Hanna Le
Frances Charteris
WRTG3007
March 18, 2014
Ending It
I have finally found the strength and courage to admit to the world that
I am in a severe, verbally abusive relationship. I’m crazy about him. I can’t
leave him, because I love him. I want nothing more than to lay down beside him.
I would do anything for him, because I need
him. But when he speaks, his words hit hard—like bullets. And even though his
words are explicit, I’m still infatuated with him, and I listen when he calls
me a “bitch”—like it’s my first name.
“Don’t you ever bitch your lip unless you ‘bout to suck my dick, bitch.”
“Sit down, bitch. If you move again, I’ll beat the shit out of you.”
“I invented violence, bitch.”
…as if he made himself
clear. And despite this abuse, I still stick with him. I can’t leave him. Overflowing
with tears and fears, I’m still here—addicted and loving him so much that now I
even say it with him:
“Fuck these bitches.”
“I so-what these bithces.”
“I care about everything, except these bitches.”
His name is Eminem.
Marshall Bruce Mathers III. The real Slim Shady.
I am hung up on every lyric, every song, every mix tape and every album. I
am bobbing my head to the tune of every beat and every one of his rhymes. I
remember the very first time that I heard his music. It was love at first
sight. It was easy to ignore what he was really saying. I fell in love with him
without listening to his lyrics.
Mr. Mathers, I understand that you’re hard and that you’re from the
streets. I guess that I should accept that and as a woman not feel offended by
your words, but as a feminist I can’t accept it. I love you like you wouldn’t
believe—but your music is oppressive. Your genre is demeaning; your songs are
infected; and your insecure masculinity keeps penetrating your lyrics. Stop disrespecting
women and normalizing sexism. I reject your songs that sing, “Fuck these
bitches” and glorify violence against women. Instead, I suggest a song entitled
“Fuck you, Shady”—a new anthem, on the behalf of every woman that you have ever
called a bitch, a hoe, a slut, or an object in one of your songs. When you spit,
stop referring to them as shit. Because when you’re rapping about “how you did
a bitch right,” I’m wondering who the hell is kissing your daughter Hailie
goodnight.
