No responsibility?

I was listening to Eminem's interview on 60 Minutes the other day and I found some of his answers slightly ironic.
Anderson Cooper asked him what his response was to parental groups who complain about the effect his lyrics have on children and young adults. Eminem's response was that they need to parent. Sounds great right? But here's what pisses me off.
Can Eminem say whatever he wants? YES. No doubt about it. This is America. I even enjoy his music.
Do some of the parents who complain need to monitor their children more carefully? Yes.
Have rap artists destroyed America's moral fiber? No. Let's not be dramatic :-)
But no responsibility? Just, "Parents need to parent."

I don't buy it.

As a rap artist, I imagine words are your bread and butter. They are your arsenal. You live and breathe them. You manipulate them to create. It's your primary means of expression. Are they powerful? To a rap artist? You bet. Otherwise I'm very confused.
So, I would imagine that rap artists have to admit that their lyrics affect some people, right? That's what they're trying to accomplish. Does Eminem want you to kill your wife and bring your daughter along while you drop her body in the ocean?* I don't think so. But can his only answer be, "Parent."?
I know what you're thinking. Stephanie, it's not Eminem's problem if someone chooses to do that. Okay. I hear you.
So my next issue was, here you have someone whose dad left when he was 6 months old and a mother, he's made very clear in his music, wasn't much of a mother. So when he says parent....what about the kids like you Eminem? Who have no moral guidance? The kids who live on the streets, have parents addicted to drugs, no parents, or parents working 2-3 jobs who can't be around? What about the kids growing up like you did? You're telling me, that when they hear you use the word fag and decide to use it themselves, and they don't have a mom that's going to slap them on the back of the head or explain why that's not okay, that you have NO responsibility?
I don't know about that.
I guess it just bothers me that rappers claim NO responsibility. That there are teenagers growing up now that treat women like objects and whores and think it's okay to call gay people fags or beat them up. That there are girls who think it's okay to be cheated on and treated like dirt. That they think they can do drugs and go to jail and that's okay because one day they might make millions when they sell their album.
Again, has rap destroyed our morality? No. I enjoy rap music and I'm fine. (I think :-))
But I wish they would admit that they might be effecting a few kids out there. Because we know they are. They're effecting a whole culture.
And just because that's the way it's always been, why can't you change it?
Just because we can, does that mean we should?


On a closing note Eminem also said, in response to Anderson Cooper's question about the word fag, that the word was thrown around all the time when he was growing up. That it's a part of "that culture." Okay Eminem, you're 38. You know the word is derogatory and hateful. If you're going to use it, own up to what it is. Don't act like it's not a big deal.
You of all people know how powerful words can be.



* 97 Bonnie and Clyde, Eminem

Really Quick

I just thought of this, and it made me laugh again, so I figured I would share.
I have a student this year named Ben, short for Benjamin. One of those kids you get later in the year and you're like, oh crap. Is he going to be a hellion? Is he going to mess up my whole class? If you're a teacher, you know what I'm talking about :-)
So anyway, Ben turned out to be awesome :-) I love his personality and he actually pays attention when I teach (BONUS!).
I was doing FAIR testing, dreaded standardized testing that is far from FAIR, and it was Ben's turn. So he read me the word list that placed him in story to read about ground beetles ( an insect that I now know way more about than I would I ever need to). So Ben is reading about ground beetles and how they use this stinky, hot liquid to frighten enemies by squirting it at them. We both giggled on the word "stinky" (Hello! That's why I teach second grade) but this is a timed test, so I prompted him with a wave of my hand to keep reading.
He comes to the part where they shoot the stinky, hot liquid out of their body, but instead of body, Ben says, "booty."
He stops reading, and the quite hallway that I was testing in suddenly became quieter. His cheeks got so red and he quickly tried to correct himself, only to say it again, at which point I started cracking up. Once I started laughing he relaxed and started smiling.
"It's body," I corrected him, while wiping the tears out of my eyes. I wanted to say that the booty is probably exactly where the liquid exits the body, but of course I didn't :-)
So the poor kid probably lost 10-15 precious seconds on his time for fluency, but hey, that will just make his winter score look even better ;-)

Confused

Well, like most of the country, world, universe probably, I'm very stressed. As I sit here typing I have a pain in my chest right where my heart is; like a tightness, and it's weighing heavily on my mind. I feel when I come home after working with children all day I am mentally drained and exhausted- granted, that is normal for a teacher. And it's a good exhaustion: I CHANGED A LIFE TODAY exhaustion. This pain in my chest, the tightness in my shoulders and neck, the random crying, and gaining weight, however, are not normal. That "gift" comes from the "powers that be." The "I've never been a teacher, so I will tell them how to do their jobs" people. Pains in my ever-growing ass.
Anyway, I feel less and less like writing or immersing myself in research for writing. I constantly find myself questioning- well, you had some middle and high school teachers who loved your work, but does that mean you want to be a writer? Does that mean I can write? If I want to write, why am I not writing? (present typing excluded :-)) Which, as you can imagine, leads to more stress on my poor little heart and ENORMOUS brain....just kidding ;-)
I think my first action should be to stop telling people I want to write *looks at the title of her blog and sighs* I think I feel there is an expectation...
And I need to start showing people what I write. I'm so scared of reactions. I will not post my current blogs on Facebook. I'm too scared.
Even as I type my blog, I find myself editing. I love editing my own writing and my children's writing. Finding ways to make it "better." Maybe that's what I want to do....
Can you tell by the randomness of this blog that I'm confused????
Oh well.
Who isn't?

Sometimes, it's not about the words...sometimes, it's about the silence.