"Love the Way You Lie" (*Hate the Way I Love This Song)

Why do I love this song? Does this mean I've gone over to the dark side by embracing an Eminem number? Is it because Rihanna reveals a sultry, sad vulnerability? Or because Dominic Monaghan and Megan Fox heat up the screen -- literally and figuratively -- during their physically and spiritually tortured romance? Has Eminem let us catch a glimpse of a powerful sense of insecurity and loss that I hadn't previously given him credit for? Are these all excuses because I love the catchiness of the song and the way the video strikes my heart and pulse? Do I resist the urge to watch this over and over to stay "true" to my politics and my indignation at so much of what Eminem stands for in my mind?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uelHwf8o7_U

p.s. an hour and a half later --

Below are M's comments once I forwarded her this blog post, curious about her thoughts. I agree with what she says -- consciously thought all this myself -- and it's nice to see my concerns reiterated articulately and to the point.

Here you have it:
"Ummmmm…..my take is that it is about a domestic abuse/abuse cycle relationship which ends in murder and makes me like him even LESS, when I didn’t really give a sh*t before: and he seems less interesting/deep/feeling, not more so. It just sounded like a lot of excuses/justifications about why it is okay to beat the shit out of your girlfriend with whom you are in a dysfunctional relationship. It also makes me wonder what the hell Rihanna is doing in this video given her hx, especially since she is singing, “It’s okay because I like the way it hurts,”….WTF? Really? Is she really that stupid? Am I totally missing the point here? Maybe if proceeds from the song were going to a domestic shelter or something, but otherwise – YUK.

Maybe you like it because it is sexy! sexy! and the thing about those sexy, intense, dysfunctional relationships is that they are like a drug – so intense and exciting and thrilling, and they feel so meaningful at the time (and the sex is always AMAZING). Plus, stylizing it made the ugly reality of it easy to overlook/ignore."

Right on, M! And I will say -- in Rihanna's defense, at least -- that she's well aware of how those lyrics are being taken, the irony and lesson behind her words.

p.p.s. another fifteen minutes later --

M's last comment:
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! What have you done to me?! I can’t stop watching it now! Dammit! It is addictive and they are just fun to watch –- that is why they are moving stars."

And you all, fellow readers? Thoughts?