A motif is a recurring element that is seen or shown throughout a text. The motif usually

contributes to the structure of the text, or how it is set up, the rhyming sequence, etc. there can also be motifs in visual things like movies and music videos. There are some motifs that I caught on in the music video Cleaning Out My Closet by Eminem. In many of the scenes, Eminem is shown wearing all black. I believe that he is trying to contribute to the deeper meaning of the song’s message. In many other scenes he is depicted wearing either a tank top or no shirt at all. This is adding to the message of opening up and having no secrets. Some scenes even show a thunderstorm in the background. Since this song is pretty dark and has a lot of sadness behind it, these thunderstorms are a way of adding to the dark mood and adding to the flavor of the music video of the song. Another motif is the scenes that show Eminem putting dirt back into the grave. One can come up with their own thoughts about what is in the grave, but I feel like I explain it pretty well in this essay. Eminem’s “Cleaning Out My Closet” is a way for him to show that no matter how much wrong you do in your life or at one time, you can always tell someone you trust or a higher power because there is always someone listening. There is never a time where someone cannot clean out their closet. 

There are some scenes in the video in which Eminem is dressed in all black clothes. These scenes happen to be at the beginning and middle of the music video. I believe that those scenes depict his clothing like this to show that he is full of secrets and has a lot to hide. The sleeves are long and his clothes cover much of his body showing no skin whatsoever, with the exception of his face. In one of the scenes he is wearing all black, he is in a church on his knees praying. The song is supposed to be about cleaning out his closet so it is necessary to be in all black because he is trying to be cleansed, for at the moment he is filthy with sin and must be saved. What better way to show how filthy one is than to be wearing all black in a church praying? Typically, stories associate the color white with purity, so Eminem is challenging that by wearing all black know he is not pure but rather full of sin.

In many of the other scenes, Eminem is shown wearing white. In some scenes he is even shown wearing solely a white tank top. The first scene of the song, after the scene where he is wearing only black clothes, Eminem is shown wearing a white tank top. I believe this is a strong element that is being shown in two different ways. The first is just the color white in itself.

Before the song started Eminem was in all black because he was full of secrets, but now that the song has picked up, he is wearing white to show not his innocence, but his desire to let everyone see who he is and his desire to be cleansed. The second way is the fact that he goes from wearing black heavy clothes to wearing a white tank top. I believe that the message there is to show how open Eminem is being and how he wants us to see all of him. He is tired of hiding and having secrets, so he wears a tank top to show us a little bit more of him. Eventually, Eminem is shown without a shirt on at all. At this point, we are well into the song and the message is pretty clear and when he has no shirt on is when he is being the most honest and we see everything that makes Eminem who he is at that point in his life. It makes sense that when Eminem is being the most honest is when he is going to be shown with the least amount of clothes on. Even in art, when artists have people pose nude for them, it is to catch the whole truth of the person and to see what other people cannot see. The reason for showing more skin is so that we can see that he is not holding anything back and if he is, the idea is to catch it. Someone’s body is who they are and in this song by Eminem, he is not leaving much to the imagination. 

Another motif is when Eminem is shoveling dirt into a grave. It is not made clear whether the grave is empty or not. It is up to the reader to come up with the conclusion if they think anything is in it, and if so what is in the grave. Personally, I believe that Eminem is striving to turn over a new leaf and seek help and spiritual cleanliness by “cleaning out the closet.” He is apologizing to his mother throughout the song for letting her down so much and he is now putting the past behind him and turning over a new leaf.

The final motif I will cover in this essay is the thunderstorms that are depicted throughout the video. When Eminem is sitting and rapping, in the background of some scenes there is lighting and you can hear thunder and rain. This adds to the incredibly deep meaning of the song and to the sad and dark tone that Eminem worked so hard to create. The first storm is in the beginning of the song and I am sure it was placed there because the beginning of the song he was still full of mystery and had many secrets. It adds to the eerie feel of the first scene where he is sitting in a shed in a white tank top. The storm in the background illuminates his face and he happens to be rapping about the past when he was being shot down and protested. The storms are in every scene where he is outside shoveling dirt into the grave because that is when he is putting away his old life so there is a lot of chaos going on and he needs the storm to add to the chaos.

There are so many things that texts and visual arts have to offer, one just has to be willing to read more closely. One must read with the paper eyes and their brain not just the text. One must be willing to dive into the mind of the author to search for a hidden message that is there, it is just not very easy to find. This video is a perfect example of motifs because I just pointed out these couple that we not very easy to see, but now are very clear to myself and the audience. Motifs are not very easy to find, but once one finds them one unlocks an even deeper meaning to the text that one is reading. The motifs in “Cleaning Out My Closet” contribute to the message of spiritual cleanliness. There are instances in the music video where Eminem is actively apologizing and seeking forgiveness dressed in corresponding colors. When he is asking for forgivenseess, he is seen wearing all black. When he is burying the grave, he is wearing white and I believe that is because he has forgiven himself and repented for his sins. 