14 DAY TRIAL // Eminem’s comeback album, “Relapse,” drops in stores on May 19 and, just a few minutes ago, fans have gotten the first taste of what they’re to expect from the material. The video for “We Made You,” the rapper’s first single off the album, has just premiered exclusively on MTV and fans won’t be disappointed to see that it marks a return to the sarcasm and goofiness that were so notable in Eminem’s earlier videos.
“There’s some celebrity bashing in it. I wanna say it’s not necessarily intentional bashing in it; it’s not necessarily taking deliberate shots at people... Yes, it is. What the [expletive] am I talking about?” Eminem told MTV a while back.
Suffice to say that he was simply downplaying it, as in, to say there is some celebrity bashing is an utter understatement. As a matter of fact, the entire video is filled with innuendos and direct jabs at famous people (read: people who hold the headlines, not necessarily those who do something professionally), in what makes a very fun and light-hearted couple of minutes.
“Right off the bat, you have Em seated on a throne, who’s wearing a long blond wig and a cowboy hat (he’s Bret Michaels, in case you couldn’t tell), asking for the chorus, which is then crooned by a voluptuous Jessica Simpson-like dancer in tight denim shorts and a ruffled red top. Moments later, as if there was any doubt before, Em comes out in a Dallas Cowboys uniform, looking like Tony Romo and doing a nasty dance behind the faux Jessica. All the while, in a kind of rogues gallery green room, Em does his best preening Michaels, dangling a rose with a backstage pass on it in front of a line of rock star wannabes that includes impersonators of Sarah Palin, Samantha Ronson, Lindsay Lohan and a dentally challenged Amy Winehouse.” MTV writes about the funny clip.
But there’s more to celebrity culture than just the names above, so Eminem also included Kim Kardashian, Ellen DeGeneres, Britney Spears, Kevin Federline, John Mayer, Jennifer Aniston, Elvis Presley, “Star Trek,” “Transformers” and “Rainman” references in it, among many others. The final message is that, no matter how big of a star one sees oneself as being, in the end, it is “we [who] made you,” the public. “Back by popular demand/ Now pop a little Zantac/ Or antacid if you can/ You’e ready to tackle any task that is at hand/ How does it feel? Is it fantastic, is it grand?” Eminem asks.
Directed by Joseph Kahn, who also worked with Lady GaGa, Katy Perry and Britney Spears, the “We Made You” video was reportedly produced by Dr. Dre himself. 50 Cent also appears for a couple of seconds in front of the camera, although he does not actually sing on the track. To see the entire video, go here, but a certain amount of discretion is advised.