Last night on 60 Minutes, Anderson Cooper asked Eminem about “allegations” that he’s a misogynist and homophobe. Eminem claims he was “attacked”—over his violent lyrics toward women and gays—because of the color of his skin.
Eminem says that he didn’t “invent saying offensive things,” and implied that black rappers—who include derogatory remarks about women and homosexuals in their lyrics—aren’t singled out the way that he has been (which is completely untrue). Given Cooper’s recent involvement and dedication to anti-bullying/anti-homophobia strategies, it’s disconcerting and disappointing that he let the rapper off without really challenging his “this is my art” defensive.
Personally, I never really felt that Eminem was the brightest bulb in the bunch and viewed this as an explanation—though not an excuse—for his ignorance and lack of tolerance. This was crystallized in his 2002 single “Without Me” when he rapped his misunderstanding of basic bodily functions:
Cuz I’m back, I’m on the rag and ovulating
If you want to get technical here: that’s not how it works. But it could explain how he managed to have a child out of wedlock.
Cooper also bought into Eminem’s self-proclaimed street smarts (he dropped out of high school after three attempts to complete the ninth grade failed) that manifested into a love of vocabulary, as the rapper discussed his talent for wordplay. He believes that “orange” is a one-syllable word.
Eminem says that he wants to have “all these words” at his disposal at all times. Ironically, though, it would seem that the word “inescapable” has escaped him.
