December 4, 2009

Eminem’s Rape Brag

Photo used under a Creative Commons license by flickr user <a href="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3411/3596246997_688523e994.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.flickr.com/photos/monsieurlam/3596246997/&usg=__FHgXacs4k-EZIgSOmTV5wo0QUQA=&h=500&w=333&sz=78&hl=en&start=1&sig2=VSqoH3v-_22_TLoauaed7g&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=odm0yi6YzFL22M:&tbnh=130&tbnw=87&prev=/images%3Fq%3Deminem%26as_st%3Dy%26as_rights%3D(cc_publicdomain%257Ccc_attribute%257Ccc_sharealike%257Ccc_noncommercial%257Ccc_nonderived)%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26channel%3Ds%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DG%26um%3D1&ei=zZ4ZS_3VNpm4tAPQjqyRBw">monsieurlam</a>

Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.


Was anyone else aware that Eminem recently performed a song at the AMA’s in which he bragged about 17 rapes? I just found this out while reading the comments section of an Entertainment Weekly blog. Meanwhile, Adam Lambert has been pitchforked by the public and blackballed by ABC for (gasp!) kissing a guy on the same show. Because, you know, that’s offensive.

Coincidentally, hours before reading about Slim Shady’s rape boast, I came across a Center for Investigative Reporting report about how college campuses routinely mishandle sexual assault cases. Apparently, more than 95 percent of students who are sexually victimized do not report to police or campus officials, and those that do are often encouraged to drop their claim or submit to a gag order.

It’s hard enough as is to report sexual abuse. Victims shouldn’t have to deal with Eminem’s brags, ABC’s hypocrisy, campus’ injustices, or a culture that just says “meh.”

WE CAME UP SHORT.

We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

So we urgently need this specific ask, what you're reading right now, to start bringing in more donations than it ever has. The reality, for these next few months and next few years, is that we have to start finding ways to grow our online supporter base in a big way—and we're optimistic we can keep making real headway by being real with you about this.

Because the bottom line: Corporations and powerful people with deep pockets will never sustain the type of journalism Mother Jones exists to do. The only investors who won’t let independent, investigative journalism down are the people who actually care about its future—you.

And we hope you might consider pitching in before moving on to whatever it is you're about to do next. We really need to see if we'll be able to raise more with this real estate on a daily basis than we have been, so we're hoping to see a promising start.

payment methods

WE CAME UP SHORT.

We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

So we urgently need this specific ask, what you're reading right now, to start bringing in more donations than it ever has. The reality, for these next few months and next few years, is that we have to start finding ways to grow our online supporter base in a big way—and we're optimistic we can keep making real headway by being real with you about this.

Because the bottom line: Corporations and powerful people with deep pockets will never sustain the type of journalism Mother Jones exists to do. The only investors who won’t let independent, investigative journalism down are the people who actually care about its future—you.

And we hope you might consider pitching in before moving on to whatever it is you're about to do next. We really need to see if we'll be able to raise more with this real estate on a daily basis than we have been, so we're hoping to see a promising start.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate