A lot of haters are jealous

[rockydem]

Eminem and Howard Stern have done more for the progressive cause (by helping to get * out) in the last year than they will in their entire lives.

In addition, they have respect, accomplishment, fame and money - another thing their haters will probably never have.

[bloom]

1. they are the fools

"You can fool some of the people all of the time and those are the ones you want to concentrate on."

George W. Bush -- Gridiron Dinner, Washington, DC March 31, 2001

[meegbear]

2. He's a sensitive artiste

From "Kill You"
You faggots keep eggin me on
til I have you at knifepoint, then you beg me to stop?
SHUT UP! Give me your hands and feet
I said SHUT UP when I'm talkin to you
YOU HEAR ME? ANSWER ME!


From "Who Knew"
You want me to fix up lyrics while the President gets his dick sucked?
{*ewwww*} Fuck that, take drugs, rape sluts
Make fun of gay clubs, men who wear make-up


From "Skit: Steve Berman"
Steve: Tower Records told me to shove this record up my ass! Do you know what it feels like to be told to have a record shoved up your ass?

Eminem: But, I-

Steve: I'm gonna lose my fuckin' job over this. You know why Dre's record was so successful? He's rappin' about big-screen tv's, blunts, 40's and bitches. You're rappin' about homosexuals and Vicadin.


From "The Real Slim Shady"
But if we can hump dead animals and antelopes
then there's no reason that a man and another man can't elope
{*EWWW!*} But if you feel like I feel, I got the antidote
Women wave your pantyhose, sing the chorus and it goes


From "Remember Me?"

(guest artist Sticky Fingaz)
I'm the illest nigga ever, I told you
I get more pussy than them dyke bitches total

Want beef, nigga?
(Eminem)
Sick sick dreams of picnic scenes, two kids, sixteen,
With M-16's and ten clips each
And them shits reach through 6 kids each
And Slim gets blamed in Bill Clint's speech to fix these streets?
FUCK THAT! {thhbbpp} you faggots can vanish to volcanic ash
And re-appear in hell with a can of gas, AND a match


From "I'm Back"
With Ken Kaniff who just finds the men edible
It's Ken Kaniff, on the internet
Trying to, lure your kids, wit him into bed
It's a sick world we live in these days


From "Marshall Mathers"
New Kids on the Block, sucked a lot of dick
Boy/girl groups make me sick
And I can't wait 'til I catch all you faggots in public
I'ma love it.. (hahaha)

Plus I was put here to put fear in faggots who spray Faygo Root Beer
and call themselves "Clowns" cause they look queer
Faggot2Dope and Silent Gay
Claimin' Detroit, when y'all live twenty miles away (fuckin' punks)
And I don't wrestle, I'll knock you fuckin faggots the fuck out
Ask 'em about the club they was at when they snuck out
after they ducked out the back when they saw us and bugged out
(AHHH!) Ducked down and got paintballs shot at they truck, blaow!
Look at y'all runnin your mouth again
when you ain't seen a fuckin Mile Road, South of 10
And I don't need help, from D-12, to beat up two females
in make-up, who may try to scratch me with Lee Nails
"Slim Anus," you damn right, Slim Anus
I don't get fucked in mine like you two little flaming faggots!

It doesn't matter you {*edited*} faggot!
Talkin about I fabricated my past
He's just aggravated I won't ejaculate in his ass (Uhh!)



From "Amityville"
(guest artist Bizarre)
I fucked my cousin in his asshole, slit my mother's throat
{*AHHHHHHHH!*} Guess who Slim Shady just signed to Interscope?
My little sister's birthday, she'll remember me
for a gift I had ten of my boys take her virginity
And bitches know me as a horny ass freak
Their mother wasn't raped, I ate her pussy while she was 'sleep
Pissy-drunk, throwin up in the urinal (YOU FUCKIN HOMO!)
That's what I said at my dad's funeral


From "Bitch Please II"
So when you see me, dressin up like a nerd on TV
or heard the CD usin the fag word so freely
it's just me being me, here want me to tone it down?
{*LOWER pitch*} "Suck my fuckin dick, you faggot"
You happy now? Look here


From "Under The Influence"
(guest artist Dirty Harry)
Stranglin' rappers to the point they can't yell
Cuz they crew is full of fags and sweeter than bake sales


From "Criminal"
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!)


From "The Kids"
Mr. Shady will be your new substitute
while Mr. Kaniff is out with pneumonia (HE'S GOT AIDS!)
Good luck Mr. Shady

[rockydem]

4. in rap MCs often have alteregos

sometimes more than one...

Eminem has 'Slim Shady' - a nasty hooligan who makes fun of everyone and everything, including himself.

It's obvious on his albums as you move from song to song when he's rapping as Marshall Mathers and when he's rapping as 'Slim Shady' - hell he usually tells you.

He also takes on the role of other minor characters as well.

[MsTryska]

9. Exactly.....

in several of those lyrics, you see him mocking himself and the persona more than anything else. especially the Steve Birman bit.

Eminem is a wiseass and makes his money rattling people's cages. even if he wasn't making money, he most likely would have still been rattling cages.


and apparently the other poster's cage got rattled, and his job is done.

[prayin4rain]

6. self delete-double post

sorry :(

[prayin4rain]

7. Why did Elton John perform with him?

I have never listened to Eminem before and don't have a big opinion about him, because I just don't know enough about it.....but I do know that those lyrics are really AWFUL. And I also know when I did hear little things about him in the news I always thought -oh big deal isn't he joking anyway?- but I just had no idea his lyrics were that bad song after song after song. I am shocked I tell ya'.. and really why did Elton John perform with him?

[DrWeird]

10. Did you know Elton John is not really a Rocket Man?

Elton John understands the meaning of artistic license.

[prayin4rain]

11. I swear I will never understand why some people

insist on being rude just because you ask a question or have different opinion than they have. I go out of my way to be polite and respectful...I don't get it.

[DrWeird]

8. "I killed a man in Reno, just to watch him die."

-Johnny Cash

[Runcible Spoon]

3. listen, I don't lionize Eminem, Stern, or even Kerry for that matter

I do recognize that Stern and Eminem have a lot of credibility with their audiences, and anything anyone does that engages voters or potential voters with the issues is awesome. That said, i think it is a bit disingenuous to dismiss people who are critical of them for any number of reasons, be it Eminem's homophobia or Kerry's backing of Israel or whatever. They are not just "haters", for the most part eminem and stern don't speak for us, or even agree with us. But they are out there doing their part to get people involved, and for that I salute them.

[rockydem]

5. actually they do agree with us

Stern has been openly pro-choice, pro-gay rights for many years. He's talked about it on his show for a long time. It's no surprise he's come out against *.
He's supported some pubs for office - but moderate ones only. He supported Clinton.

Eminem is not the homophobic monster a small minority on DU make him out to be. He has intelligently addressed issues of race and class since he began. He stuck up for a gay man in his movie '8 Mile'.

I would say that the average DUer (not the small minority that can't understand) has more in common politically with Stern and Eminem than not.
Eminem was bashing * back in 2002 on his 'Eminem Show' album.

[Runcible Spoon]

12. one or two issues doesn't matter

I truly doubt that either Stern or Eminem is clamoring to be the mouthpiece for progressives. Just because we agree on one or two things does not qualify them to be such. I agree with Pat freaking Buchanan on NAFTA but I'm not out voting Libertarian! Stern and Eminem are entertainers, first and foremost. I have a lot of respect for their activism, and embrace what they are doing, but they are not the ones making policy.

[rinsd]

14. Totally agree....

One can give respect and praise efforts without idolization being required.

[rinsd]

13. I was waiting for the backlash to the backlash to the backlash.....

I like them both and I liked them both before they said diddly squat about Bush.

But Howard and Em were not exactly well liked on this side of the aisle for sometime. Howard was very supportive of the war initially(and some people have problems with his often degrading of women) and Eminem will not be winning NOW or LGBT awards anytime soon.

But for some going after Bush earns you sainthood while supporting Bush equals getting the devils horns(see Curt Schilling).

It's the lemming like black and white thinking that gets some folks irked. Especially when agreement is insisted upon. It's nice when people agree with me but its okay if you don't. Not everyone feels that way. Some feel its beneficial to have a large rabid group of people that can't believe that other think differently and demonize those that do. We used to have a name for them but sadly that behavior appears to be human nature not limited to a poltiical aisle.

[m berst]

15. lionizing celebrities is a problem

Nothing wrong of course with liking a particular artist's work, and if someone with access to the public does or says something that is helpful, that is fine, too.

But, live by the sword, die by the sword. The ultimate goal for media corporations - and therefore ultimately the effect of the celebrities on the community - is as far from the people's best interests as could possibly be. You may "like" Stern and not like Limbaugh, but politically and culturally the effect is not much different.

Celebrity worship feels good, but it is the "high" that comes from taking the drug of corporate control over your aesthetic sensibilites and free and independent creativitiy and self-expression.

Defend and lionize your brothers and sisters in the struggle - your friends, your allies. Elevate the common man and woman - humble, decent, hard working, talented people, abused, neglected, and hungry. See the beauty in the common place. Find the art hidden in the neglected and ignored corners of society.

This isn't hate, it is a plea for discernment and judgement in place of hero worship - especially when it is worship of heros who are manufactured by corporate pr flacks who kill more creativity and ruin more artists in a year then you will ever hear of in a lifetime.

There isn't a neighborhood in the country that doesn't have a brilliant artist or musician toiling in obscurity, and there is a lot more talent unsigned then there is on major record labels. Have the courage to take a stand for the people closest to you in all things, and be circumspect about following the herd - even if the corporate promoters are saying that this particular artist is for people who aren't following the herd.

[The Great Deceiver]

16. Correction...if I may be so bold

ESPECIALLY if the corporate promoters are saying that his particular artist is for people who aren't following the herd.