Friday, March 29, 2024

Eminem deserves artistic recognition

Here I am in my final year at MSU and am thinking how amazing it is that nothing in The State News has irritated me enough to write in. It looks as if I spoke too soon. On Wednesday’s Opinion Page there was a piece on Eminem (“ Vile Rapper,” SN 1/10). My first thought was to give the paper credit. I thought, “Wow, there is something on rap music in The State News, and even better, it’s about somebody most people had heard of.” Now this in itself is a revelation, but then I read the article.

I do give you credit for saying he is worthy of recognition as an artist, because he is. You say his messages are “not appropriate for the teen and pre-teen audience of MTV.” If it’s so “vile” for kids to hear or see on television, then where are the parents?

Kids are more intelligent than people give them credit for. I worked with 8- to 16-year-old kids this past summer and almost all the kids had the album. Most of the kids had the edited version because of their parents. I asked them why they liked the album and most said because they liked the way Eminem flowed, the beats or thought he was funny.

Kids are smart and should be allowed to come to their own decisions with some guidance from parents. If anyone is to blame for this, it should be the press. All the publicity given to his content, as was stated by The State News, fuels the fire.

If I’m a 13-year-old kid hearing about how horribly wrong Eminem’s lyrics are, that they are so offensive, and should be kept away from children, I’m going to want to hear the album to understand the fuss. Believe it or not, the press has just as much influence on kids as anyone does. Yes, it gives Eminem publicity. But no one realizes it fuels the kids as well.

I don’t see a women’s lib movement because ’N Sync is singing about promising this and that. These are hefty promises a lot of men couldn’t deliver. Where’s the upheaval here? What about young Christina Aguilera telling boys to come on over? Is that appropriate?

Just enjoy the music. It is entertainment. If you don’t like the content don’t listen to it. Or, parents keep your kids from it. The press and protest groups should look in the mirror next time and look at their influences, because they have influence, too.

Steve Neumann
theater senior

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