' and Its Impact on Homosexuals, Papers of Political Science

Download Eminem's Controversial Song 'Criminal' and Its Impact on Homosexuals and more Papers Political Science in PDF only on Docsity! Quoc Nguyen POLS 120 4/06/06 Sing Out Strong – “Eminem – Criminal” Composers: Marky Bass, Jeff Bass, Marshall Mathers Performer: Eminem (Marshall Mathers) Release: The song “Criminal” by Eminem was released on May 23, 2000. It was the last track on his record-selling rap album, The Marshall Mathers LP. When the album was released, it became the fastest-selling rap album in history. It sold 1.7 million copies in its first week. The album went 9x platinum in the United States. You can find the album in virtually every record store, online music retailers, itunes, napster, etc. Obtainment: I got the song from the original album. I bought the album during its first week of release. I legally own the copy of the song. The reason why I originally bought the album was because there was so much hype surrounding the album that I wanted to listen to it for myself. I have always been a fan of hip-hop and rap in generally so I was intrigued by this album. Composition: The song is an original composition by Marky Bass, Jeff Bass, and Marshall Mathers. Group: Gays/Lesbians. The song was scrutinized by GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation). I found out that GLAAD was against this song and Eminem because of information found on their website. I have listed the website in my sources page at the end of this paper. Hurtful Nature: The song takes aim at gays, lesbians, and transgender people. His lyrics encourage hatred and stereotypes against homosexuals. Eminem uses the word “fag” many times throughout the song. “Fag” is a derogatory term for homosexuals. In fact, Eminem uses the word “fag” 18 times throughout the album. One of the lines in the song is pretty straightforward as it can show hatred towards gays, “hate fags? The answer's yes.” Also, there are lines where it describes the actions of a gay man that is offensive, “That's my motherfuckin balls, you'd better let go of em. They belong in my scrotum, you'll never get hold of em.” Not only are the lyrics hurtful, but they are graphic in nature as well. One line in particular is extremely sensitive in nature. In the wake of Gianni Versace’s death, Eminem mentioned him in the song, “Hey, it's me, Versace. Whoops, somebody shot me! And I was just checkin the mail. Get it? Checkin the 'male'?” Several organizations have protested and have made complaints about this song. Some of the organizations are GLAAD, the National Organization for Women (NOW), and the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). Lyrics: Eminem World. “Eminem World Lyrics.” Eminem World. <http://eminemworld.com/lyrics/mmlp_18.php>. Criminal A lot of people ask me.. stupid fuckin questions A lot of people think that.. what I say on records or what I talk about on a record, that I actually do in real life or that I believe in it Or if I say that, I wanna kill somebody, that.. I'm actually gonna do it or that I believe in it Well, shit.. if you believe that then I'll kill you You know why? Cuz I'm a CRIMINAL CRIMINAL You god damn right I'm a CRIMINAL Yeah, I'm a CRIMINAL [Eminem] My words are like a dagger with a jagged edge That'll stab you in the head whether you're a fag or lez Or the homosex, hermaph or a trans-a-vest Pants or dress - hate fags? The answer's "yes" Homophobic? Nah, you're just heterophobic Starin at my jeans, watchin my genitals bulgin (Ooh!) That's my motherfuckin balls, you'd better let go of em They belong in my scrotum, you'll never get hold of em Hey, it's me, Versace Whoops, somebody shot me! And I was just checkin the mail Get it? Checkin the 'male'? How many records you expectin to sell after your second LP sends you directly to jail? C'mon!-- Relax guy, I like gay men Right, Ken? Give me an amen (AAA-men!) Please Lord, this boy needs Jesus Heal this child, help us destroy these demons Oh, and please send me a brand new car Explication: My interpretation of the lyrics is as followed. I believe that the song “Criminal” is rather offensive towards homosexuals. There really is no interpretation for the line about hating gays, “hate fags? The answer's yes.” It is what it is. Even though the whole song does not entirely target gays, the rest of it is still offensive and graphic in nature. Towards the end of the song, there is a little skit in which Eminem is holding up a bank. At the end of the skit, you hear a gunshot which implied that he killed the bank teller, “I said I'm not gonna fuckin kill you. Hurry the fuck up! {*BOOM*} Thank you!” You don’t know if he is serious or not about this song because there are some Eminem songs in which he says he’s just kidding at the end of it. This song seemed darker and grave than his other songs. I am a fan of Eminem, and I did purchase the album. I personally do not believe in the lyrics of the song. I am a fan of rap and hip-hop in general and Eminem is a very good rapper. The beats and the way he raps are enjoyable to me to listen to. Some people would say that listening to his CD would be hypocritical, but I think that the majority of people who do listen to his songs do not hate homosexuals nor do they want to rob a bank and rape women. Most people listen to his music because he is a great rapper and musician. Impact: The most harmful impact I see this song having on the public would be towards the youth and teens. A lot of young teens listen to Eminem, and there might be chance that they would take the song and it lyrics seriously. It might affect or alter their thoughts and opinions negatively towards gays and lesbians. There is still a lot “gay-bashing” among kids in school, and this can add fuel to the fire. There might be a possibility that this song will incite violence in the youths. Whether some people like it or not, Eminem is a role model to a lot of kids. Even if he does not mean everything he says, kids might not know that thus believing what he raps about is true. Eminem is also one of the most famous names in the entire music industry. Whatever he says or does will be heard throughout the general public. Every organization, gender, and groups he raps about or even mentions in his songs will be aware of it, and some will take offense to it. “Criminal” was the song that garnered the most attention because he did talk about a gay man, Gianni Versace. He did describe the actions of what a gay man would do to him. Because of this, people did protest and created uproar. The prominent organization that protested against Eminem and the song was GLAAD. When the song was released, they called upon his record label, Interscope Records, to stop producing and promoting the song because it does encourage violence. GLAAD contacted music retailers such as Tower Records and Amazon.com to stop promoting the song as well. They even requested that MTV air a promo about anti-gay violence prior to showing an Eminem song on its station. As you can see, the general public has not taken this song by Eminem lightly and has reacted actively towards Eminem. GLAAD even stated that this is the worst case of offensive lyrics they have ever seen. Response: An appropriate response to this song would be for Eminem to go out in the public to voice his true feelings towards homosexuals. Eminem did have an interview in Rolling Stone in which he responded to his lyrics. This was his response to the song, “Has anybody went out and bashed a gay person when they listened to my record? Has there been a case? The term "faggot" doesn't necessarily mean a gay person. To me, it don't. Everybody uses that fucking word.” He believes that people who listen to his records know that it is all a joke, “The kids listening to my music get the joke. They can tell when I'm serious and when I'm not.” He even said in the interview, “Relax, guy, I like gay men.” The interview, in my opinion, is appropriate. By reading the article, I sensed that he was dead serious. I feel that his response was sincere. Once again, I am mentioning GLAAD. They were the organization that responded to this song the most. They protested outside the Grammy Awards in which Eminem was performing. GLAAD Executive Director Joan M. Garry responded with this statement, "Our coalition's presence at the Grammys will send a powerful message that hate in any medium will not go unchallenged. And we will show that fair-minded people will hold those who promote homophobia, misogyny and violence against women and the gay community accountable for their words and actions." They have contacted numerous radio stations and retailers regarding Eminem. Their response was appropriate because they did attract the general public’s interest. They made the public aware of the Eminem and his songs. After hearing both Eminem’s and GLAAD’s side of the story, it is now the public’s response to what they are going to do. If you do not agree or like his lyrics, an appropriate response would be to not support and buy any of Eminem’s albums. Sources GLAAD. “History of GLAAD’s Work Regarding Eminem.” GLAAD: Fair, Accurate, and Inclusive Representaion. <http://www.glaad.org/publications/resource_doc_detail.php?id=2879>. Eminem World. “Eminem World Lyrics.” Eminem World. <http://eminemworld.com/lyrics/mmlp_18.php>. Wikipedia. “The Marshall Mathers LP.” Wikimedia Foundations Inc. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Marshall_Mathers_LP#.22Criminal.22>. Dansby, Andrew. “GLAAD Readies Grammy Protest.” Rolling Stone. Feb. 2001. <http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5918749/glaad_readies_grammy_protest>. Decurtis, Anthony. “Eminem Shouts Back About His Lyrics.” Rolling Stone. July 2000. <http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5928415/ eminem_shouts_back_about_his_lyrics>.