On August 31, Emimem released a surprise album. It was the latest in a career known for controversy. And this new effort didn't disappoint. Well, it at least didn't disappoint half of the world's population. The other half wasn't surprised in the slightest. Disappointment over Eminem using a homophobic slur wasn't just a ship that sailed. It sailed, hit an iceberg, and there was no chance at resuscitating any of the victims.

On his new album, "Kamikaze," Eminem took a shot at Tyler The Creator, using the word "faggot." Ordinarily, I would hear about something like this and look for the exact context of the statement. In a world of clickbait headlines and fake news, it's important to hear every side of a story. In this case, Eminem wasn't just using the slur as an insult, he was making specific references to gay sex. In an interview following the album's release, Eminem appeared remorseful. However, he later repeated the same sentiments in his diss track to Machine Gun Kelly, minus the slur. His intentions were clear.

Whether or not he's homophobic, Eminem clearly sees homosexuality as a weakness. It's rather surprising coming from a man who has earned such fame and wealth. Normally, that kind of success exposes you to all kinds of people and your old fashioned prejudices fade away into oblivion. Or maybe you just become more quiet about it. After all, we do live in a "cancel culture" now. That means that any offensive tweet, lyric, or quote could result in the end of your livelihood in a twenty four hour time span.

Punishing people for their bigotry has become commonplace in the current year. Eminem, however, is similar to Kanye West in that he's become well known for being politically incorrect. So maybe that's why, unlike so many others, they can get away with it. But a part of me still expected Eminem to one day take the Jay-Z school of acceptance. Jay-Z spoke out in support of marriage equality, a major shift in the rap game. I believe this is mostly because Jay-Z earned his way out of a rough neighborhood where your masculinity was crucial to staying alive.

I'm not sure why Eminem is so fixated on gay sex or homosexuality in general. Maybe he's an isolated figure. Maybe he simply hasn't grown out of his old way of thinking. Maybe he doesn't get out much. But whatever the reason, it does make me wonder about the consequences of making such statements. I don't think ending someone's career and destroying their reputation is the way to go. There might be some truth in the commonly held belief that what you do comes back to you. And if that's the case, all these loud mouthed keyboard warriors have a lot coming to them.

Don't get me wrong, I understand where the keyboard warriors are coming from. When I was in sixth grade, Eminem was the biggest rap star alive. And he was known for saying "faggot" in his lyrics. At the same time, I was out at school and getting bullied mercilessly by kids using that same word. A part of me couldn't help but feel like Eminem was in some way contributing to that culture. The culture where homophobia was considered cool.

However, as an adult, I understand that the problem is a lot bigger than Eminem. It has to do with the parents, whose job it is to monitor what their children listen to. It has to do with religion, where many are taught that homosexuality is a sin. It has to do with peer pressure, where kids will try to follow the pack to be cool, at any cost. So many factors go into a culture that engages in divisive language and bigoted behavior. Simply getting a celebrity dropped from their brand deal or fired from their television show won't change the culture. It will only cause people to keep their mouths shut.

If we really want things to change, it's going to take a lifetime of work. The work starts with us. It starts with how we treat people on a daily basis. It starts with how we teach our children to behave. It starts with prioritizing what's most important with what isn't. I may not have any clue what the momentary consequences should be when a public figure says something offensive. But what I do know is that changing the culture, slowly but surely, will have an impact that is more lasting than momentary.