Eminem, a role model?

Eminem : a role model ?

Difficult question, but we should dare asking. It may raise a lot of controversy, but we should try to analyse Eminem’s influence. I’d say that it actually depends on what kind of people access to his lyrics and life story.

The only great danger is the misinterpretation of his lyrics. Personally, I don’t think Eminem endangers the youth. Ghetto kids, no matter what color they are, are used to strong language anyway and usually get his jokes. Suburban kids are more likely to misinterpret his lyrics, but their parents should take their responsibilities seriously. Knowing that Eminem’s lyrics are aimed at an adult audience, they could advice them to buy clean versions of his albums. The parental advisory sticker reminds the parents of their responsibility in front of their kids. They should allow their kids to listen to any kind of music they want to, but just be careful and help them not to misinterpret it and to act foolishly in real life. But they should never forbid their kids to enjoy the music they like.

If you ask me if Eminem is a role model for me, I’d say yes, because he showed me a great model of perseverance and faith. His music has been a therapy for me in so many ways. Like anybody of us, Marshall Mathers has also made some mistakes in his life that could have even cost him his career as a superstar, but he has learnt a lot from his former mistakes. He has shown more maturity in his personal life and also in his lyrics from his latest albums. I think Eminem’s fanbase understands this very well and is not endangered by him nor by his lyrics.

Eminem joked about the misinterpretation of his lyrics in his song “Role Model”. It is done on purpose. You cannot take his statements seriously.

“I came to the club drunk with a fake ID
Don’t you wanna grow up to be just like me!
I’ve been with 10 women who got HIV
Now don’t you wanna grow up to be just like me!
I got genital warts and it burns when I pee
Don’t you wanna grow up to be just like me!
I tie a rope around my penis and jump from a tree
You probably wanna grow up to be just like me!!! “

Would you like to imitate a man who claims to tie a rope around his penis and to jump from a tree ? Unless you’re brainless, you won’t imitate such actions. Those sarcastic sentences are put here on purpose to make you understand how foolish and irealistic those statements are.

In fact, the biggest threat comes from intolerant conservative people who constantly target Eminem as a bad person by taking intentionally his lyrics out of their context in order to shut him down.
Marshall Mathers is not the root of all evil. Take a look at his real side and you will clearly understand that he’s not a hate monger who wants to degrade society’s values, but a sensitive artist who is craking jokes most of the time and who teaches us to humor ourselves!