eminem (was Re: hiphop discourse

[Thomas Eckhardt]

jbor wrote (about Eminem):

> A local radio station did a phone interview with him the other day where he
> stated that his lyrics are "parody" and that his teenage fans know that they
> are parody. I'm not so certain about the second part of that, but I thought
> the first admission was an interesting one.

I am not so certain about the first part either. Parody just like satire needs a
target, something that is being parodied. Certainly, his music is not a parody of
gangsta rap. Eminem, I would tentatively like to suggest, is referring to the irony
in his lyrics. The interesting question is what kind of irony he uses. Using irony,
of course, is the easiest way of saying "Hey, I probably didn't mean what I said. It
probably was an ironic statement." Often, you find out that people who are
permanently being ironical actually mean exactly what they are saying. They just
want to sound cool or don't wish to offend the other person's perhaps more pc
sensibilities. These people welcomed the attacks on the idea of talking respectfully
to and about one another also known as pc (yes, I am aware of the shortcomings of PC
with capital letters) in recent years. I think that Eminem, despite the masks and
the irony, expresses contempt for women (which has a long history in rock, see e.g.
"Yesterday's Papers" and "Under my Thumb") and homosexuals. I have listened closely
to the lyrics, and I don't like this part of it. It is interesting in the context of
bashing women, gays and Christopher Reeve, though, that Eminem never says anything
offensive about Afro-Americans. He could, couldn't he, if it was all about parody?

As to how the teenagers think about this, I wouldn't know.

This said, about his lyrics, Eminem can be a very exciting rapper. And I'd prefer
"Stan" or "The Real Slim Shady" to the latest crap from Bon Jovi or Celine Dion
every day. And yes, he is a story-teller, and "Kim" indeed is a murder-ballad - that
it is the most disturbing example of its kind for me is a definite sign of his
artistry. The song, by the way, is not ironic or parodic in the least. It certainly
is dramatic, though...

Thomas