Americans are no longer are responsible for their own actions. If our children are hyper and receive low grades in school, we pump them full of amphetamines like ridilin and aderol. Too plump? We sue McDonalds (the suit turned out to be unsuccessful) for having tasty fries. Pennsylvanian doctors are making a mass exodus to states with more lenient laws concerning malpractice. Whenever the average American can blame a problem on something/someone else, they do so. .
Currently in the crosshairs of culpability is one Marshall Mathers. The Detroit rapper, known as Eminem, has stolen the hearts and ears of a generation. An average performance in an average movie, 8 Mile, has lead to record setting DVD sales. Each of the three music albums he has released has sold over a million copies, home and abroad. Eminem is everywhere. .
Like any other entity in entertainment, not everyone enjoys Eminem. His anti-fan base might not be as large as his devotees, but they are certainly vocal. The Gay & Lesbian Alliance against Defamation, GLAAD, has frequently protested Eminem. A GLAAD spokesperson was quoted, .
"Eminem's lyrics are soaked with violence and full of negative comments about many groups, including lesbians and gay men. While Eminem certainly has the freedom of speech to rap whatever he wants, it is irresponsible for UNI/Interscope Records as a company to produce and promote such defamatory material that encourages violence and hatred. This is especially negligent when considering the market for this music has been shown to be adolescent males, the very group that statistically commits the most hate crimes. ".
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In a song entitled Kim, Eminem describes a brutal and grisly tale of the murder of his wife, all in front of his daughter. This, among other references to rape, drug use, and violence has made some people ask "Should we allow our children to listen to this music. What kind of example is this setting?".
