Eminem
Mosh
Guerrilla News Network
October 26, 2004
by HC93
I didn't quite get to experience the disappointment of watching the video for "Mosh" all the way through to its anti-climatic end, because someone already told me how it ended. But it was still disappointing.
Throughout the whole thing eminem is building an army of black-hooded soldiers, made up of the young and oppressed. By the end they are marching on the white house, using fire hoses to get by police, symbolic of the days of the freedom riders in the southern u$. Then, just as you think they're about to shoot the president and take over the government, they line up single file and register to vote!
It's hard to believe that the ridiculousness of this video will be missed by the millions of youth who are gonna see this video on MTV. We all know you don't need to get dressed in black and build an army to go register to vote in this country. The attempts to paint voting as a militant, powerful action are just one last ditch effort to convince the young and disenchanted that voting in the upcoming presidential election actually matters.
Worse than that, propaganda like this portrays voting as the be all and end all of political action. The director of the video said that one of the goals was, "To show [young people] that political decisions do impact their daily lives and that voting is the most powerful act we all have to voice our opinion and effect change." When you continue to feed youth the line that voting is the most powerful thing they can do, it is no wonder most of them end up feeling powerless when voting proves futile.
"Mosh" isn't all bad. We'd have to say it's better than any other Eminem video and how often do you get to hear "No more blood for oil" on MTV? It addresses the concerns of many young people in the united $tates that are potential allies in overthrowing imperialism. The video goes through the stories of a few individuals who have been spited by the system: a young white soldier who is forced to return to Iraq, a young Black man who faces harassment by the pigs, and a young, presumably single mom who is thrown out of her apartment.
But the progressive content of "Mosh" is all within the political sphere of pro-amerikanism. The eminem character in the video wears an amerikan flag rag on his head in the opening scene. Later as he spits, "We're stronger now more than ever," he flexes his bicep as an amerikan flag waves in the background. He talks about serving our own country and repeats slogans like, "bring the troops home."
As was the case during the invasion of Vietnam, the "bring the troops home" crowd has been temporarily allied with the oppressed nations in wanting the troops out of Iraq. But the politics of these groups is in the interests of the oppressor nations from which they came. Once their 'boys' are back safe at home, they're back to supporting exploitation, murder and torture of the Third World. Their political views are short-sighted, and that is why we work in the interests of the oppressed nations as the only sustainable vision for a safer, more peaceful future.
Notes:
Guerrilla News Network.
http://www.guerrillanews.com/content/eminem_mosh.html
By RC6T
Upon coming to power, MIM's list of what music to ban should not only include but also possibly begin with Eminem. Most songs can be taken as completely meaningless tirades whose only purpose is to infuriate some people and make others laugh. Staunch defenders and fans of Eminem continuously point out that he hasn't really killed anybody, or that he hasn't really abused womyn. As Eminem puts it, "Shit, half the shit I say, I just make it up To make you mad, so kiss my white naked ass." Thus, according to them, there isn't anything wrong with Eminem-- its all a big joke and should be taken that way.
We disagree however. Eminem's music has absolutely nothing to offer the masses. His lyrics glorify rape, patriarchy, and have a clearly anti-gay message. The simple fact is that a joke isn't just a joke when millions of people hear a barrage of reactionary ideas when they put on an Eminem CD. Whether or not they actually go out and "rape bitches," "beat faggots," or kill people, there is no plausible reason why records like this should be made at all. There is clearly no intelligent message whatsoever, and the only "reason" to not ban Eminem's music is the liberal fallacy of free speech.
As Communists we are open about our intentions of instituting a dictatorship-- the dictatorship of the proletariat. Under socialist government we want to promote revolutionary and progressive culture and squash out old reactionary ideas and behavior. We would not allow fascists to hand out leaflets calling for the gassing of all Jews or the re-institution of chattel slavery. By the same token we would not allow pro-patriarchy groups to hand out leaflets calling for the disenfranchisement of womyn or an end to the right of womyn to divorce their husbands. So why would we allow sexist, and homophobic garbage like Eminem to put out his records? Whether or not he is serious isn't really relevant. If one of the fascists handing out leaflets doesn't really want to gas the Jews-- he just thinks its humorous for example-- that really isn't the issue because that reactionary propaganda is still getting out. And maybe we should remind Eminem fans that because you and Eminem know his lyrics are meant to be humorous doesn't mean everyone else does.
This however doesn't mean that we Communists have found common ground with the ultra-right wing "censor everything but the pledge of allegiance" crowd. The bourgeois censorship groups seek censorship in order to suppress revolutionary culture and opposition to their blood-drenched system. They simply hold up examples like Eminem and say they want to use censorship for the purpose of eradicating harmful ideas. It's a smokescreen for their real intentions- imperialist plunder and the oppression of the internal semi-colonies.
Quite simply we have not heard one argument that is even remotely convincing on why we should allow complete "free speech." In fact Eminem is one of the best and most clear examples to use in a discussion of why we will ban some art upon coming to power. Here are some examples for those of our readers who are unfamiliar with Eminem:
"Hi kids! Do you like violence? (Yeah yeah yeah!) Wanna see me stick Nine Inch Nails through each one of my eyelids? (Uh-huh!")
"but I cant figure out which Spice Girl I wanna impregnate (Umm..)"
"Come here slut. (Shady, wait a minute, that's my girl dog!)
I don't give a fuck, God sent me to piss the world off."
-- From the song "My Name is."
"All I wanted to do was rape the bitch and snatch her purse
Now I wanna kill her"
"Come here bitch! Come here! Take this motherfuckin dick!
Bitch, come here!"
-- From the song "As The World Turns."
"New kids on the block suck a lot of dick Boy/girl groups make me sick
And I can't wait till I catch all you faggots in public I'mma love it"
"And I don't wrestle I'll knock you fuckin' faggots the fuck out"
"I don't get fucked in mine like you two little flaming faggots"
-- From the song "Marshal Mathers;" which alone contains six "faggots."
"And if it's not a rapper that I'll make it as I'mma be a fuckin' rapist in a Jason mask"
- From the song "Criminal."
Eminem's lyrics are a combination of anti-wimmin and anti-gay sentiments and a glorification of gratuitous violence. Not only is there nothing progressive- there is nothing even "in between." All of it should be banned and Eminem should be one of the first people put into re-education camp.