THIS is "Culture"?

Since I don't pay much attention to contemporary music, this came as a bit of a shock.

Over the past six weeks, the top pop song in the land has been Love The Way You Lie by Marshall Mathers III (a.k.a. Eminem) and featuring Rihanna. Mathers is the type of musician that Plato warned us about, and the best argument for following the philosopher's lead in banning them from the Republic.

On one of his earlier albums, 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.

So that's "free expression," I guess.

HT: FirstThings