Why don't American critics notice that 8 mile is about class?

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Sure, I might be behind the times a little in asking this, but I saw 8 mile a few weeks ago and I have since spent quite a bit of time thinking about the class issues raised in the film. I've read a million reviews (aside: lest many people think me a psycho, I teach English lit and have had numerous students want to discuss this film) and very few, if any, discuss the role of class in the film. Many talk about race, but they seem to, in my mind, miss the major point. Throughout the film, Rabbit (let me be very clear right now that I think it is dangerous to collapse Rabbit and Eminem together) is set up as a white flunky--the attacks made on him in the first battles are plainly addressing his race. The movie is clearly about Mr. Rabbit finding a voice, but in the last battle, the discourse he locates is no longer addressing race. The final battle, pitting Rabbit against black members of the Free World crew, begins in very much the same way as earlier battles. Rabbit is slagged for his whiteness, told to get off the stage, etc. The final battle sees Rabbit directly addressing the class of his opponent--shooting off about the private school the guy went to, the neighbourhood he lived in--and admitting his own position as poor "white trash." To me, this is a pretty revolutionary move--within the film, that is. Rabbit transcends the regular rules of the battle and starts speaking outside--ignoring the fact that it is a battle--he starts talking about himself, admitting his weaknesses...

It's like a microcosm of what is going on in hip hop...you got these guys with tons of cash doing the same old same old (think Cam'ron, Ja Rule, Jay-Z--Blueprint 2 sucks..., etc.) and no one saying anything new. Point is, shit like the scene in Philly transcends this--people start talking about shit outside of the traditional boundary of black vs. white--it's still a very important issue, sure, but class has been overlooked so often...Okay, I'm rambling here--I've just reread this thing and it is, admittedly, vague--I could probably explain myself better if I wasn't typing off the top of my head, but what do y'all think?

― cybele, Tuesday, 17 December 2002 18:09 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm still thinking...I might have a more well articulated point later.

― cybele, Tuesday, 17 December 2002 18:10 (twenty-two years ago)

In America, race has tended to obfuscate and confuse what are essentially class issues throughout her history.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 17 December 2002 18:23 (twenty-two years ago)

quite. the idea that social class is "a British divide" not an American one

― robin carmody (robin carmody), Tuesday, 17 December 2002 18:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Ahem:

Class Trumps Race in Eminem's '8 Mile'

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Tuesday, 17 December 2002 18:49 (twenty-two years ago)

All due respect Sterling...that article is exactly what I'm talking about--in its final analysis it insists that the use of a discourse of class eliminates the important discussion of race. The writer sees 8 mile as a film that "gloss[es] over" race. Hardly. It's a typically American analysis--class doesn't trump race at all, it is the collapse of race and class that is interesting to me, and, I believe, what is interesting about the movie.

― cybele, Tuesday, 17 December 2002 21:23 (twenty-two years ago)

cybele the people you listed doing the "Same old thing" are each doing different and interesting things.

also I think the article said just what you were talking about -- which is class getting invoked against a strictly racialized discourse. maybe the article opposes this, or finds it unrealistic or even dangerous, but it describes exactly what you worried foax ignore.

and the film does NOT collapse race and class but instead treats them as distinct and thus generates frission between the two, as the vv article nicely points out.

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Tuesday, 17 December 2002 21:39 (twenty-two years ago)

"Why don't American critics notice that 8 mile is about class?"

Because they're too busy leaving the theatre to get away from its pronounced, ennui-conjuring awfulness.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 17 December 2002 22:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Okay, some points taken, but what I do not understand is how Cam'ron, Jay-Z (in the Blueprint 2), and Ja Rule are doing such incredibly new and interesting things...I have more to say, but I'm in the middle of cooking dinner...

― cybele, Tuesday, 17 December 2002 22:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, and remember that I was talking about saying something new--so address that if possible...

― cybele, Tuesday, 17 December 2002 22:56 (twenty-two years ago)

This is one of the worst reviews from a very good critic, but nevertheless, it is another perspective on this film:

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2002/nov2002/8mil-n13.shtml

― Amateurist (amateurist), Tuesday, 17 December 2002 23:41 (twenty-two years ago)

There is a hint in this film of the idea that "race" as a unifying and excluding force is evoked largely by the black middle class. It's an interesting notion I'd have to give more thought. I think you are pointing to some of the more interesting aspects of the film, though. I don't necessarily think that the class angle has been overlooked (it's too explicit a part of the film to have been ignored) but maybe I'm just reading different reviews.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Tuesday, 17 December 2002 23:47 (twenty-two years ago)

what is that song called, 'po' folks' by Nappy Roots ? Y'know I thought the class angle was indeed rather obv, and.. at this particular instant, I am thinking focusing on the line saying Doc went to a private school is not, really, meaning it was the class trump card that won the thing - What I take as the subject of the battle is, bottom line, who's been through more sh!t in life, and if Doc's coming from $$ and hey, next line, 'his parents have a really good marriage,' he can't have a lot to say aside from insulting the other guy for being white, can he, he hasn't got much life experience. So.. maybe part of what Em's doing is taking apart any notion that one's life is easier, one is privileged simply b/c one is white. I'm rambling, but voila.

― daria g, Wednesday, 18 December 2002 02:15 (twenty-two years ago)

The thing is...the film is but a press release for M&M, er, Reese's Pieces, er..Peppermint Patti. This is not a considered medititation on the working poor in middle America, but an attempt to legitimize and mythologize one of the shittiest rappers ever, as he turns into the biggest self-parody since that husk of synthetics that used to be Michael Jackson.

― horace mann, Wednesday, 18 December 2002 02:31 (twenty-two years ago)

I think it is a mistake to read this film while keeping Mr. Em in mind. Sure, I agree with horace, but there is more going on in it. After all, the film doesn't end with Marshall winning Grammys.

Then again, I'm a titch knackered right now.

― cybele, Wednesday, 18 December 2002 05:15 (twenty-two years ago)

In America, race has tended to obfuscate and confuse what are essentially class issues throughout her history.
"obfuscate was Word of the Day on April 26, 2000." - Dictionary.com

I award you 1 gold star.

― David Allen, Wednesday, 18 December 2002 05:41 (twenty-two years ago)

"Purple Rain.. Puuurr-ple Raaaa-in....."

― maria b (maria b), Wednesday, 18 December 2002 06:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Amateurist: haha "the left" and culture

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Wednesday, 18 December 2002 18:13 (twenty-two years ago)

thanks David, I want some recognition for referring to America as "her" too.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 18 December 2002 18:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Jesus, why can't somebody just go ahead and make the film where the gang of black guys pulls down the white guys pants and they all collectively agree "hey man, okay, that's a good-sized dick, let's go out and hug and have a few beers and be friends" so we can stop having these type of films thrust upon us.

― maria b (maria b), Thursday, 19 December 2002 00:12 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd like to see Eminem in a scene as described above. Yes, very much.

― Sean (Sean), Thursday, 19 December 2002 00:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Eminem has ALWAYS been about class.

― Curtis Stephens, Thursday, 19 December 2002 03:59 (twenty-two years ago)

these types of films = ?

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Thursday, 19 December 2002 06:08 (twenty-two years ago)

these types of films = the two towers

― James Blount (James Blount), Thursday, 19 December 2002 06:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Why doesn't Simon Reynolds notice that "Lose Yourself" is this year's "Flashdance"?

― Pete Scholtes, Friday, 20 December 2002 02:45 (twenty-two years ago)

"8 Mile" would be the greatest hip-hop film of the year if it weren't for "Like Mike"

― Curtis Stephens, Friday, 20 December 2002 02:48 (twenty-two years ago)

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