Eric Boehlert

Eric Boehlert, a frequent contributor to the online journal Salon, takes a strongly critical stance against both the content of Eminem's The Marshall Mathers LP and those music and cultural critics who have refused to condemn the rapper's lyrics. According to Boehlert, not even the arguable artistic merits of The Marshall Mathers LP's musical production or Eminem's verbal skill should excuse lyrics that preach hatred and violence against women and gays, nor should those journalists who support the album be excused for implicitly condoning Eminem's irresponsibility.

ACCOUNTANTS FOR INTERSCOPE RECORDS AND rapper Eminem weren't the only ones cheering last week when the star's 2000 album, "The Marshall Mathers LP," debuted at No. 1 in blockbuster style. The aggressively demented album, which features the white rapper weaving rapid—fire tales about rape, faggots, bitches, drug overdoses and...