It seems that everyone I know, regardless of their taste in music, their age, nationality, or race knows the famous (or infamous) rapper Eminem.  Eminem  is one of the most controversial rappers in the music industry today.  While some eagerly await his next release others hope to never see his name on the charts again. I enjoy Eminem's work as he is one the few rappers who actually talks about something other than sex, drugs, and alcohol!  My favorite song by Eminem is "When I'm Gone" because of the story it tells,.  This song is about Eminem's career and his daughter. He is a struggling artist who has to take any and all available gigs, but being on the road for extended periods of time is tearing his family apart. This music video helps illustrate Eminem's thoughts and feelings through symbolism and visuals.

Symbolism plays a prominent role "When I'm Gone". . For instance in the music video Eminem's daughter Halley is stacking boxes in front of a door in an effort to keep her father from 'going out on the road', symbolizing  her feelings of wanting him to stay home and not leave yet again.   Later on she is screaming, "Daddy it's me, help mommy her wrists are bleeding!" Not only does the intense scene symbolize suicide , it actually refers to true-life events as Eminem's wife, Kim, actually attempted suicide by trying to slit her wrists. Perhaps the fear of something like this happening again runs through Eminem's mind. This video portrays him racing through the past in his mind.  In fact, the beat of the video is made to sound like a heartbeat, further emphasizing fear. Eminem then sings, "I turn around, find a gun on the ground, cock it. Put it to my brain, and scream, "DIE SHADY!" and pop it";  as he is looking in the mirror and he is Slim Shady but in reality he Marshall Mathers (his legal name) just wearing street clothes. He then continues to punch the mirror shattering the image. This symbolizes him ending his Slim Shady persona or at the very least putting Marshall Mathers first. The real Marshall is portrayed by natural hair color and street clothes, as opposed to the blonde, sharply dressed Eminem we all know. Finally he understands the pain he has caused and wants to put his family first over his career. Symbolism plays a large role in the interpretation of the video, but so does shadowing and light.

The shadowing and light really helps set the mood at different points in the video. The first instance is when Hailie is putting the boxes in front of the door. The boxes are somewhat dark, but there is light coming through the boxes which could represent fame for Eminem, but his daughter is trying to stop him, which is evident because she's saying, "Daddy please, Daddy don't leave, Daddy - no stop it!" Another point where shadowing is quite evident is the scene in the gym early on in the video.. The room itself is fairly dark representing dreariness as people discuss rough times in their lives.  It is evident that an Alcoholics Anonymous or similar type of meeting is taking place.  

Another strong visual effect that helps with interpretation is proximity. This is present when Hailie shows up at the end of the concert. It seems as if she is visually getting further and further away from Eminem. This could represent how their relationship has evolved; the more Eminem is on stage the more distant they become. When the song goes, "Goes in her pocket, pulls out a tiny necklace locket. It's got a picture, "This'll keep you safe Daddy take it witcha," it really shows this distance as it seems as if Hailie just doesn't care anymore.

Lastly, coloring plays a huge role in the video. The first instance is when we see the color of Hailie's overalls when she first walks up to her dad at the beginning after he says, "When they know they're your heart. And you know you were their armor. And you will destroy anyone who would try to harm her." Her overalls are red which symbolizes feelings of love, boldness, and even life. It shows Eminem's love for his daughter. In that same scene Eminem can be seen wearing a white t-shirt and a black do-rag. The white shirt seems like it may represent a pure and loving heart but the black do-rag shows that he has misery or gloom in his mind because of everything he is facing in his life. He has good intentions but cannot seem to make the correct choices. Lastly, the coloring of the gym at the very beginning of the video is faint but noticeable. The background seems to be a green haze that represents safety and growth since the scene portrays some kind of AA meeting or rehab meeting. People are trying to grow and become better in a safe environment. These are some ways color aids in the interpretation of the video.

All in all, symbolism and visuals played a large role in the understanding of the music video. They portray and help explain what is going on in Eminem's life and with his family. Eminem he is one of my favorite rappers, because in many instances he raps with a purpose rather than focusing on talking about money and drugs. He often explains his family situation and especially in this song, discussing the difficulties of being a celebrity. It gives you an inside look on what it may be like to be a celebrity rapper.

