I heard the song on the radio before I saw the video. I was deeply unnerved when I heard Rihanna's voice singing, "Just gonna stand there and watch me burn. But that's alright because I like the way it hurts."
What the fuck was this, "He Hit Me (It Felt Like A Kiss)"? I was appalled. However, I'd been hearing the previously released single from Eminem's new album, Recovery, on the radio. I thought, "I bet it's another one of those Eminem duets- and oddly enough, I trust him to make art." So I listened to the song, and when Violet Blue tweeted that the video was up, I watched it right away.
Why do I trust Eminem to make art? His rise to stardom was fueled by songs of hatred, violence against women, and homophobia. What about horrifying songs like "Kim", where he sings about murdering his wife? What about her suicide attempt, which took place shortly after she saw him perform "Kim" onstage in their home city of Detroit while abusing an inflatable doll representing her?
Photo: Danny Mayer/ Eric Ford/ On Location Photos
His crass, misogynistic "We Made You" video contains unforgivable images of him feeding a Kim Kardashian lookalike into a wood chipper, an appalling throwback to the notorius Hustler cover—and it was made in 2009. Is that the work of a person who's genuinely evolved from his crude Marshall Mathers/8 Mile hate speech era?
Aren't there some images that are too toxic to outweigh their possible value as social critique? Why has the cultural dialogue continued to exonerate him in the name of artistic genius and free speech?
Skip right OVER the gruesome rape scene? And enjoy "Song and Dance," which is about kidnapping, raping, and killing celebrities? Seriously, what can this person possibly contribute that is positive?
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