One of the major reasons for starting this column was to explore how specific media influenced deep-seated beliefs or ideas that I’ve carried for decades. In a lot of cases, it’s through a paradoxical lens where the self feels completely removed from the present tense. Maybe it’s my way to deconstruct the guilt of youth or better understand what drew me to art in the first place. Or maybe it's more that growing up in the 2000s brought special challenges that I’m unsure if we’ve collectively grown out of. To be fair, everything here is not a detriment to the material, but there’s still something alluring that I cannot ignore.
In the case of “The Marshall Mathers LP,” certain blame should be given to the classic radio channels. At least three times per month over a long period, I’ll be out driving and suddenly “Stan” comes on. Quality aside, it’s an alarming track to put on in the midst of midday party jams that are letting you know that five o’clock will be here sooner than you think. Again, I don’t hate “Stan,” but does an epistolary song of sick obsession that ends with murder and misogyny really suggest things are going okay? To be fair, I’d much prefer this to Aerosmith’s “Dude Looks Like A Lady,” which is not a terrible song, but I am convinced has had a resurgence of popularity due to implied transphobia. “Stan” is the rare vulgar hit song with substance that will get under your skin for reasons other than its graphic depravity. It feels sincere. There’s an ounce of truth in the middle that is inescapable. It’s art that, upon my first listen, turned my face pale. So why is THIS the song I’ve heard the most in 2026?
My essay is not an arbitrary retrospective piece, but more to explore the question of why Eminem is somebody who has, for some reason, aged well for me. There’s often an immediacy to the aggressive, edgy 90s acts that roots them completely in a distant time. You may like them, but how much is rooted in nostalgia? Maybe it’s that Eminem has not retired yet and, compared to most generational contemporaries, is still racking in monthly listeners on Spotify for the NEW stuff. Even so… shouldn’t a man who used offensive language for the sake of offensive language not have this much longevity, let alone win an Oscar?
Certain details may be difficult to tear apart because I was the right age for Eminem to seem scary, like some antichrist whose music held the portal to hell. Marilyn Manson may have had more urban legends, but Eminem had an accessibility. You had a cousin with bleach-blonde hair who flipped the bird and said stupid things to get a rise. It’s what young boys do, and it was speculative on how much you’d put up with that. Add in that more white audiences were getting into rap music around this time, and it’s easy to see him as the practical crossover. He was far from the jokesters that the decade started with. He wasn’t Vanilla Ice or Snow. He was sincere and could drop the most perverted attack on Top 40 radio you had ever heard. For those who clutch their pearls over the slightest criticism of pop stars today, just know that Eminem did it more brutally and, most importantly, in a clever enough way that you’d never forget the jab.
Even listening to “MMLP” recently, it’s hard to know if it’s an earworm because it’s been with us for over a quarter century, or if it genuinely has something to offer. The obvious should be said. I do not condone a lot of the behavior expressed. Murder, misogyny, and homophobia are all things that are counterintuitive to the person I wish to be, yet I won’t reject that; at different points you listen to Eminem here and get caught up in the cartoonish insanity. It’s an outlet that allows the darkest thoughts to come out and, like it or not, is a lot healthier than turning actions to words. Yes, I generally would be nervous about people taking the wrong lessons from media (as has become more common since), but something never fully gets there. When the song’s over, I’m mostly smiling and taken aback because of the intensity and foolhardy efforts of youth to push the limits to their breaking point.
If Eminem, as a public figure, remained a scary and mysterious figure even by 2010, there’s a good chance that this wouldn’t land with the same impact. His insistence that art and artist are two separate entities continues to inform his work even with the recent “The Death of Slim Shady” album, and I’d argue it shows his growing awareness of the burden. Alongside his controversy is a real man, now a grandfather who posts Minions memes. He isn’t the antichrist. He may still pop off at the mouth for fun, but the defanging has only helped him remain endearing to those who have grown older and accept that their humor may be offbeat, but they still are decent deep down.
He has said some of the most profane things ever uttered in the 21st century, yet he comes across in old age as a likable guy. Compare that to his contemporaries who left their mark around the same time - Ricky Gervais, J.K. Rowling, Harvey Weinstein, or Kanye West – and you see artists who may have talent, but are driven equally by egos that clashed with their personal branding. Even if you like those people, they come with defensive caveats now that keep their art from feeling as exciting as it once did. Meanwhile, it’s okay to hate Eminem. He’ll be the first to tell you that. It’s probably easier to cope because there was never a forceful push to think any other way.
So again, nostalgia may go a long way to me liking “MMLP” despite growing morally as a person. Even as I find people who mistake the jokes for manifestos repugnant, I haven’t been as pushed into discomfort by the bad fans as I usually am. Even if I side with those who get caught up in discussing the downside of “lyrical miracle” rappers, I’m able to see Eminem as an artist who has his place in pop culture. He has always felt authentic, discussing his vulnerabilities and willing to be off-putting when a fake smile probably would’ve gotten him further. There’s no need to pose for the camera. He’ll call you out if you’re not seeming genuine.
In that respect, “MMLP” reminds me of Jonathan Swift’s “Gulliver’s Travels.” The 19th-century comedy is an antagonistic parody of the travelogue packed with juvenile humor and clever wordplay that entertains yet is difficult to fully parse what the larger point is. Most of the time this means that the artist underdeveloped the finished product, but Eminem’s impulsivity is on par with Swift in how they both offend the snobbish elites of the English-speaking world while offering them an audacious handling of language and internal logic. Sure, Swift might not have made as many rape references, but he did write that essay about murdering kids. As satire, it’s uncomfortable, yet history has proven the value lies somewhere in deconstructing line by line.
The roller coaster approach finds him battling many perspectives. For those who didn’t know that Marshall Mathers, Eminem, and Slim Shady were three different identities, “MMLP” would be even more difficult to fully understand. One spoke earnestly, and the others dove further into madness until they were murdering their wives in graphic detail. That may be why one of the tracks features a genuine complaint from a super-fan for not giving their brother an autograph while he later rails against people stalking him and, instead of simply signing something, yells to “buy you a lawyer.” Part of Eminem’s danger also stems from how much he brags about lawsuits that contrast the weight of his influence with the reality of actions and consequences.
This album is aware of its own shortcomings, mixing biography with shock in ways that give a complete portrait of the artist. It’s the question of where the greater truth lies not only for Eminem, but also in the greater pop culture landscape. Where is the effort to present something raw and authentic? Where is the technical proficiency that cares for more than materialism? Given that the next decade would bring recession pop and the affluence he rebelled against, there wasn’t any concern of him leaving anytime soon. Even if he dipped too far into self-parody, he found ways to find himself again. It may have cost him the edginess, but he was more than the main offender. He wrote with a technical proficiency that still gets lobbed with praise. His versatility with flow made him stand out and, for a time, his guest appearances were so wild that he often overshadowed the main artist. His eagerness shines brighter than the glaring shortcomings of “MMLP” to the point that it may be an unpleasant record, but it’s hard to ignore the effort to at least make it sound good.
From here it all comes down to personal taste. My ongoing opinion is that art should be judged on intention. Whether you like it or not is subjective, but to call art good or bad relies largely on whether it meets the goal. Do I think the homophobic slurs were uncalled for? Yes. Of everything this record promoted, I worry this may have been the most dangerous. Still, to hear Eminem discuss the f-slur, he suggests that he’s using it as a synonym for “idiot,” and all that does is make the correlation easier. Judged as a whole, I don’t believe a lot of the antagonism comes from a place of hate, but in a time when media literacy is getting worse, it’s easy to see this record being embraced for endorsing exclusionist rhetoric when it’s all the work of a rapper unraveling his aggressions. That may be the fear that American parents had in 2000, especially with the Boomer mentality still favoring the suburban dream. Having a guy end his album by robbing a bank and calling himself a criminal must’ve seemed like a cultural digression. Still, if judged by the intention of making something “to make you mad” and jump from sobering thoughts to homicidal rage, this is one of the most stable journeys pop culture has produced.
One final thing that drew me to revisit this was what made me want to classify this under the In Media Res column. What impact did it have on me? I’ll be upfront and say that I didn’t come to his music in the moment. I heard the radio singles, but because you had to buy the records to hear the rest, I was not cable of hearing them until years later when I discovered torrenting software and downloaded his first three albums. By then, it felt like a holy grail. I knew of “Encore,” but the level of wackadoo didn’t reach me yet. He was this man who still seemed cool, who had this playful mix of shock and sincerity. You bought into his rage because you had your own version. It might not be with record executives, but who wasn’t mad at the teacher over the dumbest of things?
Much like Monty Python and the Meaning of Life (1983), the lasting impression is probably that it is filthy, deranged, and contradicts any sense of decency. It’s the type of experience that allows you to goof around with Eminem’s friends as he finds the craziest scenarios to commit to tape and prove the potential of the spoken word. “Kill You” shouldn’t work. It’s way too jaunty for something so morbid. Why are there sound effects? It’s gross, but you can’t deny that it’s satisfying sometimes to hear such intensity delivered with an effort that is actually trying to turn gutter material into profound art. Yes, stuff like “Stan” cements the idea of something greater, but it’s Eminem’s awareness of how to use pop culture tropes to comment on its shortcomings that make it perverse art that’s more than disposable Bloodhound Gang b-sides.
As an English major, I’m also charmed by those who study his lyrics and notice his craft. In my recent listen, the thing that grabbed me was how me mastered tone as an unreliable narrator. You believe he’s genuine almost every time, but he’ll give you enough time to forget before saying the complete opposite of his previous point. Still, things like the shifting perspective on whether to do drugs or not feel indicative of his own indecisiveness and addiction, going from “Drug Ballad” to “two pills I take till my pupils swell up like two pennies.” With all that said, it makes Eminem harder to pin down on less severe subjects. It’s easy to believe he won’t kill somebody, but the homophobia and misogyny may be harder to separate.
Which is probably the most lasting legacy I’ve noticed on me so far. One of my conflicts through youth is that I was evasive. I gave people enough to recognize me, but I would joke or lie merely to entertain. It’s likely because of cases like Eminem where there’s a clear duality between self and public perception. You felt like you knew me, but there were still mysteries that were somewhere inside. I’m not sure why I did it other than I enjoyed seeing people’s reactions to the things that were odd. I needed to stimulate myself by never conforming. The downside is that it probably kept me from developing greater nuance right away and not taking things as seriously, but it kept me engaged. To be fair, a lot of it came from days of worshiping punk’s reckless attitude, but Eminem made it an art form that feels more obvious to how it actually felt.
On the one hand, I’ve outgrown the visceral intentions of “MMLP.” Even if I can notice how well it uses vulgarity to prove its points, there’s so much that screams angry young man trying to distance himself from others. It explains the evasiveness and mystery that exists alongside the few moments of true exposure. That may explain why “Stan” has stood the test of time. It feels like a greater commentary on his fears of being taken too seriously, where his passion has consequences. That could explain why his next album’s “Sing for the Moment” is closer to a heartfelt tribute to his fans. He was tired of the muddiness of pissing people off and needed greater catharsis. The jokes were there, but they were becoming more focused.
To ask how Eminem probably has aged the best, it’s that he eventually accepted it was an act. As reality caught up, he cooled down on the shock and sought more personal directions. It gave him a connection to fans that would’ve initially been annoyed at the murder raps. They’re still there, but his earnestness is much more prominent. While it can be argued that his sting is no longer there on stuff like "Music to Be Murdered By," the fun is still present, and there's more effort to focus on his lyrical proficiency than whether he's as crazy as they once said.
Frankly, it’s a relief to see growth and that offensive art can simply be for entertainment. Too often, it feels like people pursue “dark humor” simply to express their weirdest bigot fantasies and just want affirmation. There’s no deeper intention, and I’d argue it’s leaked into politics in a way that’s damaged the infrastructure. And what for? Eminem recognized a need for empathy beyond the jokes. It’s the only way his hostility worked. To be honest, I think it’s okay to still like this album and laugh at every last line if it works for your bad taste outlet. Art is designed to do that. However, if you ignore the message that this is all meant for amusement and see this as a line to push to hurt the most people, then I think you’re part of the problem and need some self-examination.
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