Entry #10 Review - "This Eminem May Melt Your Ears”
This Eminem May Melt Your Ears
By: Mike Ross
“This Eminem May Melt Your Ears” by Mike Ross is an interesting review done in 2001 on Marshall Mather’s new CD at the time. It is evident that Ross feels very strongly about this CD, and more specifically, its artist Eminem. Ross is very forward in passing on his judgment regarding Eminem’s music. Right from the beginning the reader can tell that Ross is against the “trash-talking rapper.”
Ross very descriptively describes Eminem’s music as “shocking, violent, sexist, vulgar, [and] outrageous.” He goes on to describe Eminem’s moods as anything from “manic anger” to “homicidal insanity.” This description made for a very interesting and entertaining read. I found Ross’s suggestion that Eminem “ought to make slasher movies” to be an insightful idea, as I agree with Ross that Eminem needs to find a more acceptable use for his “twisted imagination.” Ross also uses a few examples in the review, which adds depth and support for his insinuations of Eminem’s music. However, I can appreciate that Ross did not include certain examples of Eminem’s music that Ross states are a “string of matricidal abuse far too vulgar to print.” I know from personal experience that this is no understatement about Eminem’s music.
I am slightly embarrassed to say that when I was younger I was a fan of Eminem’s music. My friends and I would sing/rap along with the music, thinking that we were oh so cool. I look back now and ask myself, what was I thinking? I also ask, why my parents would allow me to listen to that type of music, if you can even call it music! I even used to own the movie “8 Mile,” which Eminem stars in. However, he is still famous and obviously still loved by many fans, as he is set to release 2 new albums this year.
I have always had a love for music. I grew up in a very musical household and began to play the piano at the age of 7. I took lessons for 8 years and to this day I still love to sit and just let my fingers roam over the keys. I have also played other instruments over the years, such as the flute and ukulele. To this day, I enjoy listening to almost all genres of music, but can you really call albums such as “The Marshall Mathers LP” and “The Slim Shady LP” music? This is undoubtedly a controversial topic, as some people would argue that Eminem is a talented rapper and others, including myself, believe the exact opposite.
I agree with Ross that Eminem “better delve into more interesting subject matter if he’s going to grow as an artist.” In comparison to last week’s review reading called “Exposing Ourselves in South Park,” I found this to be a more direct and argumentative review. Last week I was tempted to watch the identified South Park Movie just so that I could make my own opinions, but this week I already had strong opinions on the topic of Eminem, and the review has a very different effect on me. This time I do not have any desire to test the quality of the item under discussion!