Eminem Bars 'Weird Al' Parody Video

[Stig Swanson]

Eminem Bars 'Weird Al' Parody Video




May 10, 7:53 AM (ET)

By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY

NEW YORK (AP) - Eminem may poke fun at himself in videos, but he doesn't want "Weird Al" Yankovic doing it. Eminem won't give Yankovic permission to shoot a video for his new song, "Couch Potato," a parody of Eminem's Oscar-winning tune "Lose Yourself," Yankovic said.

"The only reason I could glean was that making a Weird Al music video would detract from his legacy as a serious hip-hop artist," Yankovic said Thursday. "It's very disappointing. This could have been my best video ever."

Eminem parodies himself and other celebrities in some of his most famous videos, including "Without Me," where he depicts himself as a fat Elvis Presley.

But an Eminem spokesman said "Lose Yourself" was special to the rapper, who didn't want the song's serious tone undermined by Yankovic's humor.


"It's an important personal piece of music for him, a piece of art," spokesman Dennis Dennehy said Friday. "He doesn't mind him doing the song, (but) he didn't want to change kids' visual perception on what that image was. He wanted to make sure the image would remain intact."

Artists who have allowed Yankovic to parody their songs and videos over the years include Michael Jackson - whose hits "Beat It," and "I'm Bad," became "Eat It," and "I'm Fat" - and Madonna, whose "Like a Virgin," which became "Like A Surgeon."

Yankovic said the rapper allowed Yankovic to redo the theme song from the hit movie "8 Mile," but said he would need to hear the final mix before granting the video rights. After receiving the final version of the parody - which pokes fun at television addicts - the rapper's representatives said he would not allow a video.

"We started preproduction on (the video) already, because we just assumed that there wouldn't a problem," Yankovic said.

Yankovic said Eminem also refused to allow him to release the song as a commercial single. It's the first cut on his 11th album, "Poodle Hat," which also parodies songs by Avril Lavigne and rapper Nelly. It's due out May 20 on Way Moby/Volcano Records.

Although Yankovic says he's grateful to Eminem for allowing him to parody his song, he's still lamenting what would have been his "most ambitious" video ever - heady words, coming from a man who dressed up like Jackson in a fat suit for the video "I'm Fat."

"You'll just have to listen to the song and close your eyes and imagine what might have been," chuckled Yankovic.

---

On the Net:

http://www.weirdal.com

 

[huntersdada]

"He doesn't mind him doing the song, (but) he didn't want to change kids' visual perception on what that image was.

Been to the mall lately? I don't think he has anything to worry about . I'd say just guestimating that 80% of boys age 11-20 have the exact same haircut. Proly 100% have heard his "music". By not allowing the video, he shows that he takes himself wayyyy too seriously. A legend in his own mind.

 

[Metalmorphose]

Eminem is just another musically talentless, lowlife loser,
who unfortunately has become an American icon for thousands and thousands of teeny-bopper boys.
And what a lovely role model he is!
This punk almost makes Ozzy look virtuous!
What a weenie wimp!

 

[Walrus Whisperer]

I LOVE Weird Al. Eminem has a bad attitude.


PS: Have you ever heard Weird Al's "Christmas at ground Zero"? Perfect doomer song.

 

[lister]

this isnt the first time al has been turned down by people. the thing is he usually goes ahead and does it anyway because mandm does ot have a legal leg to stand on over parody.
weird al has done several vidios where the "artist" has been against it, but he has cowed down to emandhuum for some reason.
perhaps emanddem has some power that other 'ARTEEST'S" dont, or he threatoned to sue him.
this would be a great nusance suit and if femanem was to take it to court it would be fun to see how everyone would be calling him a spoiled brat like they have been doing since he got his first pubic hair. besides, the weird one would get some great publicity, and because the suit had no merit, fem-man-fem would end up paying the bill.
i wish weird al would do the one 'would the real slim shady please shut up- please shut up- please shut up"
btw- does anyone have a link to that?

 

[BadMedicine]

Eminem is just another musically talentless, lowlife loser,
who unfortunately has become an American icon for thousands and thousands of teeny-bopper boys.

you're jealous. haha.

The guy took his sorry ass at 25+ and shot to the top of everything he ever tried. He's the biggest thing since Dr. Dre and even the Black rappers except him because they can't say one thing bad about him without a full song of lyrical poetry so dense that they wont hear all the insults and pun ands metaphors until they've heard it for the 300th time..which they will because rappers no they can only get smarter/better by listening to his music. Teeny bopper boys? try girls too. Try women and men. The dudes a friggen genius. May have some social issues, but wake up to america. He's the peoples choice..not the hollywood rapper who talks about how rough it was eve nthough he grew up in a middle-class suburban home with both parents. Lose yourself really is one of his better more serious songs. But you should just judge him by the one song you've heard on the radio "the real slim shady" That one was for the kids..and now they're hooked.

yeah, dudes a lyrical genius and has an exasperating grasp on the english language. Einstien didn't do so well in school and didn't have alot of friends as I rememebr it either.

 

[Yammy]

Stupid move on M&M's part.
Weird Al has a much broader appeal to other age groups than the teeny boopers. In the case of some of the baby boomers who don't listen to M&M, they MIGHT actually take a listen to his stuff after the parody. It would more than likely BOOST M&M's sales.

sigh~

 

[MinnesotaSmith]

I like "Weird Al", too...

And, Eminem is a hack/shock singer, NOT an artist IMO.

http://www.com-www.com/weirdal/christmasatgroundzero.html

Christmas At Ground Zero
by Al Yankovic

NOTE: Both the original and "Alternate Mix" versions have the same lyrics.


Lyrics:

It's Christmas at Ground Zero
There's music in the air
The sleigh bells are ringin' and the carolers are singin'
While the air raid sirens blare

It's Christmas at Ground Zero
The button has been pressed
The radio just let us know
That this is not a test

Everywhere the atom bombs are droppin'
It's the end of all humanity
No more time for last minute shoppin'
It's time to face your final destiny

Well, it's Christmas at Ground Zero
There's panic in the crowd
We can dodge debris while we trim the tree
Underneath a mushroom cloud

(siren)

You might hear some reindeer on your rooftop
Or Jack Frost on your windowsill
But if someone's climbin' down your chimney
You better load your gun and shoot to kill

Oh, it's Christmas at Ground Zero
And if the radiation level's okay
I'll go out with you and see the all new
Mutations on New Year's Day

It's Christmas at Ground Zero
Just seconds left to go
I'll duck and cover with my yuletide lover
Underneath the mistletoe

It's Christmas at Ground Zero
Now the missiles are on their way
What a crazy fluke we're gonna get nuked
On this jolly holiday
What a crazy fluke we're gonna get nuked
On this jolly holiday

(siren)

 

[Bearded Weirdo]

Lister, I like that one - Feminem.

Bad Medicine, my guess is Eminem will be the opening act for Quiet Riot ten years from now (or sooner).

 

[Metalmorphose]

The dudes a friggen genius.

[/B]

We're still talking about Eminem here right?
Genius?
Eminem?
BadMedicine, I'm going to have to severely disagree!
Let's get our priorities straight here.
Eminem is the trash talking, white boy trying to act African American rapper, who's outrageous lyrics and behavior negatively influence thousands of young people's minds(especially boys) into thinking it's perfectly cool to verbally and physically abuse your mom or girlfriend or wife or kids.

And then there's someone like Stephen Hawking
Now that man is a REAL genius!

 

[Exit 316]

FWIW.......Legally Wierd Al may go ahead and do the parody if he wants to....The Doctrine of Fair Use (17 U.S.C. 107) allows, among other things, artists to parody a song with or without the copyright holders permission. For example, in 1992 the group 2 Live Crew asked the publisher of Roy Orbison's song "Pretty Woman" for permission to parody the song. The publisher refused but 2 Live Crew went ahead and did the parody of the song. Of course there was a lawsuit which eventually made it all the way to the US Supreme Court. Nonetheless, the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of 2 Live Crew allowing parodies to fall under the category of fair use. Now granted the 2 Live Crew dispute involved merely a song and Wierd Al is in the business of video....still, there should not be a problem. Therefore, it would not suprise if Wierd Al and his cronies decided to go ahead with their parody project......I guess time will tell.

 

[BadMedicine]

influence thousands of young people's minds(especially boys) into thinking it's perfectly cool to verbally and physically abuse your mom or girlfriend or wife or kids.

it's not? Physical abuse? now you've fallin for his crap I'm gonna need a link about that one!! You wouldn't say your mom was a b!tch if she tried to sue you for 10 million? he's pretty rich, but not enough to fund that one with a smile on his face..especially after his very first album, when she filed suit. gf? If she don't like it she can leave...personally I think she liked the SUVs and money. Kids? He doesn't hardly wite a rap without including Haileys name in it somewhere and say how much he loves her..so I'm going to have to see the link for that too. You get all your info from that eternally honest mainstream media ( ) or have you actually listened to more than a couple of his songs?

 

[Yammy]

snip:The Doctrine of Fair Use (17 U.S.C. 107) allows, among other things, artists to parody a song with or without the copyright holders permission. snip


Oh you mean I've been paying for people to do that at karaoke for no reason?


Wiping my bleeding ears, yes atleast I get PAID to listen to that crap.


edit for clarification: paying for the cdg's that is that run in the $45 dollar range for 15 songs that maybe only 2 or 3 you even WANT.

 

[Metalmorphose]

it's not?

No kid, it's not!

Originally posted by BadMedicine
Physical abuse? now you've fallin for his crap I'm gonna need a link about that one!!

Well BadMedicine, why don't we take a look at some random snippets that I very hastily selected from various Eminem recordings.
There's just so many to choose from!
Let's see theres,

"Still on probation for stranglin' my boy Jason"
"Last week this old man I had to blast, cuz he tried to help me out when my car was out of gas".
"Ripped this old lady, hung her neck by a hook, didn't realize it was my grandmother 'til I checked her pocketbook
"Murder whoever's between us, pack your heaters"
"Makes it too late for cops in tryin' to stop the crime rate"
"Makes you wanna kill an emcee yourself, you might as well"
"Rob this little boy in his fu**ing' paper route"
"My girl beat my a** and shot me in the back with a 2-piece
cuz she found out I was havin' an affair with her 10-year old niece"
(AHHH!) "Slut, you think I won't choke no whore"
‘till the vocal cords don't work in her throat no more"?!
AHHH!) "Put your hands down BI***, I ain't gon' shoot you.
I'ma pull +YOU+ to this bullet, and put it through you!"
"Bi*** I'ma kill you! You don't wanna fu** with me".
"Cause Shady, will fu*****’ kill you". (ah-haha)
"Bi*** I'ma kill you! Like a murder weapon, I'm a conceal you".

Oh I almost forgot the link!
(In case you need any more inspiration from this "deep thinker"!

http://lyrics.eminemsource.net/

 

[Bearded Weirdo]

Metalmorphose, you are missing the point. Those lyrics are brilliant, pure genius. A highly eruditic play on the English language..... Yeah right.....

Do you think Quiet Riot will let Eminem sing back up vocals on *** on Feel the Noize?

 

[huntersdada]

Do you think Quiet Riot will let Eminem sing back up vocals on *** on Feel the Noize?

I'm not sure, but there's rumor Elton John has a "place" for him.

 

[brihard]

Yeah, he sure hates kids alright.

Here's some OTHER Eminem snippets...

'Hailie's Song' (Hailie is his daughter)

My baby girl keeps gettin' older
I watch her grow up with pride
People make jokes,
cuz they don't understand me
They just don’t see my real side
I act like sh*t don’t faze me,
Inside it drives me crazy!
My insecurities could eat me alive
But when i see my baby
Suddenly i'm not crazy!
It all makes sense when i look into her eyes



Another part form the same song...

Yeah man if i could sing,
i'd keep singing this song to my daughter
If i could hit the notes,
i'd blow something as long as my father
To show her how i feel about her,
how proud i am that i got her
God, im a daddy, im so glad that her mom didn't abort her
Now you prob'ly get this picture from my public persona
That i'm a pistol-packing drug-addict who bags on his momma,
But i wanna just take this time out to be perfectly honest
Cos there's a lot of sh*t i keep bottled that hurts deep inside of my soul,
And just know that i grow colder the older i grow
This boulder on my shoulder gets heavy and harder to hold
And this load is like the weight of the world
And i think my neck is breaking
should i just give up or try to live up to these expectations?





A good song, but personally I think his most brilliant one is 'Sing for the moment' (Sampling the chorus from the Aerosmith classic.) Of course he swears a bit in it, but you have tor eally look at the lyrics when you lsiten to his stuff... Here's the words to this one. read them before you dismiss his stuff as cRap.






These ideas are nightmares for white parents,
whose worst fear is a child with dyed hair
and who likes earrings Like whatever they say has no bearing,
it's so scary in a house that allows no swearing
to see him walking around with his headphones blaring,
alone in his own zone, cold and he don't care
He's a problem child, and what bothers him all comes out,
when he talks about, his f###in' dad walkin' out
cuz he just hates him so bad that he blocks him out.
If he ever saw him again he'd probably knock him out
His thoughts are wacked, he's mad so he's talkin' back,
talkin' black, brainwashed from rock and rap
He sags his pants, do-rags and a stocking cap,
his step-father hit him, so he socked him back
and broke his nose, his house is a broken home.
There's no control, he just let's his emotions go...

Chorus
C'mon! Sing with me (Sing!)
Sing for the year (Sing It)
Sing for the laughter
sing for the tear (C'mon!)
Sing it with me
Just for today
maybe tomorrow
The good Lord will take you away...

Entertainment is changin', intertwinin' with gangstas,
in the land of the killers, a sinner's mind is a sanctum
holy or unholy, only have one homie, only this gun,
lonely cuz don't anyone know me
Yet everybody just feels like they can relate,
I guess words are a mothaf###a they can be great
or they can degrate, or even worse they can teach hate
It's like these kids hang on every single statement we make,
like they worship us plus all the stores ship us platinum,
now how the F### did this metamorphosis happen?
From standin' on corners and porches just rappin';
to havin' a fortune, no more kissin' ass
But then these critics crucify you, journalists try to burn you,
fans turn on you, attorneys all want a turn at you
To get they hands on every dime you have,
they want you to lose your mind every time you mad
So they can try to make you out to look like a loose cannon.
Any dispute won't hesitate to produce handguns
That's why these prosecutors wanna convict me,
strictly just to get me off of these streets quickly
But all they kids be listenin' to me religiously,
so I'm signin' CDs while police fingerprint me
They're for the judge's daughter but his grudge is against me.
If I'm such a f###in' menace, this shit doesn't make sense B
It's all political, if my music is literal,
and I'm a criminal how the f### can I raise a little girl?
I couldn't. I wouldn't be fit to. You're full of sh*t too,
Guerrera, that was a fist that hit you!

sing with me
sing for the year
sing for the laughter
sing for tears
sing with me just for today
maybe tomorrow
the good lord will take u away

They say music can alter moods and talk to you,
well can it load a gun up for you , and cock it too?
Well if it can, then the next time you assault a dude,
just tell the judge it was my fault and I'll get sued
See what these kids do is hear about us totin' pistols
and they want to get one cuz they think the sh*t's cool
not knowin' we really just protectin' ourselves,
we entertainers, of course the shit's affectin' our sales,
you ignoramus But music is reflection of self,
we just explain it, and then we get our checks in the mail.
It's ****ed up ain't it? How we can come from practically nothing
to being able to have any f###in' thing that we wanted
That's why we sing for these kids,
who don't have a thing except for a dream,
and a f###in' rap magazine who post pin-up pictures on
they walls all day long, idolize they favorite rappers
and know all they songs Or for anyone who's ever been through
sh*t in their lives, till they sit and they cry at night wishin' they'd die
Till they throw on a rap record and they sit, and they vibe.
We're nothin' to you but we're the f###in' sh*t in they eyes
that's why we seize the moment try to freeze it and own it,
squeeze it and hold it, cuz we consider these minutes golden
and maybe they'll admit it when we're gone.
Just let our spirits live on, through our lyrics that
you hear in our songs and we can...

sing with me
sing for the year
sing for the laughter
sing for the tears
sing with me just for today
maybe tomorrow the good lord will take u away

sing with me
sing for the year
sing for the laughter
sing for the tears
sing with me just for today
maybe tomorrow the good lord will take u away......







Now read through that and tell me it's not brilliant in terms of rap. Just because there's harsh music and profanity doesn't make anything any less artistic. The song PERFECTLY describes the state of society in relation to rap music.

Anyway, I'm a big fan of his, so obviously my judgement is a bit clouded in this. But keep this in mind before you call him a spoiled brat; he started with *nothing*. A very poor home in Ghetto Detroit, a dysfunctional mother, a father who disappeared. He got everything he has through his own effort. And besides, millions of fans can't all be wrong... I say if you can appeal to so many different people through your art, more power to ya!




(Edited to add) Did anyone catch the Eminem/ Elton John duet at the Grammys a few years ago? Pretty impressive...

 

[huntersdada]

Thanks alot Brihard now I'll have that song in my head all day!

(edited to add) sing with me? I always thought it said "sing women"...well this board is informative about all kinds of stuff.

 

[Ozma]

I'm with Bad Medicine and brihard on this one. Eminem has overcome a lot of crap, so give him a break.

My grandmother told me that Swing was considered "evil" when she was young; perspectives change.

 

[homecanner1]

Bri..I am with you...and it was a very slow process for me I admit.

# 1 son and I went round and round about this...as I was deeply and morally offended by the comments he made about his mother.

But # 1 would not be denied, he brought home 8 Mile which he rented, explicitly for me and we watched it over Easter weekend.

Folks...rent the movie if you want a taste of the disillusionment and confusion of the children who were forced to cope with the fallout aftermath of the 1970's sexual revolution & the me decade

A generation left to 'fend for themselves' while their misled idiot parents pursued more selfish routes, like addictions, drinking and dysfunctional relationships..out of wedlock babies, welfare etc.

Think of every town with a battered woman's shelter...there was a little white boy like Eminem back in 1979, dealing with the real explosion of cocaine that hit our nation (later the crack wars and drive by shootings). He is a product of those hard neighborhoods

SOMEONE has to speak for those kids...who are now adults and
struggling very hard not to make the same mistakes. Bless him.

I see now why the movie was a monster of a hit as it was, its the equivalent of how Purple Rain (say what you will about the artist)
had the same effect on teenagers as the Elvis movies. Same deal.

He is an icon now...let's see how he handles it. He impressed the hell out me by boycotting the Oscars, refusing to fly in and go lip sync a performance for their "really big show" and won anyway.

The fact that he does not want to let Yankovic ( and yes we have Al's CD's and it was the first concert we took # 1 son to go see)
reshape his art is interesting, to say the least. Weird Al is from Lynwood, California...your typical suburban child of the 70's....

I suspect this is a combo platter of 1) hypersensitive of his own art which is now gonna come under attack. Eminem has parodied others in HIS videos...something about glass houses and hot kitchens comes to mind here...he may as well get used to it.

2) Methinks there is an issue simmering just beneath the surface here about Hollyweird and its designated "too clever for you" attack dogs of celebrities...memo to Eminem...does anyone know Weird Alfred Matthew Yankovic (wife is Susan Krajewski) ethnicity?

Therein may lie your answers to why Eminem "just says no" to Al. HE wants to be the parodist and critic of our culture. We shall see.

Go watch him in the "rap showdown" at the end of 8 Mile. And how he totally disses his black competitor ( in a room filled with black kids as the audience). He exposes him as a token inner city black kid chosen to attend "Cranbrook", a preppy school, as part of some affirmative action fulfillment program, nothing but a bully and a "ghetto poseur".

Eminem makes an interesting statement about what defines a "streetkid"...do you HAVE to be "black"? Or just poor? Contrast him with the totally fake Kid Rock of Detroit, who tries to pass himself off also as some poor country boy...deliver me! Kid was raised in a gated suburb in a fancy house and his father owns about 10 car dealerships in the metro Detroit area, according to rumors heard by # 1 son...can anyone confirm this???

Em's a cultural daredevil and has made many waves already. The fact that as such a young person, he was able to stand up in a room and OWN his past, albeit a scrappy, white trash youth, is a sign of strength, not weakness. The NWO hates that, they want a "lost generation", wandering in clubs, metal pierced and implanted, high on chemicals. Not a group that has suddenly been "awakened" to its own sense of betrayal by TPTB...

The fact the Media attack him relentlessly is your first clue....

Beware the risen youth...ignore Eminem at your peril. He was huge in Europe last summer while I was there too. Its global....

 

[eXe]

Go watch him in the "rap showdown" at the end of 8 Mile. And how he totally disses his black competitor ( in a room filled with black kids as the audience). He exposes him as a token inner city black kid chosen to attend "Cranbrook", a preppy school, as part of some affirmative action fulfillment program, nothing but a bully and a "ghetto poseur".

Haha best part of the movie.. he ripped him to shreds

I have been at some of those showdowns live.. even if you hate rap music.. they are funny as all heck to watch.

 

[Truly_Bug]

Just because he's worth a lot of $$$ doesn't make him worth listening to. One day soon when these .."teeny-boppers" grow up a bit and hopefully get to listen to GOOD MUSIC..they will get a chuckle at how foolish they were..when they hear/see the "has been" at age 40 jerking and gyrating on some review of the 2000's album.
He is riding on the immorality of our youth. He professes how the youth are taken advantage of and how he is an advocate for them..yet he himself is abusing the minds of our youth.
I have heard some of his barking (I mean singing.. ) and all I could do was shake my head and wonder how many children were listening to this garbage thinking this is how life really is. No wonder out youth has such a bad attitude.
So Sad.

 

[Metalmorphose]

he started with *nothing*. A very poor home in Ghetto Detroit, a dysfunctional mother, a father who disappeared.

[/B]

And is this fact somehow suppose to make me feel sorry for him?
Awww!
Poor Eminem!
So basically, he started out like literally hundreds of thousands of other kids, right?
Well tell me something.
Just because this punk was mistreated as a youth,
do you find it's perfectly ok for him to fill other
young adolescent minds with garbage songs,
containing filthy, obscene lyrics intertwined with graphic and violent subject matter?
Personally I find it rather offensive.
And I promise you,
If I were a parent of a young(pre-teen)teen,
I would have a BIG problem with Eminem and his "messages"!
And hey, I'm no prima donna.
I was a drummer in a metal band when I was 17-18 years old.
And I still listen to metal everyday.
But from what I've read and listened to,
Eminem's "message" is far worse than any of the underground bands I listen to.

 

[Hopetx]

I'm glad my teens have better taste and can see through the Eminem hype.

 

[brihard]

I listen to his stuff not cause of the 'hype' or 'popularity' of it, but because I can listen to and understand what he's SAYING. Yeah, I like the sound of some rap, and I'll admit, a lot of his stuff is typical rapping about whatever he happens to be annoyed with, or even stuff which really makes no sense at all, but every so often he comes up with something really good.

Oh, and truly_bug, before you dismiss my generation as 'teeny boppers' for listening to stuff you don't like, please try to understand what you're arguing about as well. I sincerely doubt you read through the lyrics I posted. If you do, and still can't see what others see in him you have my sympathises. For the record though, I also listen to such groups/artists as Ace of Bass, Aerosmith, Avril Lavigne, Bryan Adams, Celine Dion (Two of the best products to come out of Canada, IMHO), Jewel, Michelle Branch, Sarah Brightman, Sarah, McLachlan, The Calling, Vanessa Carlton, and other music you may consider more 'acceptable'. Of course, to balance this out I also listen to Tupac Shakur, Chad Kroeger, Niclkeback, Coolio, Da Rude, Evanescence, Kid Rock, Our Lady Peace, Red Hot Chile Peppers, and plenty of other stuff you'd probably also dismiss as crap.

And is this fact somehow suppose to make me feel sorry for him?
Awww!
Poor Eminem!
So basically, he started out like literally hundreds of thousands of other kids, right?

No, not at all. I simply point out that at as much of a disadvantage as anyone else in your country, he's risen to the top of the heap through his own talent, and his ability to deliver a product people enjoy. If *you* have a problem with this classic American success story, you're by all means allowed to have it, but you shouldn't go demeaning him because of his means for achieving it.



In a more general sense, I think all this stuff about 'Rap music is corrupting our youth' is garbage. I'd have to think that if a youth is at the point where the music he listens to will majorly influence decisions he makes, his parents have done a pretty shoddy job. Actually, to take a line form Eminem's own song...

"They say music can alter moods and talk to you,
well can it load a gun up for you, and cock it too?
Well if it can, then the next time you assault a dude,
just tell the judge it was my fault and I'll get sued"

All too true, sadly. Instead of blaming entertainers for confronting issues in their art, blame the parents who refuse to confront issues in discussions with their child. For God's sake, Adults should be able to tell their kid to turn off the friggin’ music, sit down and talk for a while if there's something the parent is concerned about. I think it's absolutely pathetic to pass the buck on to the music a child listens to. Heck, if music really did have that kind of affect I'd probably have caused several mass murders by now, what with all the stuff I listened too. Still, 16 years and still going strong and straight, despite my 'poor' choice in music.

Of course, maybe I'm supposed to sit down, shut up, and 'yes sir' to everything an adult says. That would be fairly typical of this societal expectation for children to be unable to think for themselves. Odd that you try to suppress *our* individuality and right to think for ourselves, then get all outraged when one of your experiments goes wrong and some kid learns to act for himself through violence. Maybe instead of trying to restrict our children' experiences and tastes in early life we should expose them to more, and give them the proper parental influence needed to allow them to come to the correct decisions on their own.

 

[Hopetx]

Speaking as an old gal who grew up on 70’s rock, I just don’t understand the appeal of rap in general. Maybe it’s just a generational thing. All generations have it and I could live with that.

On a personal level, rap doesn’t fit my (or the dictionary’s) definition of Art. The dictionary defines art as “the conscious production or arrangement of sounds, colors, forms, movements, or other elements in a manner that affects the sense of beauty”. To my mind, rap is dark and ugly and degrading, among other things. Yes, I understand that it ‘speaks to the human condition’ for some people, but I fail to understand why people who live in such a world would want to wallow in it. Rather than giving those people hope or comfort or escape from their reality, most rap seems to perpetually flog them with it and reinforce the anger. It doesn’t inspire people to rise above the ugliness for greater things.

Music has a powerful effect on us on an emotional level, if nothing else. I worry in particular for kids who listen to nothing BUT rap. No, I don’t think they’ll all become violent or act out on ugly lyrics, but I do think it’s disturbing that this is the only type music that ‘speaks’ to them. It makes me wonder if these kids really don’t see anything but despair and hopelessness and violence in their world. At the same time, I wonder how many kids only claim to like it because it’s the popular thing to like.

It’s beyond the scope of my imagination to envision a day 20 years from now when middle aged men and women are listening to the oldies rap station. But then, maybe that’s what all middle aged men and women have always thought.

 

[Truly_Bug]

brihard,
I have read and listened to the words in Eminem's umm..garbage. I am far from an old foggie. Glad to say that as you seem to think I am. I was referring to "teeny-boppers" as in a previous post.

As for "can music pull a trigger?" hmm..lets see...I wonder if Tu-PAC would rethink his choices if he wasn't pushin up daiseys these days? Possibly Notorious BIG? J Master (whatever) . As you see, I have done my share of research since I have both a teen and pre-teen in my house. Thankfully my children and I all did the research..and we actually listened to the trash and as a group agreed it is not worth listening to.

Behind all music is some type of message. After all that's what music started out as..a way of relaying information. Is it wrong for adults to admit that fact and want to protect our children from listening to such garbage? I think not!

 

[Chief Wiggum]

you guys will argue about anything

 

[Truly_Bug]

:snickering: Im not going to argue. I'm on to bigger and better things. Like trying to find the good in wearing pants down past the rear end . Oh..that's right..thats another "statement" the teeny-boppers are trying to make. Off to do more research..lol

Have a great night all!

 

[homecanner1]

OK...Eminem aside, here is a contemporary artist, the band is Everclear and the lead singer is Art Alexakis, who is late 30's in age, a father of a young daughter like Eminem also and I would describe as a "casualty" of the 1970's lifestyle...his music has the same tone. The song is "Father of Mine"...and he also mentions growing up in a bad neighborhood. Like Eminem, it resonates pain
Same for Nickleback, which I would put into 'anger rock' category.

Father of Mine

Father of mine, tell me where have you been?
You know I just closed my eyes and my whole world disappeared.
Father of mine, take me back to the day, when I was still your golden boy, back before you went away.

I remember blue skies, walking the block.
I loved it when you held me high, I loved to hear you talk.
You would take me to a movie, you would take me to the beach,
You would take me to the place inside that is so hard to reach.

Father of mine tell me where did you go?
You had the world inside your hand & you did not seem to know.
Father of mine, tell me what do you see,
When you look back at your wasted life and you don't see me!

I was ten years old, doing all that I could.
It wasn't easy for me to be a scared white boy in a black neighbourhood.
Sometimes you would send me a birthday card with a 5 dollar bill.
I never understood you then, and I guess I never will.

Daddy gave me a name, my dad he gave me a name and then he walked away.
Daddy gave me a name then he walked away.
My dad me gave me a name.

Father of mine, tell me where have you been?
I just closed my eyes and the world disappeared.
Father of mine, tell me how do you sleep?
With all the children you abandoned and the wife I saw you beat.

I will never be safe, I will never be sane,
I will always be weird inside, I will always be lame.
Now I'm a grown man with a child of my own.
And I swear that I will never let her know all the pain I have known.

Then he walked away.

My daddy gave me a name and then he walked away.
My dad he gave me a name then he walked away.
Daddy gave me a name then he walked away.
My dad he gave me a name.

Then he walked away.

* * * * *

There is an element out there of disaffected, alienated young men
Eminem & others are merely touching base with it, lightning rods.

 

[BadMedicine]

More truth from eminem. There isn't a news station in the US that'll give it to you this strait..and *he's* the enemy?
This is fro ma song called "renegade" that he did with Jay-Z.

[Eminem]
Since I'm in a position to talk to these kids and they listen
I ain't no politician but I'll kick it with 'em a minute
Cause see they call me a menace; and if the shoe fits I'll wear it
But if it don't, then y'all'll swallow the truth grin and bear it
Now who's these king of these rude ludicrous lucrative lyrics
Who could inherit the title, put the youth in hysterics
usin his music to steer it sharin his views and his merits
But there's a huge interference - they're sayin you shouldn't hear it
Maybe it's hatred I spew, maybe it's food for the spirit
Maybe it's beautiful music I made for you to just cherish
But I'm debated disputed hated and viewed in America
as a mother####in drug addict - like you didn't experiment?
Now now, that's when you start to stare at who's in the mirror
and see yourself as a kid again, and you get embarrased
And I got nothin to do but make you look stupid as parents
You ####in do-gooders - too bad you couldn't do good at marriage!
(Ha ha!) And do you have any clue what I had to do to get here I don't
think you do so stay tuned and keep your ears glued to the stereo
Cause here we go - he's {*Jigga joint Jigga-chk-Jigga*}
And I'm the sinister, Mr. Kiss-My-@ss it's just the RENEGADE!

[Eminem]
See I'm a poet to some, a regular modern day Shakespeare
Jesus Christ the King of these Latter Day Saints here
To shatter the picture in which of that as they paint me
as a monger of hate and Satan a scatter-brained atheist
But that ain't the case, see it's a matter of taste
We as a people decide if Shady's as bad as they say he is
Or is he the latter - a gateway to escape?
Media scapegoat, who they can be mad at today
See it's easy as cake, simple as whistlin Dixie
while I'm wavin the pistol at sixty Christians against me
Go to war with the Mormons, take a bath with the Catholics
in holy water - no wonder they try to hold me under longer
I'm a mother###in spiteful, DELIGHTFUL eyeful
The new Ice Cube - mother####ers HATE to like you
What did I do? (huh?) I'm just a kid from the gutter
makin this butter off these bloodsuckers, cause I'm a muh'####in RENEGADE!

 

[kemosabe]

No kid, it's not!



Well BadMedicine, why don't we take a look at some random snippets that I very hastily selected from various Eminem recordings.
There's just so many to choose from!
Let's see theres,

"Still on probation for stranglin' my boy Jason"
"Last week this old man I had to blast, cuz he tried to help me out when my car was out of gas".
"Ripped this old lady, hung her neck by a hook, didn't realize it was my grandmother 'til I checked her pocketbook
"Murder whoever's between us, pack your heaters"
"Makes it too late for cops in tryin' to stop the crime rate"
"Makes you wanna kill an emcee yourself, you might as well"
"Rob this little boy in his fu**ing' paper route"
"My girl beat my a** and shot me in the back with a 2-piece
cuz she found out I was havin' an affair with her 10-year old niece"
(AHHH!) "Slut, you think I won't choke no whore"
‘till the vocal cords don't work in her throat no more"?!
AHHH!) "Put your hands down BI***, I ain't gon' shoot you.
I'ma pull +YOU+ to this bullet, and put it through you!"
"Bi*** I'ma kill you! You don't wanna fu** with me".
"Cause Shady, will fu*****’ kill you". (ah-haha)
"Bi*** I'ma kill you! Like a murder weapon, I'm a conceal you".

Oh I almost forgot the link!
(In case you need any more inspiration from this "deep thinker"!

http://lyrics.eminemsource.net/

HOW CAN U SIT HERE AND TOSS IN RANDOM LINES THAT HE IS QUOTED AS RAPPING, WITHOUT LISTING THE FULL STORY and concept to the song AND CONTEXT..!!

all taken out of different songs, you are sitting here trying to prove this point that he is so bad and such an awful influence on kids...... what is funny to me is
, (all the uptight people on here and who have same way of thinking as you have proven to have in regards to Eminem and his music, and others like him,)
the kids and young adults who listen to and enjoy his music, UNDERSTAND it is entertainment and meant to draw a laugh or make someone smile at the creativeness, delivery , and pure wittiness in the stories he raps about .. as well as open up controversial subjects that are not politically correct to talk about.


YET closed minded people who don't have a clue as to lightening up and realizing it as entertainment, their way of thinking is like that of most of ya'lls parents back in the day ..when the likes of AC/DC .. (remember when their name was suppposed to mean anti christ devil child ? lol ), Kiss , Alice Cooper, OZZY.. for example.....dont you remember some parents and the "Holier Than Thou , Holy Rollers" were raising their voices in protest over lyrics , performances and songs back then?

this deal with eminem for instance is the same scenario

Hell even when Elvis came out gyrating his hips in what was construed as a sexual perverse way... older people were in shock and horror of such things

EVEN ROCK AND ROLL WAS CONSIDERED BY SOME PEOPLE TO BE THE DEVILS MUSIC....


Eminem is telling stories and witty humorous rhymes... and the majority of the things he says are punch lines, metaphors and carefully constructed rhyme scheme..



WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE PEOPLE

IT'S ENTERTAINMENT !!!!!!!

I am a rapper myself, as a matter of fact in a HORRORCORE group, and I am also in partnership running our small independant label..

I even have a few albums pro pressed out, selling thousands of copies..

What I write and rap about can be compared to watching a very descriptive graphic horror movie..
I love the horror genre... I know it is entertainment, all my fans know it is entertainment, so how can grown adults not know?

When I write a song, I try and construct my song as a storyteller, through the eyes and mind of a killer, or through the eyes of the victim... I am telling a scary tale , like watching a good horror movie, only in audio form, where the listener can get to use his imagination and create the visual through the creativenes and descriptiveness of the song..

I am a God fearing person, and stand by my beliefs..
And just because I am into horror, and base my songs around it don't mean I worship the devil or am trying to get people do things they have heard in my songs..
As I have said for the umpteenth time
IT's ENTERTAINMENT !! lol

I rarely use any real bad cuss words, except when thoughts or storyline, they are needed to fill the mood or the feelings that can't be expressed any other way..

It's pretty bad when teenagers and young adults can distinguish reality from entertainment but the adults who should know better can't..

If people are so concerned about curse words and subjects they dont want their teenagers listening to, then it sounds to me like they need to

A. get more active into what their teen listens to or watches on
tv, and set rules.

B. complain to the record store who sold their teen the cd,



I am all for 100% a record store not selling music with a parental advisory to minors , that is the way it should be, end of story..

Don't be mad at the artist for the music they make , be mad at the asshole people in the record stores. who no longer enforce the law of not selling music with adult lyrics to minors..

I know I wouldnt want children listening to my music, thats why I put the parental advisory stickers on my product.
I make my music for the entertainment of fellow horror and rap music fans who are young adults.

In My opinion people should raise a big stink about that if they want something done about their young teenager buying a cd with what they consider as offensive content..

 

[Ozma]

Well, if you want a real arguement, let's discuss Rage Against the Machine..... or are these boys not rich enough to despise yet?

 

[Bearded Weirdo]

Kemosabe, are you aligned with KGP?

 

[kemosabe]

Kemosabe, are you aligned with KGP?

not hardly, I am not into that whole blasphemy thing.

 

[CanadaSue]

Kids & music...

That's a constant it seems. Generations decrying the musical choices of their offspring. I actually have more problems with the 'hot babe chick' singers whose only depth appears in their bust lines. Now THAT is vacuous stuff.

Eminem isn't my cup of tea at all. But one song of his I LOVE is 'Stan'; nice use of a song by Dido running through it & it should be 'mandatory' listening for any kid who thinks being a pop star is a piece of cake. Very chilling depiction of a crazed fan/stalker type. Nickleback too, I really enjoy too - I listen to BriHard's playlist once in a while & I assure you, while he may not choose many genres, he's quite capable of appreciating the artisitc ability of good composers & performers.

 

[someone]

BM ,

i am really dissapointed with you. in your first post you didn't use the

 

[someone]

BM ,

i am really dissapointed with you. in your first post you didn't use the customary red devil! what the hell is wrong with you are you getting soft?


so now to make up for it i have to to keep the harmonic convergence corectly aligned. i hope your happy!


hahah

btw way my favorite hip-hop song ever is "hit 'em up" by the topac. have you heard m&m's version? it is almost worth trying to clone tupac just so him and m could hook up!

and please BM go into the woods and piss-off a bear and try and remember to keep the decourom straight around here!




someone

 

[Cabal]

He is riding on the immorality of our youth. He professes how the youth are taken advantage of and how he is an advocate for them..yet he himself is abusing the minds of our youth.
I have heard some of his barking (I mean singing.. ) and all I could do was shake my head and wonder how many children were listening to this garbage thinking this is how life really is. No wonder out youth has such a bad attitude.

Weren't things like this once said about Elvis Presley?



So Sad.

truly...


I think as some people grow older, they lose perspective...
I'm 31 years old, I grew up playing D&D, listening to the 2 Live Crew and NWA, big stereos, etc...
I also graduated right outside of the top 10% of my High School class... something 58th out of 480? I was also accepted to the Citadel, but didn't go becuase of money issues, and was also accepted into the Navy's Nuclear Power program.. that didn't work out either due to a medical problem... so now I fix computers for Dell and IBM and service Hughes Commercial Satellite Earth Stations and own 2 homes an have a wife and a daughter... I turned out pretty good despite the "satanic" lure of Dungeons & Dragons and the filth spewed by people such as Luke Skyywalker and Easy-E.

Cabal

 

[Con-tractor]

To actually get back on topic, Weird Al has always asked permission from the orginal songwriter and has always gone with there wishes.

Which brings up some good humor, I was at a Weird Al concert back in the late 80's, he was on stage and he said "This is a song about a little man far far away" the crowd got quiet and someone yelled out "Prince!!!" Everyone started breaking out laughing including Al, this was because he had asked Prince if he could do one of his songs and he declined.

He then went into his song "Yoda"


Jon