Frank Kogan

This was originally part of my Pazz & Jop comments for 2000; Pazz & Jop editor Robert Christgau decided to excerpt and print the Eminem bit and he helped me make it better. The title I supplied with it was "In the Labyrinth," which when I look at it now is as dead and boring as leftover spinach; anyhow, someone at the Voice changed it to "Open the Trapdoor Eminem: Out-of-Control Asshole Escapes Into the Labyrinth," which incensed me at the time because it misrepresents the piece and I wrote Bob an angry email about it; now I think "In the Labyrinth" misrepresents the piece even more because it's dead spinach and the piece is better than that. So what I've come up with here breathes some life back into the vegetable, I hope: "Into The Labyrinth And Out Of Control" But honestly, "Out-Of-Control Asshole" has a zing that's missing from what I've just put, but I don't want to call Eminem an asshole because he isn't and I don't want to capitulate to those who think he is, and I want my title to try to tell the truth – though obviously "out-of-control asshole" tells some truth; they got it from the piece, after all.

So the title I've got now doesn't succeed either; I'm sorry. Maybe inspiration will hit in the middle of the night.