Eminem is a mass of insecure and angry flesh. I wouldn't have expected anything less from him. But neither did MTV, known for redefining "inappropriate", they just pulled the "mooning" to avoid CBSesque consequences.

But to your second point, I do think however, that "Hip-Hop" is independent of its perpetrators who have brought it to place of uncouth behavior and "values" degeration. It's a powerful medium that needs to be used correctly.

Ah Eminem. Where did we go wrong as a culture when it has become hip to be angry? Poor guy. Rich as he is, his insecurities still show.

I like your comment ambra, Hip-Hop has strong influences... I'd like to see those influences become positive.

My 15 year old thinks he's a "poser." Cashing in on a music genre of another race.

I enjoyed Eminem's movie "Eight Mile", but I do have a problem with the whole hip hop culture.

As far as I can tell, a fundamental element of hip hop culture is insults. Who can insult who the best.

Hell, they have competitions to see which rapper can ridicule the others the best. No wonder Tupac and Biggie were shot. They were really good rappers and that means they were probably good at insulting people in their rhymes.

"You can't be dissing me. Blam! Blam! Blam!"

I don't see the appeal.

Sean, thanks for a good laugh !!

The reason that Eminem's jabs about his rival's parents and prep school were potent was because the guy spent years building up a reputation as some sort of hard-core gangsta from the rough streets when he really wasn't. Not because of any contempt toward people who live in such conditions. If you paid attention, Eminem's biggest lyrical scores came from him being proud of and embracing his whiteness, i.e. himself - which was the theme of the film if you missed it. How is he blacker in victory?

People pay thousands of dollars to see boxers beat the crap out of each other and our #1 sport is people knocking one another to the ground on a football field, and somehow a couple of guys creatively trading insults is beyond comprehension?

Sorry if my post comes across as being disrespctful, this is one of my peeves.

- Rashid Muhammad

Creativity aside... America's #1 participation sport is boating/yachting. (Call it wichever term you want) Football is a spectator sport. Yeah, swapping insults is better than blows, but suggesting in lyrics that killing is a good idea, or glorifying prison life... well, I'd rather my kid watched football. Personally, I don't care much for either.

There is no "theme" to eight-mile. Simple marketing of a rapper. It is just another load of pretentious hype from a boy claiming to be what he is not. (eight-mile road in Detroit is 30 minutes from my front porch... and NOT a good place to be after dark! But, how long did he live there, if at all?) It's the worst piece of cinemagraphic fesces I have witnessed since "Fargo." (It's an opinion, not a truism, folks)

I'll take your word on boating, but I've never seen any boating event get the pub that fight night or the Super Bowl gets. Or maybe I've just been living under a rock. The point is that, despite your personal preferences, there are competitions that could be considered much more damaging than a couple of rappers spitting hyperbolic rhetoric at one another happening every day in America with widespread approval.

I'll take the no theme in 8-mile bit as selective ignorance. It is an unabashed star vehicle to be sure, but there is a story with a character arc (no matter how weak it may be) and a theme that molds the arc. That is a truism, though again, the quality of said story / arc / theme is definitely fodder for opinion.

Selective ignorance? Hey, I like that! Probably it's more a difference in our definition of "theme." Veiled name-calling aside, we have, for the most part, a "violent agreement" here Rashid. Even if I were to see a theme in the movie, it still isn't anywhere near academy award material. The film has no redeeming qualities as cinema. Poor direction, bad storyline, low-quality acting, and below average cinematography.

I highly doubt that you are living under a rock. I merely differentiated between spectator sports and participation sports. Nope, you won't see that kind of publicity for boating. (that doesn't mean it isn't popular)

Personal preferences? I'd say that you are showing us yours as well. The damage on a football field, or in a boxing ring, is to the participants. Rap can cause damage to the spectators. Of course, I believe that the responsibility for that damage doesn't belong to the rapper. It lays at the feet of the people who errantly emulate the lifestyle promoted by the songs, instead of just enjoying the art form. I think it's the emulation that makes people recoil, more than the insult swapping.

I never suggested that rap be stopped, I only said that I don't enjoy it. (there was a time I did... before it went "gangsta") Let me refer you back to ambra's comment... and that the influence of rap should be used correctly.

Years ago, when rap first started, some inner-city educators used rap to help kids learn school lessons. They had amazing success. A kid could remember points put with the beat that they seemed to miss altogether in text form.

I just think that rap which glorifies prison life or shooting people, ranks right up there (or actually down there) with country music that glorifies sleeping with someone else's wife.

Eminem is the best rapper around in my opinion he tells all of us about his past n that has 2 take alot from some1 maybe he shouldn't have swear as mcuh as he does but if u ppl don't like him then don't listen to him but just stop sayin how much u h8 him n move on 2 better things stop draggin it out

Eminem is the best rapper around in my opinion he tells all of us about his past n that has 2 take alot from some1 maybe he shouldn't have swear as mcuh as he does but if u ppl don't like him then don't listen to him but just stop sayin how much u h8 him n move on 2 better things stop draggin it out