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