It has been quite a busy week for cancel culture. First, Dr. Seuss. Next, Eminem?

Yes, Marshall Mathers, aka Slim Shady, has been targeted for termination by the cancel culture mob on Twitter and TikTok.

Why? Because of a lyric in a song he released 11 years ago.

The lyric in question comes from Eminem’s hit song “Love the Way You Lie,” featuring Rihanna.

Specifically, the cancel culture clan is in a tizzy over this line from the chart-topping song: “I know I’m a liar/If she ever tries to f*****’ leave again, I’ma tie her/To the bed and set this house on fire.”

Apparently unbeknownst to the cancel culture crowd, Rihanna explained the lyric in question and the song as a whole years ago.

The song is about abusive relationships. Something Rihanna is all too familiar with. When asked about the song when it debuted more than a decade ago, Rihanna said, “It’s something that, you know, we both experienced, you know, on different sides, different ends of the table.”

She added, “It just was authentic. It was real. It was believable for us to do a record like that, but it was also something that needed to be done and the way he did it was so clever. He pretty much just broke down the cycle of domestic violence and it’s something that a lot people don’t have a lot of insight on, so this song is a really, really powerful song and it touches a lot of people.”

So, Rihanna, a victim of domestic violence, performed on the track and explained the lyrics are not intended to condone domestic violence but to provide awareness about it.

Furthermore, the lead actor in the song’s highly popular music video explained the point of the song and video as a message against domestic violence. “I think we tried as hard as we could to not glorify the violence, to try and explain that this was a relationship that is by no means ideal and a relationship that probably should have ended a lot sooner than it did,” said Dominic Monaghan.

Perhaps the “shoot first, ask questions later” cancel culture mob could have at least Googled the song to gain some context before calling for Eminem’s head on a platter.

But, sadly, that is how the cancel culture mob rolls these days. Context doesn’t matter. Everything is black or white. Good or bad. They alone are judge, jury, and executioner.

Even more interesting about the Eminem cancelation campaign is the fact that it is predominantly being spurred by Generation Z, the snowflake brigade.

And who is mostly defending Eminem? Millennials, including Meghan McCain, who tweeted: “Eminem will not be cancelled. Come at me Z’s.”

Could the campaign to cancel Eminem, who burst onto the scene in 1999 and has remained atop the music industry for more than two decades, be a turning point in the battle over cancel culture?

As a millennial, I understand the reaction to defend to Eminem. For 20 years, his music has been condemned by a variety of groups for one reason or another. Yet, Eminem has not backed down.

He has provided entertainment to millions around the globe. He is a music icon. The winner of multiple awards. Yes, his lyrics are controversial. But that does not mean he should be canceled.

Here is a piece of advice to everyone who would like to cancel Eminem: If you don’t like his music, don’t listen to it.

Chris Talgo ([email protected]) is an editor at The Heartland Institute.