Eminem Doesn't Use Profanity At Home

[bigted]

Eminem: Profanity? Not In My House!
In A Rare Interview, He Also Shows CNN's Anderson Cooper His Artistic Process Of Rhyming

* Font size
* Print
* E-mail
* Share
* 66 Comments

Like this Story? Share it:
Share On Facebook

* Play CBS Video Video Eminem: No Profanity In My House

Rapper Eminem, known for his R-rated lyrics, tells CNN's Anderson Cooper there's no profanity in his house. Cooper profiles Eminem Sunday, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

* Video Rhyming Advice From Eminem

Eminem has said he bends words and can make most things rhyme - like the word "orange." He gave CNN's Anderson Cooper a lesson. Cooper profiles the rapper this Sunday, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

* Eminem

Eminem (CBS)

(CBS) Eminem, the rapper whose R-rated lyrics could make a drill sergeant blush, tells CNN's Anderson Cooper the harsh language is for his art, not for his home.

He also demonstrates that art, taking Cooper through the process he uses to rhyme just about any word in the language.

Eminem will be profiled on "60 Minutes" this Sunday, Oct. 10, at7 p.m. ET/PT.

"Profanity around my house? No," says Eminem, when Cooper asks if he acts like he does on stage or on his records in his real life. "I'm not saying there's not glimpses of me in the music, [that] there's not truth in…things that I say," he tells Cooper. "But this is music, this is my art..."

At home it's a different art, that of parenting. "I'm a parent. I have daughters. I mean, how would I really sound, as a person…walking around my house [saying] 'Bitch, pick this up,' you know what I mean?...I don't cuss."

Asked if he feels a sense of responsibility when his young fans use the language they hear him use in his songs, the rapper, whose real name is Marshall Mathers, responds, "I feel like it's your job to parent them. If you're the parent, be a parent," he tells Cooper.

The rap artist also takes Cooper through the creative process he uses to rhyme words - any words, even "orange."

"People say that the word orange doesn't rhyme with anything and that kind of pisses me off because I can think of a lot of things that rhyme with orange," says Eminem, who then starts rapping rhymes for orange for Cooper and the cameras.

In the interview, Mathers talks about his early years as the new kid in school who was always picked on, his rise to star rapper despite his being a white man in a predominantly black medium, and the drug addiction that nearly cost him his career.

"60 Minutes" cameras also capture Eminem in concert and go back with him to his old Detroit neighborhood that he says can still inspire his art.

[JumpinJack AJ]

I know that after he beat his drug problem he said that he found God. That might be part of it. There was a subtle change in his language and the way he did cuss on Relapse and then on Recovery. I don't know why he doesn't further cut it out if he doesn't cuss outside of music. What happened to "keeping it real." I don't see uses bad language as a way that enhances art at all.

[rawad_m]

I don't know why artists need to use profanity in music, in my opinion, with perhaps a few rare exceptions, it detracts from the art form

Like Will said, smart people don't need to do that

That said, I like a lot of artists that use it, but it just seems a cheap grab for attention

Edited October 11, 2010 by rawad_m

[bigted]

Well if you think about it, the best emcees use little to no profanity in their rhymes, I agree with AJ about how there's a difference between Em used it on "Relapse" and "Recovery", there's an improvement in quality, I think he's taking a step in the right direction

[VIsqo]

Perhaps he is.. Besides cursing is not needed "anymore" to sell records.. lol.

[Big Ben]

Perhaps he is.. Besides cursing is not needed "anymore" to sell records.. lol.

Thats just it, whether he found god or not, he always seems to be a hypocrit. I've got nothing against an artist who doesn't swear but Eminem has always argued for it. It comes down to the Will Smith diss that really bothers me.

[bigted]

Perhaps he is.. Besides cursing is not needed "anymore" to sell records.. lol.

Thats just it, whether he found god or not, he always seems to be a hypocrit. I've got nothing against an artist who doesn't swear but Eminem has always argued for it. It comes down to the Will Smith diss that really bothers me.

I agree he's a hyprocrite, that's why I can't respect him that much or consider him one of the greatest emcees 'cause he's been inconsistant in his music and I can't condone his character, he's not a good role model

[bigted]

I remember AJ posted an interesting article back in the day on profanity in entertainment, I happened to find it so I decided to post it here, now I also found another one too that could put things in perspective:

http://www.comportone.com/connie/articles/freespch.htm
Profanity is not
Freedom of Speech!


If you're surfing the web, looking for articles against profanity, you'll discover something unsettling. It appears that many Americans think using profanity is a right built into the Constitution of America as part of the Bill of Rights. Hmmm... Let me check.

Nope... It's not there.

Freedom of speech was not added to our Bill of Rights to excuse profanity, bad manners, libel, or outright lying. Let's look again at Freedom of Speech. It is included as part of the First Amendment to the Constitution, also known as one of the Bill of Rights.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Our forefathers never meant "freedom of speech" to cover something as base as profanity. Their intention was to assure the future of a government "run by the people." A government "run by the people" requires the ability to discuss and vocalize opinions about the government. A government "run by the people" requires a press willing to uncover and report truths so that corruption in the government would be discovered and would not be allowed to continue [a good idea when it works]. A government "by the people" allows people to peaceably assemble and come before the government with grievances with expectations of receiving a fair hearing and outcome.

These rights are important. They are critical in maintaining a free country. But nowhere in the Bill of Rights or the Constitution does it mention that we, as a people, have the right to be offensive and vulgar to others. If that were the case where would the offended's rights come into play? Whose rights supercede the other's? And what about little children, don't they have any rights not to have filth said in their presence?

The Internet is a fascinating place, full of interesting facts and opinions. Many people enjoy visiting bulletins or message boards in hopes of finding new information they are seeking. Sometimes they run across another user expressing himself in the only way they seem to know how - with profanity. For some it doesn't matter at all, for others it is merely an annoyance, but for a growing number - it is offensive. And they are getting tired of having their eyes and ears assaulted.

Most of these offended people are not prudes. They are not naive or innocents. They may or may not be Christian. They do accept that some people swear in the heat of anger, but they will never condone the usage of profanity in everyday language. These are people who choose not to use swear words in their own conversations and would prefer not to see or hear them either. Is that not a fair request?

There are some efforts to correct excessive profanity. If you drive through some states with an offensive bumper sticker, you could be arrested and fined. In the workplace, you could be sued for sexual harassment and at the very least will lose your job. In some states using hand gestures and swear words while driving can now get you a fine for exhibiting symptoms of " Road Rage." It will get you removed from many business establishments, such as restaurants, stores, movie theatres, etc. Profanity spoken by a student in a school [K-12] will result in a detention, suspension or possibly even expulsion. Our world, in numerous ways, is telling us profanity is not acceptable. So where is the problem?

The problem is we are a country of mixed messages. On one hand, we set up laws to fight profanity [as stated previously.] On the other hand, we seem to exploit profanity to attract our [somewhat rebellious] youth. How is profanity exploited? The worst offenders are the motion picture and the music industries.

How many movies have you seen recently that have not included profanity [and I'm not just talking about a word or two]? The movie industry is well aware that big bucks come out of the younger crowd. They believe that an "R" rating will increase the appeal of their movie. [And unfortunately, statistics seem to agree.] In order to achieve an "R" rating, they must include a required number of swear words or a certain degree of violence or sex; or any combination of the variables. The criteria occasionally changes. Case in point: remember back to some movie [10 or 15 years ago] that previously had an "R" rating and chances are very good that it would now carry a "PG" rating.

Truthfully, times have changed - but not for the better. For instance, when many of us were growing up there was an ultimate swear word. You know which one. The one that was saved for an extreme situation. The one word that many of us never used [and still don't] - it was that bad. In the past, it was an indicator of an uneducated or uncouth individual, someone you wouldn't bring home to meet your parents. Now, unfortunately, it has become the norm in many people's conversations. Have you walked the halls of your neighborhood school recently? Or sat in the bleachers at a high school game? Or shopped in an area shopping mall? Or even gone to the public beach? Profanity is there.

Pity the youth of today. They have no ultimate word to use inextreme situations. After all, if they use this word to describe what a good day it is, how can they use they same word when they discover someone has stolen the stereo system from their car?

It is a problem that adults let happen. We should have demanded more responsibility from the movie, television and music industries. We should have demanded good movies without the sex, violence, and swearing. We should have demanded more choices besides children's animations or "R" ratings. It can be done. Just watch a movie that was previously rated "R" when it is shown on TV without the language, sex and violence that gave it the "R" rating. One I can think of recently shown was "Broken Arrow" with John Tavolta and Christian Slater. My kids told me not to see it on video - that the swearing would ruin it for me. So I never rented it ...but when I watched it on TV, it was quite interesting.

Which leads me to a few questions? Do all criminals and prisoners swear? It would appear so in the movies. Do all policemen and law enforcement personnel swear? They do in the movies. Do all college kids use foul language and get drunk? Well, they do on screen. Are all high schoolers lazy, sex-crazed, dope-addicted, alcohol- consuming, foul-mouthed, psychotic, irrespsonsible brats? According to the movie industry. Typecasting? ...you bet. Irresponsible? ...Absolutely!

What about our music industry? Don't they hold any personal responsibility for the lyrics they promote? Apparently not in their eyes. Such garbage as "Kill your mother ...Kill your father" is not promoting sanity in an unstable world where kids are using guns to show the world their frustrations. Commonplace in America? No - not yet, but becoming increasingly a possibility. The music industry sells our children on sex, drugs, and violence. They glorify it. And because of the misinterpretation of "Freedom of Speech" - society will have to pick up the pieces. Irresponsible? ...Absolutely!

Now isn't television is a tad more subtle? Well, it was when many of us grew up. There is nothing subtle about telelvision anymore. If television is a reflection of a realistic society - we are in big trouble. Often when a show is in its first year, it is interesting and humorous. But as time goes on, the show gets increasingly daring and outrageous. Compared to the movie industry, television is expected to tone down the violence, profanity and sex. But on television, sex is dealt with in a different way. Television promotes sex through humor. Sorry, but there is nothing funny about a promiscuous friend or relative. There is nothing funny about not remembering the name of someone you slept with. There is nothing funny about a bet on who can score the most or abstain the longest. Morality is not funny. Irresponsible? ...Absolutely!

As parents and as a society, we have got to get serious about protecting the rights of the offended instead of the offenders. What are we teaching and promoting? Profanity or common decency. You decide and stand strong for your convictions. Don't let your standards be ruled by the movie, television or music industry, where money is their motivator.

America will not be destroyed by an enemy from the outside. If we were ever attacked, our citizens would unite and defend our great country. However, if an enemy should sneak up on us and attack us from within, in subtle ways, at our very ideals, our country will not stand. And saddest of all - it will be our fault.

Connie Eccles,
ComPortOne Editor & CEO


http://www.lifeisaprayer.com/articles/religion/music-morality
Well, now that I'm on break, I have a little time to devote to writing another entry (sorry it's been so long). I thought I would do well to write about music, as it is one of the most influential and intriguing media forms today; not only is radio (FM, AM, Satellite, Internet, etc.) extremely prevalent in our modern society, the instant availablility of music from places such as the iTunes Store or any local music store makes music a potent medium with which many different people spread their ideas and influence.

Not only can someone quickly find almost any popular music on the planet, but he is also able to carry it all with him on his iPod, on a CD player, or using some other portable method. What goes into a person's head is very important, for the Bible states, "I do not allow into my presence anyone who speaks perversely" (Psalm 101:3). How important it is, then, for us to protect ourselves from not only people who speak perversely, but also to protect ourselves from their words, i.e. music.
On Profanity

One of my biggest gripes with modern music is popular artists' tendencies to think everyone loves hearing curse word after curse word. Or having to rhyme everything by using profane words instead of using God-given creative powers to make relevant and interesting rhymes. In case you don't know, it is not a good thing to listen to all this swearing and cussing; not only does it sour the mind, but it also makes a person more likely to use those words in his own speech (familiarity breeds fondness, not contempt), and lessens the value of words. Why do we have to put up with this music's inability to produce meaningful verse? We don't.

In case you do not know, there are many groups in the music world who do not use swearing or profanity in their music. Sure, they are not played on all the 'popular' radio stations, nor are they always easy to find in the music stores. The best way to protest the bad words in music is to not buy, support, or even listen to the music. That's right; by simply listening to this music, you are showing it some sort of support (even if it's not monetary). By allowing your ears to hear, you are telling God and others, "I deem this sound worthy to be heard by my ears."

We must take heed not to let bad sound enter our ears, just as we should not let bad images enter our eyes. We experience the world through our senses—if we allow profanity to enter our ears, we are giving up one of our senses to wrongdoing; our experience will be the worse for it!
On Addiction

Another problem that is sometimes caused by people's musical tastes is an addiction to music. Some people simply cannot get enough music. They walk around with headphones in their ears, they turn on the stereos in their rooms, they listen to the radio in their cars, and they go to concerts when available, rarely taking the time to give their ears a rest!

Not only can this cause physical problems (i.e. deafness or impaired hearing abilities), it can also cause other non-physical problems. Once we 'Lose ourselves' to the music, we have given up a part of what makes us humans. We are admitting that we are dependent on music, as we could be dependent on a drug. If a person is listening to music so much that he 'loses himself' to it, he has put himself in a weary situation indeed!

There is a certain amount of music that can be healthy for a person, and this amount differs for every person. But a common problem amongst the people of our modern American society is their inability to cope with silence. Some people even have silonophobia ("fear of silence"), and become tense when there is no ambient sound. Jesus himself knew the importance of silence: "he would withdraw to deserted placed to pray" (Luke 5:16). Without this respect and acceptance of silence, we cannot truly have some time to ourselves—to actually think things over and pray.
On Piracy

One of the greatest issues that my generation must deal with, but which I don't normally see much argument about, is piracy. Many of my peers seem to think that either (a) it's morally acceptable to obtain copyrighted music through filesharing networks or other digital means (i.e. 'sharing music'), or (b) it's not morally acceptable, but it's not so bad that I won't do it. This is a huge problem! Just because you might not get caught does not mean it's okay!

Some try to justify this stealing by saying, 'oh, the record companies overcharge, and I'm just a rebel trying to make a change, etc. etc.'—but this is not the way to do it. Boycotting is an acceptable way of dealing with these kinds of problems, but stealing is not.

Stealing is stealing, no matter how 'innocent' one feels. The only way to stop this terrible disease of piracy is to stop cold-turkey. People must realize that piracy is wrong, and should not be done at all. It is not acceptable, and carries with it the same moral consequences as stealing. Stealing a song is, morally, the same as stealing a candy bar from the store. Sure, you might not get caught. But it is wrong. W-R-O-N-G: wrong.
Conclusion

Now, you may say, am I not being a little harsh? Maybe so. But I always like to err on the side of caution. We must be vigilant in our use and likings of music. We must be careful to not let smutty, ugly or improper words enter our ears. We must take care to not take what is not rightly ours (even if everyone else is doing it).

I listen to music often, but I try to (a) make sure I leave myself ample quiet-time, (b) select only appropriate, well-written music and © never steal music, by any method. Although I sometimes fail, I strive to do better; I wish to amend my ways and turn back to God; the One who gave me the ability to listen to His wonderful gift of music. Let us all strive to be perfect, as Jesus our Lord was!

Edited October 13, 2010 by bigted

[Turntable]

Profanity has nothing to do with how smart somebody is or how nice somebody is, a lot of very smart people use profanity, and why wouldn't they, I guess Eminem does not wants his lil duaghters to hear and thats decent because kids should not swear because they sometimes don't know what they are saying and when they can say it, but it is stupid to judge people based on their swearing

This realy sums it up. Maybe thats the european way of thinking though.

[VIsqo]

I dont judge people. Period. The bible states that God is the only one who should Judge. I dont like profanity. I dont think it is needed. It may be funny, and may make them wack rappers sound gangsta, but the truth is that we all know u dont need profanity to make a good song, or a good record, or good stand up comedy. It is just taking the easy way and setting up bad example for the youth..

[bigted]

I dont judge people. Period. The bible states that God is the only one who should Judge. I dont like profanity. I dont think it is needed. It may be funny, and may make them wack rappers sound gangsta, but the truth is that we all know u dont need profanity to make a good song, or a good record, or good stand up comedy. It is just taking the easy way and setting up bad example for the youth..

Well said! The majority of today's entertainment is a reflection of how broken our society is, we need more artists to take a stand and be more responsible with their art since a lot of these kids look up to them as role models.

[Turntable]

I see we can't meet halfway here.

Edited October 13, 2010 by Turntable

[Big Ben]

This realy sums it up. Maybe thats the european way of thinking though.

Thats an American Comedian saying it though, just saying...

[Turntable]

I know. But over here there would be no need for a comedian to talk about that, just saying..

Edited October 14, 2010 by Turntable

[Turntable]

I dont judge people. Period. The bible states that God is the only one who should Judge. I dont like profanity. I dont think it is needed. It may be funny, and may make them wack rappers sound gangsta, but the truth is that we all know u dont need profanity to make a good song, or a good record, or good stand up comedy. It is just taking the easy way and setting up bad example for the youth..

you do see the problem here dont you...