Mathers and His Apologists

In Our Abusive Balladeers , Joe Carter apologizes for his generation’s role in the debasing of our culture, and particularly for the violent and misogynist music Eminem and his peers. “On one of his earlier albums,” Carter writes,

Mathers rapped about raping his mother, arranging the gang rape of his sister, and murdering his wife. His defenders explained that he was merely expressing a fantasy. In this song, he raps about beating a woman and setting her on fire. His defenders explain that he is merely reflecting reality. Apparently, for people like Mathers and his apologists, violence against women is acceptable, since it’s a man’s fantasy and a woman’s reality.

Joe reflects on what this means and compares such music with a healthier type.