ANDREW SULLIVAN: Eminem teaches a lesson in the lee of war

The Sunday Times ^ | December 29, 2002 | Andrew Sullivan

[MadIvan]

Andrew's "end of year" piece.

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Bump!

[Happygal]

(I'm afraid to say it out loud in these parts)...but I like Eminem.

[Alkhin]

It is laughable how Jackson, Mortensson, et al are all running around saying LOTR supports the usual suspects in politics ie the geriatric bromides of environmentalism (Boyd and Monaghan talking about how Greenpeace is such a worthy group to support because Tolkien cared about trees and they should know plenty about trees because they played characters that liked trees on screen), and postulating that war really is caused by those GREEDY conservatives who want to take over the world.

It is laughable how they are going around seeing that, yet TTT is so akin to the war/realities/terrors we face in this day and age, it is difficult to find sympathy for them.

I am finding it increasingly difficult to watch the movies WITHOUT remembering how they are so adamant in their leftism.

[jwalsh07]

Marshall Mathers, aka Eminem, fantasizes aloud about raping and killing his mother.

There is nothing to admire about would be rapists, wannabe killers and mysoginists.

Andrew should have a chat with somebody, anybody.

[Miss Marple]

The movie was made before September 11, 2001. I believe what has struck the entertainment and the news people is how it is VERY easy to see parallels in the movie to the war.

MSNBC just ran a piece on Tolkien and his background. In the middle of the program, they ran a long analogy between Frodo's quest to destroy the ring and some ecologist's quest to save the rain forest of the Congo. It had NOTHING to do with Tolkien, or Britain, or mythology, or anything except saying "Look here! This movie is really about saving trees!"

A clumsy try, which my husband and I saw through.

I imagine there will be more of this as the movie's lessons are discussed, and as war with Iraq approaches. They are desperate to convince us that what we see isn't really there.

[tbird5]

allowing married clergy, talking about the possibility of women priests, or initiating a dialogue on the role of homosexuals in the church.....
Great writer but he can never think out of the box

[BenLurkin]

Eminem is a scuzz bucket:
This is a guy whose lyric to "KILL YOU" [a song addresed to a female victim] goes something like: "The only reason I let you breath is so I can hear you scream."
How pathetic of the left to blithley, indeed eagerly, cling to the knees of this type of cynical untalented piece of slime.

This isn''t black culture and it isn't American culture. It is the culture of the Clintonized debased, immoral and perverse Hollywierd criminal faction which is boucing this nation to its doom.

[johnb838]

This generation needs to face the draft. Let's bring it back.

[Argh]

I like Eminem

You do? Then here's a line of them:

Or maybe you'd prefer a wall full of Smarties:

Happy New Year, Irish!!

[Happygal]

Would you say I'd prefer the chocolate or the 'nutty' ones? *LOL*

Happy New Year to YOU TOO. Ye crazy Canuck. (You need to get out of the snow more often *LOL* ;-P)

[Argh]

You probably like the crunchy ones, just to be ornery. Maybe they don't have those over there yet. You're probably not missing much.

For 3 years, I've lived in the town with the best weather in Canada. We almost never have snow, maybe once a year and not for long. None yet this season.

See you, Irish!!

[noirgirl]

I liked Eminem in 8 Mile. He has a foul mouth--but it seemed to me that he actually displays a yearning for a stable family life--which is always a conservative impulse. He has a healthy sense of irony about himself--which makes him a lot easier to take than somebody like Bono. I don't think it is good for kids to listen to rap to the exclusion of other forms of music--but as rappers go, Eminem isn't so bad. I just hope he doesn't fall into the trap of believing the people who acclaim him as a genius. And now that he is an adult and a millionaire, he is going to have to find something new to do beside rap about his crummy life. I wish him good luck--cuz he'll need it.

[GeneD]

Andrew Sullivan can be very eloquent; he can also be very silly. This column combines both tendencies. He's best as a eulogist; witness his stirring commentary for Time on the September 11 anniversary. He's worst when he's right-on-with-it-now, as he is here, claiming Eminem and his "wit" are for the ages. He forgets the film pancaked after its sensational opening. He also forgets that National Review promptly became tiresome with its "conservative-movie" shtick.

I think of one of Shaw's "Maxims for Revolutionaries":

No age or condition is without its heroes. The least incapable general in a nation is its Cæsar, the least imbecile statesman its Solon, the least confused thinker its Socrates, the least commonplace poet its Shakespear.

Eminem is Andrew Sullivan's Shakespeare. It was offensive enough when one of Jonah Goldberg's henchmen (actually, a woman) insisted on calling the immortal rapper a "genius." Mr. Sullivan's already done it in Salon. Cut the comedy, Andrew.

[GeneD]

That should read "Maxims for Revolutionists." Sorry.

[Happygal]

which makes him a lot easier to take than somebody like Bono.

AMEN sister. As a life long U2 fan. (Under a Blood Red Sky the Live album being my favourite) it pains me to say that Bono is a Prize A pain in the ASS. Larry Mullen jnr., however is, and always WAS a prize piece of hubba!!!! :-)

[Gracey]

What you doing on here, MI? I read somewhere that you were partying in a NYC bar today. Do you carry your computer everywhere??? How was the party? Why wasn't I invited? Welcome to the USA, "cousin."

[Happygal]

Actually, I like the M&M icecream...you'd be surprised how versatile that can be...in good weather ;-P *ROFL*

[Happygal]

There is nothing to admire about would be rapists, wannabe killers and mysoginists.

IF everyone who voted for Clinton bought an Eminemn record young Marshall would be laughing for the rest of his life.

[Argh]

HAHahahaha, very good Irish. Of course I'll be sitting here with bated breath awaiting proof...

Oh, hell, Wisconsin just got a touchdown...