Kate and I have been listening to some Eminem lyrics lately (warning- they are not for the faint of heart!). I think that most people would discourage listening to this stuff with your kids. I think that's fine, of course. Kate is the type of girl who asks questions, is inquisitive, and is a cynic. If I ban Eminem, guess what she's going to do? So I don't encourage her to listen, but the lyrics are everywhere in this digital age, so if she wants to listen, she'll find a way... Anyway, I took time to listen to some of the lyrics with her the other day, and offer my own commentary... Of course, Mac and I are ever weary of the old adage: "Garbage in, garbage out..."
Eminem is a Big Deal in her school. His lyrics are disturbing, to say the least. Profanity is only a minor offense you'd find in an average track. Since Eminem is about my age, I remember him coming onto the scene way back when. He is still immensely popular. I have sort of heard the lyrics here and there, enough to be familiar with the fact that he's got a lot of rage, a lot of drug issues, and a pretty large following of fans.
We happened upon the interview on 60 minutes. I thought Anderson Cooper was supposed to be one of the more "hip" newscasters, but he really looked out of his element! The questions were strained, the answers from Eminem even more strained. At one point, Anderson Cooper was looking through Eminem's box of discarded lyrics, and he commented lightly that the scribbling and random notes on various papers looked like the writing of a crazy person. Well, I told Kate just a couple of days ago, in all seriousness, that I think Eminem certainly has some psychological problems, and some of his lyrics are just beyond any normal thought process... Eminem himself, after giving Anderson Cooper a kind of tortured look, said, "That's probably because I am crazy..."
Pop stars, rap, music, fashion trends are all at the root of many discussions Kate and I have. Why do pop stars take drugs? Why are they so "lonely" in their lives? Why are fans obsessed with them? Why does fame and fortune not lead to happiness? Why does Eminem look so haunted, so disturbed? Why do some people "make it" in life and some people don't?
Parenting a teen... Such fun.
The whole conversation about Eminem and his lyrics reminded me a little of a comment Mom made way back when Sting (I think he was still in the Police) released the song Every Breath You Take. I of course thought the song was awesome, and I still like it. At the time, she listened to the lyrics as a mom does, but a teenager doesn't. She said, "Boy, he really has control issues." Yes, it sort of ruined the song for me, because it made me hear the lyrics more clearly. I'm hoping some of my "observations" about the lyrics of Eminem and others help "ruin" some songs for Kate.
Ultimately, though, this may be a huge exercise in Garbage In, Garbage Out...
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