[thechat] re: Eminem & free speech

[Mike King]

At 23:14 03/07/2002 +0100, Kevin Stevens wrote:

>I remember getting all militant when the Prodigy released the track Smack My
>Bitch Up but was surprised to find I was the only one who was bothered by
>it, even some feminists I knew didn't seem in the least bit outraged. I came
>round to thinking that maybe this was the right way to deal with
>deliberately outrageous things, don't rise to it.

I think that's the only way to deal with things like that. They aim for
controversy to get publicity, it's worked for computer games, music
(Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Relax. Would that have been a huge UK no 1, had
the BBC not banned it?), literature, art etc etc. It will never stop until
there's no press to stir it up... or PR people to stir the press up on
behalf of the client... it's a vicious circle  :)
Also the 'smack my bitch up' video (which was banned) shows a completely
different side to the tune. It's filmed through the eyes of a beer
swilling, bitch smacking person. Who, you don't find out until the very end
when they look into a mirror, is a woman.

mk