14 DAY TRIAL // Not a stranger to controversy, rapper Eminem has again found himself in troubled waters after the release of his latest video, for the single “Space Bound,” which, according to campaigners, glorified violence to satisfy his selfish interests.
As we also noted earlier this week, the video touches upon themes like jealousy, violence (of the domestic, while we’re at it), insanity, fantasy and, of course, unbridled anger.
It shows the rapper and his girlfriend (played by Sasha Grey) having an argument, him suspecting her of cheating and him eventually fantasizing about strangling her and killing himself.
The anti-violence group Mothers Against Violence from the UK is very upset about the way Eminem chose to bring his lyrics to life on screen and it’s not afraid to say so in a statement cited by Contact Music.
In releasing such a video, Eminem is avoiding responsibility for how it’s interpreted by his younger fans, thus proving that he’s only out to shock because he’s hungry for money and attention.
“People who do this are really quite evil. Children are influenced by the things they see. If we feed violence, it becomes strong. Like an addiction,” says a spokesperson for the group.
“It’s all about the money with these videos. Eminem isn’t thinking about the families affected. It’s selfish – it comes to a point when selfishness becomes evil,” the same statement says.
As of this moment, Eminem has not addressed the ruckus his latest video has created. Then again, he gave critics the same silent treatment when they lashed out at him for the video “Love the Way You Lie.”
Also starring Rihanna, Megan Fox and Dominic Monaghan, the video dealt with the story of a couple locked in an abusive relationship that eventually ruins them both.
Inspired from Em’s own experience – his relationship with his ex-wife – the clip drew harsh criticism for glorifying violence for profit, as we also informed you at the time.