The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #31122   Message #403644
Posted By: Grab
22-Feb-01 - 09:25 AM
Thread Name: Eminem carrier of folk torch?
Subject: RE: Eminem carrier of folk torch?
The rap "Stan" (I'm not going to get into the argument over whether rap is a song or not, but it's certainly a rap :-) is actually pretty potent. The protagonist is obsessed by a pop star, and drives off a bridge with his wife in the boot of the car ("trunk" of the car for Americans).

Not exactly a peaceful loving song. But the protagonist dies, and he was very obviously a twisted individual anyway. Doesn't sound too much like glorifying it, any more than the film "Falling Down" glorified a twisted person flipping out. Much better than many folk/blues songs which often don't give any consequences of the murder. As an example, can anyone tell me how many wife-killings were caused by Hendrix singing "Hey Joe"? See how daft it is?

Sure, maybe homophobes will listen to the music for that, in the same way nutters in the 70s may have listened to Anarchy in the UK or other similar songs from the Sex Pistols and other punk bands. But ppl who aren't nutters are going to think "Oh, I'd better kill someone today", and anyone who is already a nutter is going to do it anyway, they're just looking for an excuse.

Grab.