Eminem and Elton John: What-What in the Butt?

           For a long time, due to the media, the public thought that homosexuality was contagious. When HIV and AIDS were introduced to the American public, they were portrayed as a disease that only homosexuals contracted. When HIV and AIDS first appeared, not much was known about them and the lack of knowledge resulted in social unrest in the US. Generally speaking, those who are different are ostracized in society. Whether it be something small like the way one dresses to something big like their sexual orientation difference is not appreciated for the most parts in society. Differences are not appreciated because, ultimately, difference sparks change and change does not appear to be always appreciated.

Homophobia as a concept has been around since the beginning of time. However, the term "homophobia" was not used until American psychologist, George Weinberg, coined the term in the late 1960’s. Homosexuals are considered to be immoral, wrong, abnormal, and unnatural. It was not until as recent as 1975 that psychologists stopped treating homosexuality as a mental illness. Prior to, ‘medical science’ and psychology promoted the ideology that non-heterosexual behavior was perverse, sick, and abnormal. They also went as far as to say that it was a mental illness that needed to be cured.

It was a disease that little was known about and it had many negative connotations attached to it due to initial victims being homosexual. Regardless of why it wasn't talked about, initially, it was kept quiet and many people believed that it was something that only homosexuals contracted which is one of the ways in which homophobia arose. Many people initially thought that you could contract the ‘gay disorder’ just by being in contact with a homosexual. Now, there’s a disease that seems to be targeting only homosexuals. So now, not only is the general public of America avoiding homosexuals to avoid becoming homosexuals themselves, but now their fear is heightened due to an unknown disease that seems to target homosexuals.

It has been proven time and time again that we are afraid of the unknown. We like our world to be defined in a little box and once our box, our universe, is shaken, we become afraid and lash out which is what we did to homosexuals when HIV emerged in America. Like we still do to homosexuals.

The media portrayed HIV and AIDS in an extremely negative way and that led to more negative media and stigma for homosexuals. Due to all the negative media and stereotypes surrounding homosexuals, people who were thought to be gay or who were associated with a homosexual were ostracized or at least met with a plethora of negative responses. A few examples would be:

           - Earvin "Magic" Johnson (who has HIV)

           - Elton John (who is gay)

           - Macklemore (who was thought to be gay due to his song "Same Love")

           - Eminem (for his association with Elton John)

           - Frank Ocean (who has admitted to being gay relatively recently) 

Now, all these people are celebrities. Celebrities are often put on a pedestal and worshiped by some and criticized to Hell by others. Magic Johnson is one of the best basketball players of all time. He was seen as a respectable figure, a role model for many. However, when it became known that he had HIV, the world turned on him. Okay, maybe not the world, but the media had a field day on his behalf. They tore him apart. Many accused him of being homosexual. The opinion that people had for him changed in one fell swoop. It became known that he was a victim of HIV/AIDS and all the stigma and stereotypes associated with the disease become relatable to him, regardless of whether or not they are true. The same thing happened to Elton John. When it became 'common' knowledge that he was gay, he was hit with a lot of negative feedback. Elton was married earlier in his life, but is now in a domestic partner ship with David Furnish. Just like with Magic, due to the stereotypes and fear surrounding homosexuality, the media attacked him.

The same thing was seen most recently with Macklemore. Due to his song "Same Love", many people assumed that he was gay. In his song, Macklemore says, "In the 3rd grade, I thought I was gay...all these preconceived notions of what it all meant". Some people glance over that and assume that, since he's the artist of a pro-gay song, that he had to be gay and was bashed for it. Macklemore has given statements admitting that he isn't gay, although he has gay family members and that he knows many homosexuals. He goes on to talk about how the reason he wrote the song wasn't because he was gay, but because he couldn't help himself from making a statement; he couldn't help himself from making a stand. By not doing anything, by remaining voiceless, we are allowing media, society, religion, etc to dictate our lives. Many people know that what's happening to homosexuals is wrong, but don't do anything about it. You don't have to be the executioner to be guilty of killing the executed. By remaining silent and doing nothing, you're do just as much as the executioner. Think back to 1984 from one of my initial posts, the citizens of Oceania are afraid, and their fear dictates their lives. Due to their fear of the Party, they don't do anything that isn't approved by the society. Due to their fear, they aren't living their lives. Looking back at the lives of the citizens of Oceania, I would relate their lives to be similar to that of a bee hive. The citizens are all worker bees that work for the queen bee (the Party), and what the worker bees do are regulated by drones. 

We remain silent because we don't want all of that negative stigma and stereotypes to come back to haunt us and so we remain silent. Remaining silent didn't win women their rights. Being silent didn't get rid of slavery. Being silent doesn't stop genocides. Being silent doesn't stop hate or fear. Action does.  

Eminem, like Macklemore and others, took a stand. Eminem performed with Elton John at the 2001 Grammy Awards. Eminem has been accused of being homophobic and in a few interviews he replies that he isn't. The reason that he's accused of being homophobic is due to the language he uses is songs like “Kill You”. 

Alleged homophobe, Eminem, took a stand. He had a special guest for his Grammy performance of "Stan" — the openly bisexual Elton John. After which, the accused homophobe was accused of being a homosexual himself! Many people, including myself, gave Eminem props for taking a stand and showing people that it's okay to associate with homosexuals. Although Eminem earned respect in the eyes of many, he was also attacked by others who came to conclusion that he was gay as well due to his association with Elton John. Guilty through association. 

John, who has been championed by the same gay activists who have frequently attacked Eminem, sings the song's chorus, which, on record, features a sample of pop singer Dido. The song appears on Eminem's 2000 album, The Marshall Mathers LP, whose nomination for the "Album of the Year" Grammy has generated a continuing controversy. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, John said that the idea for the Grammy duet was Eminem's and that the singer was prepared for the detractors and protesters the joint appearance might cause. "I'm a big fan of [Eminem's] music," John told the newspaper, "and I said I would be delighted to [do the song]. I know I'm going to get a lot of flak from various people who are going to picket the show. ... I'd rather tear down walls between people than build them up. If I thought for one minute that he was [hateful], I wouldn't do it." Eminem's four Grammy nominations have drawn the ire of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, which has called the rapper's lyrics hateful and homophobic (in earlier songs). In another interview, Sir Elton said that the people who think Em has recently lost his sense of humor, since he's now supportive of homosexuals, are dead wrong. "He's got a great sense of humor," John told Rolling Stone. "When David [Furnish] and I had our civil partnership, he sent us a present. In a case, on velvet cushions were two-diamond c--- rings. So there's a homophobe for you [laughs].  Eminem's present was seen, by many critics as more evidence that he's a closet homosexual. 
           Another hip-hop artist that is associated with homosexuality in the media is Frank Ocean. On Tuesday, June 5, 2012, R&B star Frank Ocean came out of the closet. Ocean comes clean about his bisexuality. There were many articles published in regards to him declaration:  "Frank Ocean: My First Love Was a Man," "Frank Ocean Comes Clean About His Bisexuality And I Applaud Him For It!," "Frank Ocean Pulls an Anderson Cooper and Comes Out of the Closet." His declaration was met with a mix audience. As expected, the majority of the people were not pleased with his declaration, however, an increasing amount of people applauded his courage to come out of the closet. For example, "things haven't exactly been copacetic between Chris Brown and Frank Ocean". Chris Brown tweeted later on that day that, " My opinion on the whole Frank Ocean subject is ......... Love you u wanna love. It's ur decision. People stop searching for BS". (The "BS" Breezy is referring to is a report that he told paparazzi in France, "Man, no homo," when asked about Ocean coming out. The phrase it has gained popularity in hip-hop culture as something to say when, after giving props to another man, a guy wants to assure that what he said did not have any homosexual connotation.)
           It's sad to think that we have to insert phrases like, "no homo" at the end of comments so that another person doesn't take it with a homosexual connotation. "Damn dude, you look good" would not be taken the same way as "damn dude, you look good. No homo." The 1st would be taken with a homosexual connotation and the 2nd without it. There so much homophobia and negative stigma in relationship to homosexuality and homosexuals in our society, in the media that a simple comment such as "damn, you look good" can be taken both with and without any homosexual connotation. Not only that, but still to this day the media, society, and in turn the public is critical of homosexuals, alleged homosexuals, and those who associate with homosexuals.