Eminem's "Lose Yourself" As Campaign Anthem - Three candidates. Two parties. One song.
Eminem's "Lose Yourself" As Campaign Anthem - Three candidates. Two parties. One song.
In 2015, Republican Ben Carson kicked off his campaign for the U.S. presidency with a concert at the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts in Detroit. Selected of God, a local choir famous for their appearance in a Chrysler Super Bowl commercial, delivered a powerful gospel rendition of Eminem's "Lose Yourself."
Fast forward to just a day before the 2020 election, Democratic candidate Joe Biden released an ad titled "One Opportunity," also featuring Eminem's iconic track. In August 2023, Republican candidate and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy picked up a mic and surprised the crowd at the Iowa State Fair with an impromptu performance of the song.
Three candidates. Two parties. One song.
In this talk, Dr. Dana Gorzelany-Mostak will analyze each politician’s engagement with “Lose Yourself,” and their attempts to strategically align themselves with various facets of Eminem’s identity as outsider, rebel, shapeshifter and poet, thereby crafting their own presidential personas.
Lecture by: Dr. Dana Gorzelany-Mostak
A Lecture Series through The School of Continuing & Professional Studies
