Jeri - I looked at that Woody Guthrie song you linked. The last verse mentions Mike Tyson, who probably wasn't even born before Woody Guthrie died. Somebody's messing with that song. In Woody's book, he wrote, "Never trust a smiling cop."

I can't deny the artistry of Eminem's "Stan," on the album or with Elton John at the Emmy's. What pisses me off about Eminem and most rappers is the arrogant, pugnacious attitude. Every rap song seems to spew out this "I am the baddest and I'll kick your ass" attitude. I guess that pisses me off because I happen to know that I really am the baddest and I will kick your ass, but only if you force me to. I don't feel the need to threaten or intimidate or insult people or bruit it about that I have this vicious animal in me just waiting to get out. I trust that animal to come out when I need it, but I would feel unmanly if I couldn't contol it. And I think it's unmanly to constantly present that disrespectful, angry, intimidating attitude to the world.

I think it's sick to get off on frightening people. And most rap songs seem to revel in frightening people.